HONG KONG •Unhappiness over indie film Ten Years' win at Sunday's Hong Kong Film Awards continues, with Hong Kong film bosses hinting at a boycott of the awards if its film selection process is not looked into.
Producers including Mr Peter Lam of Media Asia and Mr Raymond Wong had been vehement, lambasting the win by the low- budget, anti-China movie, which has been criticised for its poor production values.
Mr Lam is chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Films, which represents owners of local film production companies, many of whom have investments on the mainland.
Mr Wong, whose film Ip Man 3 lost to Ten Years in the Best Film race, is a member of the chamber.
On Tuesday, another member, Mr Daneil Lam, head of Universe Entertainment, said the chamber will soon convene a meeting before asking the awards' body, the Hong Kong Film Awards Association, to review its selection and voting mechanism.
Mr Lam, whose film Little Big Master was a Best Film favourite, was quoted by Apple Daily as saying: "We wish that they will listen to feedback. Otherwise, it will be meaningless for us to take part in the awards."
He added: "The selection process has room for review. The second round of voting, especially, can easily fall under people's control. Hence, Sunday's irrational result."
Hong Kong Film Awards Association chairman Derek Yee on Monday defended the voting mechanism, which comprises two rounds.
Voters in the first round comprise 100 film professionals, added to members of the public who register to vote. In the second round, 55 invited film professionals and 13 executive committee members, representing film bodies, are among those who can vote.
Mr Crucindo Hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association, is among the voters who felt Ten Years should not have won.
He said the voters had cast sympathy votes, adding: "This is like telling the world that Hong Kong's Ten Years is the best of the about 50 films produced last year. It's laughable."
But Mr Wong Fei Pang, a director of Ten Years, said the dissenters were just arrowing the voters and were not showing respect for their professionalism.
Meanwhile, the pro-Beijing Takung Pao has waded in with an editorial. It says: "On what basis did a film that clearly besmirches 'one country, two systems', that talks badly about Hong Kong's future and that has no artistic merits, become a winner?"
