Koreans win big at HK's first pan-Asian film awards
HONG KONG (Reuters) - South Korean horror film "The Host" picked up four awards, including best picture, at Hong Kong's inaugural Asian film awards on Tuesday night in a glitzy ceremony aimed at recognising the region's nascent film talent.
Stars from across Asia, including Iran, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and China arrived by limo to tread the red carpet in tuxedos and dazzling gowns for a ceremony, partly inspired by Hollywood, at Hong Kong's harbour-side convention centre.
French director Luc Besson, actress Michelle Yeoh, Hong Kong stars Tony Leung and Andy Lau, South Korean star Rain and director Park Chan-wook were among those who attended.
"The Host" -- a dark, thriller-cum-horror movie about a mutant squid-like monster and suffused with an undercurrent of anti-Americanism -- picked up awards for best picture, best actor, best cinematographer and best visual effects.
"(The film is) not only about anti-Americanism but about problems in Korea, for example asking for help from the police who don't return any help," said executive producer Choi Yong-bae, who received the white marble and twisted metal statuette for best film.
The film's Song Kang-ho picked up the best actor prize.
The best director prize went to critically acclaimed Chinese director Jia Zhangke for his Venice prize-winning film "Still Life" about the devastating social impact of the Three Gorges Dam on a small Sichuan town in China.
Japanese actress Miki Nakatani won best actress for "Memories of Matsuko", whilst other awards went to film talent from a spread of Asian countries, including Iran's Mani Haghighi for best screenwriter, Thailand's Lee Chatametikool for best editor and Indonesia's Rahayu Supanggah for best composer. Continued...
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