[2012.01.18] A SIMPLE LIFE'S DEANIE IP HAS FEW COMPETITION

courtesy of takungpao.com

The 6th Asian Film Award will take place on March 19th.  Yesterday the nominations were announced.  The Tsui Hark directed FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (LUNG MOON FEI GAP) received the most nominations with seven.  As for Best Actor and Best Actress, A SIMPLE LIFE (TOH JEH)'s multiple Best Actress award winner Deanie Ip Tak Han was the favorite.  After her Golden Horse Award, she and YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYES' new generation goddess Michelle Chen will battle for the crown.  Andy Lau Tak Wa also with A SIMPLE LIFE will face FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE's Chen Kun and Japan's Koji Yakusho for Best Actress.  Ko Chen-Tung only received a Best new Actor nomination.

The award ceremony press conference took place yesterday.  Attending guests included the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society chair Wong Ying Wai, Hong Kong Film Development Council chair Jack So Zak Kwong, vice chair Peter Lam Kin Ngok and jury chair Eric Khoo (Yau Kam Hoi).  FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE received seven nominations including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Art Direction, Visual Effects and Costume Designs.  Zhang Yimou's FLOWERS OF WAR and Wei Te-Sheng's WARRIORS OF THE RAINBOW: SEEDIQ BALE each received six nominations.  The Golden Globe Best Foreign Film Award winner A SEPARATION received five nominations.

As for Best Picture, the Golden Globe winner A SEPARATION naturally is the favorite, but competition FLOWERS OF WAR and SEEDIQ BALE both have substance.  Best Actress conceivably has to go to A SIMPLE LIFE Ip Tak Han, Michelle Chen could only play along.  Instead A SEPARATION's Leila Hatami was seen as the dark horse.  The Best Actor competition could be said as strong, FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE's Chen Kun and A SIMPLE LIFE's Lau Tak Wa both had substance.  Ko Chen-Tung blew up with YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE but did not receive a Best Actor nomination.  He only received the Best New Actor nomination and competed with FLOWERS OF WAR's Ni Ni.

Competing for Best Actress again, Ip Tak Han said, "To me being able to participate in a movie isn't easy, the movie receiving an invitation to compete is a bonus."  Fellow nominee Lau Tak Wa said, "I am very honored, I know the fellow nominees are very strong.  Chen Kun obviously is a good actor who I am more familiar with.  In addition, the Iranian actor has already won Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival.  His film A SEPARATION also just won the Golden Globe Best Foreign Film.  His momentum is very strong.  I am already very happy about the nomination.  I have even more confidence in Best Actress nominee Sister Deanie winning, and Ann (Director Hui On Wa) will also receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.  A SIMPLE LIFE already has award winning representatives, hahaha....."

Nominated for Best Supporting Actress with FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE, Kwai Lun-Mei said that this was her first acting nomination so she would cherish it and be grateful for it.  She also thanked everyone.  Currently in Taiwan, SEEDIQ BALE director Wei Te-Sheng responded that he was very honored to receive the Asian Film Award jury recognition.  He has already shared this good news with all the nominees and will attend with them.