Nostalgic drama Ciao UFO scooped top prizes including best film at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA), while high-concept crime thriller Sons Of The Neon Night took home eight awards.
Ciao UFO won five awards, including best director for Patrick Leung Pak-Kin, who worked closely with auteur John Woo as his assistant director for many years; best screenplay for Kong Ho Yan and producer Amy Chin; best supporting actress for Michelle Wai, who was named best actress for The Last Dance last year, and best original film song.
It took seven years for the coming-of-age drama about four childhood friends who witness a mysterious flying object in the 1980s to secure a theatrical release partly due to the Covid pandemic and partly due to a pending greenlight from an investor. The film first premiered at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival in 2019.
Scroll down for full list of winners
Sons Of The Neon Night, which premiered at Cannes last year, won the most prizes with eight nods, including best supporting actor for Alex To and original film score as well as technical awards for cinematography, film editing, sound design, visual effects, art direction, and costume & makeup design.
Taiwanese star Shu Qi was named best new director for Girl, which marked her feature debut as a filmmaker and played in competition at Venice
The best actor award went to veteran Tony Leung Ka-fai for action heist film The Shadow’s Edge, marking his fifth HKFA best actor win. When accepting the trophy on stage, he said that this year was his 44th year in the entertainment industry, in line with the 44th anniversary of HKFA.
Malaysia-born Fish Liew, who represents a new generation of local talent, earned her first HKFA best actress prize for her performance as a woman born with cerebral palsy in Someone Like Me, beating fellow contenders such as Zhang Ziyi for She’s Got No Name and Fala Chen for Peg O’My Heart. Elizabeth Tang earned best newcomer for LGBTQ+ drama Girlfriends.
The awards night was a red-carpet gala event held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on Sunday (April 19). Guest presenters include Nicholas Tse, Sinje Lee, Elaine Jin, Louis Koo and mainland Chinese director-actor Da Peng.
Superstar Chow Yun Fat and director Andrew Lau handed the lifetime achievement award to John Chu, founder of Centro Digital Pictures and a CGI pioneer with Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle and Kill Bill among his credits.
This year’s HKFA was overshadowed by controversy during the nomination phase when four films that reportedly met the criteria were dropped from the contenders list and the best Asian Chinese-language film category was removed without explanation.
The four disqualified films were Timothy Yeung’s Finch & Midland, Chong Keat Aun’s Mother Bhumi, Vincci Cheuk’s Vital Signs, and Valley Of The Shadow Of Death, directed by Jeffrey Lam and Antonio Tam.
Hong Kong Film Awards 2026 winners
Best Film
Ciao UFO
Best Director
Patrick Leung Pak Kin, Ciao UFO
Best Screenplay
Kong Ho Yan, Amy Chin, Ciao UFO
Best Actor
Leung Ka Fai Tony, The Shadow’s Edge
Best Actress
Fish Liew, Someone Like Me
Best Supporting Actor
Alex To, Sons Of The Neon Night
Best Supporting Actress
Michelle Wai, Ciao UFO
Best New Performer
Elizabeth Tang, Girlfriends
Best Cinematography
Sion Michel, Richard Bluck, Sons Of The Neon Night
Best Film Editing
Chang Suk Ping William, Sons Of The Neon Night
Best Art Direction
Juno Mak, Yee Chung Man, Chow Sai Hung Ambrose, Jona Sees, Sons Of The Neon Night
Best Costume & Makeup Design
Somad, Uma Wang, Sons Of The Neon Night
Best Action Choreography
Su Hang, The Shadow’s Edge
Best Original Film Score
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Nate Connelly, Sons Of The Neon Night
Best Original Film Song
Wah Fu One, Ciao UFO
Composer：Tsui Chin Hung / Lyricist：Leung Pak Kin / Vocal Artist：Feanna Wong
Best Sound Design
Nopawat Likitwong, Poolpetch Hatthakitkosol, Dhanarat Dhitirojana, Sons Of The Neon Night
Best Visual Effects
Enoch Chan, Yu Yat Tung, Chris Chow, Lai Tsz Fei Felix, Sons Of The Neon Night
Best New Director
Shu Qi, Girl
Lifetime Achievement Award
John Chu
Professional Achievement Award
Yiu Man Kei
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