Hong Kong Film Awards 2020 nominations: Better Days, Fagara lead race; Sammi Cheng up for best actress in two films

Jackson Yee and Zhou Dongyu in a still from Better Days. Derek Tsang’s film leads the field for the Hong Kong Film Awards with 12 nominations.

Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung’s Better Days leads the field for the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards with 12 nominations.

Tsang’s China-set bullying drama is followed by Heiward Mak Hei-yan’s exquisite family story Fagara (with 11 nominations) and Wong Hing-fan’s poverty melodrama I’m Livin’ It (with 10), organisers announced on Wednesday.

A deeply poignant attempt to dramatise China’s widespread problem of schoolyard bullying,

Better Days

was starved of critical attention last year when the film’s producers were forced to withdraw it from the Berlin film festival in February, and it fell foul of a Chinese boycott of the Golden Horse awards in Taiwan in November.

The 12 nominations it received for the Hong Kong Film Awards – in categories that include best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor and best actress – will go some ways towards making up for the film’s lost opportunities to grab the spotlight.

Sammi Cheng (right) and Megan Lai in a still from Fagara. The film is nominated in 11 categories at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

The other best picture nominees are gay romance Suk Suk (with nine nominations),

Fagara

, I’m Livin’ It, and Stephen Chow Sing-chi’s Lunar New Year release

The New King of Comedy

(three nominations).

Other notable nominees for this year’s awards include the Donnie Yen Ji-dan martial arts vehicle

Ip Man 4: The Finale

(with nine nominations), relationship drama My Prince Edward (with eight), psychological romance drama Beyond the Dream and twisty crime thriller

A Witness Out of the Blue

(with six nominations each).

Aaron Kwok (right) and Alex Man in a still from I'm Livin’ It.

Meanwhile, Sammi Cheng Sau-man is in danger of splitting her own votes for best actress, with the Canto-pop superstar being nominated for her parts in two films: the gentle family drama Fagara and the hysterical stage adaptation Fatal Visit. She will be competing with Zhou Dongyu (Better Days), Cecilia Choi Si-wan (Beyond the Dream), and Stephy Tang Lai-yan (My Prince Edward) for the prize.

Two recent best actor winners go head to head, with Louis Koo Tin-lok nominated for A Witness Out of the Blue, and Aaron Kwok Fu-shing for I’m Livin’ It. They will be competing with – among others – veteran actor Tai Bo (for Suk Suk), who was recently chosen as one of the two best actors of the year by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society.

The Hong Kong Film Awards winners will be announced in May.

Tai Bo (left) and Ben Yuen in a still from Suk Suk.

The full list of nominations

Best film

Better Days, Suk Suk, Fagara, I’m Livin’ It, The New King of Comedy

Best director

Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung (Better Days), Kiwi Chow Kwun-wai (Beyond the Dream), Ray Yeung (Suk Suk), Heiward Mak Hei-yan (Fagara), Wilson Yip Wai-shun (Ip Man 4: The Finale)

Terrance Lau and Cecilia Choi in a still from Beyond the Dream, nominated in six categories including best director.

Best screenplay

Better Days, Beyond the Dream, Suk Suk, Fagara, My Prince Edward

Best actor

Jackson Yee (Better Days), Louis Koo Tin-lok (A Witness Out of the Blue), Tai Bo (Suk Suk), Chu Pak-hong (My Prince Edward), Aaron Kwok Fu-shing (I’m Livin’ It)

Sammi Cheng in a still from Fatal Visit.

Best actress

Zhou Dongyu (Better Days), Cecilia Choi Si-wan (Beyond the Dream), Sammi Cheng Sau-man (Fagara), Stephy Tang Lai-yan (My Prince Edward), Sammi Cheng (Fatal Visit)

Best supporting actor

Philip Keung Ho-man (A Witness Out of the Blue), Lo Chun-yip (Suk Suk), Cheung Tat-ming (I’m Livin’ It), Alex Man Chi-leung (I’m Livin’ It), Zhang Qi (The New King of Comedy)

Stephy Tang and Chu Pak-hong in a still from My Prince Edward. Both are nominated for best acting awards

Best supporting actress

Patra Au Ka-man (Suk Suk), Megan Lai Ya-yan (Fagara), Nina Paw Hee-ching (My Prince Edward), Cya Liu Yase (I’m Livin’ It), Charlene Choi Cheuk-yin (Fatal Visit)

Best new performer

Jackson Yee (Better Days), Terrance Lau Chun-him (Beyond the Dream), Patra Au (Suk Suk), E Jingwen (The New King of Comedy), Vanda Margraf (Ip Man 4: The Finale)

Donnie Yen in a still from Ip Man 4: The Finale. The film is nominated in nine categories, including best cinematography.

Best cinematography

Better Days, Beyond the Dream, A Witness Out of the Blue, Fagara, Ip Man 4: The Finale

Best film editing

Better Days, A Witness Out of the Blue, Suk Suk, My Prince Edward, Ip Man 4: The Finale

Louis Koo in a still from A Witness Out of the Blue, nominated in six categories, including best actor, for Koo, and best art director.

Best art direction

Better Days, A Witness Out of the Blue, Fagara, I’m Livin’ It, Ip Man 4: The Finale

Best costume & make up design

Better Days, Suk Suk, Fagara, I’m Livin’ It, Ip Man 4: The Finale

Best action choreography

A Witness Out of the Blue,

Line Walker 2

, Double World,

The White Storm 2: Drug Lords

, Ip Man 4: The Finale

Andy Lau and Karena Lam in a still from The White Storm 2: Drug Lords. nominated in four technical categories.

Best original film score

Better Days, Fagara, My Prince Edward, I’m Livin’ It, Ip Man 4: The Finale

Best original film song

Better Days, Fagara, My Prince Edward, The White Storm 2: Drug Lords, I’m Livin’ It

Best sound design

The Captain

, Beyond the Dream, Fagara, The White Storm 2: Drug Lords, Ip Man 4: The Finale

Best visual effects

The Captain, Line Walker 2, Double World, The Bravest, The White Storm 2: Drug Lords

Best new director

Jazz Boon (Line Walker 2), Norris Wong Yee-lam (My Prince Edward), Wong Hing-fan (I’m Living’ It), Nick Leung Kwok-pun (

Lion Rock

), Cheuk Cheung (Bamboo Theatre)

Best Asian Chinese language film

An Elephant Sitting Still

,

Detention

,

Shadow

Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook