From Michelle Yeoh’s return to the first southeast Asian actor winning Best Supporting Actor, the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards was a roaring success
The Hong Kong Film Awards returned in all its glory last night at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and marked the ceremony’s first fully physical event since 2020 by being the biggest it’s been in HKFA history. Quite literally, it was spatially the largest Hong Kong Film Awards ever, and with the stars’ arrival on the red carpet taking place in the outdoor area overlooking Victoria Harbour. Fans of local boyband Mirror cheered on the members—Edan Lui and Jer Lau—who were both nominated in the Best New Performer category this year from the promenade along the red carpet, as well as on a yacht in the harbour.
The evening only got more exciting from there. Kicking off the awards ceremony was a captivating performance by Hong Kong singers Terence Lam Ka-him and Serrini. Followed by other artists, like Keung To and Kung Ka Ho, who gave a live rendition of their songs that are nominated in this year’s Best Original Film Song category.
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Best Actress winner at this year’s Oscars Michelle Yeoh returned to the city to attend the HKFA as its special guest, and to present the Best Supporting Actor award to Sahal Zaman, an 11-year-old actor who played a Pakistani refugee child in Hong Kong whose world crumbles when his father dies in a car crash caused by a taxi driver (played by Anthony Wong) in The Sunny Side of the Street. Zaman is the first southeast Asian actor to win in this category and Yeoh, who is Malaysian and who was nominated for her first award at the HKFA in 1986, used her time on stage to also encourage filmmakers to pursue their creative career paths despite challenges the industry presents. “Don’t give up,” she said. “Dreams do come true.”
Later in the evening, Andy Lau presented Sammi Cheng her first Best Actress award for her touching performance as a foster mother in Lost Love. Cheng has been nominated in the Best Actress category six other times prior to last night, and had also been nominated three times in other categories by the HKFA. “My father loved the arts,” she said as she tearfully accepted her award. “My career is almost like completing his life’s dream. [Winning Best Actress] is like another piece to the puzzle, [and] this award is dedicated to people who have dreams and push through challenges to realise them. Today, I finally crossed the finishing line.”