STARS OF THE HONG KONG FILM AWARDS: Hong Kong actress Charlene Choi may have lost out to Chinese actress Chloe Maayan for the Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) on Sunday, but she felt that being nominated again was already a recognition for her.

Maayan won for her role as a prostitute in Three Husbands, the last film in director Fruit Chan's Prostitute Trilogy, while Choi was nominated for playing a woman seeking her sexual awakening in The Lady Improper.

The latter was nominated in the same category for playing a young girl having a sexual relationship with an older man in Sara in 2015.

Choi, who is one-half of the Cantopop duo Twins, said on Weibo yesterday that it is a new day for her after the awards ceremony, as she will continue to work hard in her career.

For Kara Wai, who won the Best Supporting Actress award for playing the wife of a man seeking a sex change in Tracey, this is her fifth win at the HKFA. She won her first - a Best Actress award - at the inaugural HKFA in 1982.

She said on Weibo that she was grateful to the directors who placed their trust in her, so that she could play the roles based on her interpretations.

Other actresses who appeared on the red carpet included Song Hye-kyo, Janice Man, Irene Wan and Miriam Yeung. In other major categories, Project Gutenberg was named Best Film, Felix Chong (Project Gutenberg) was named Best Director and Ben Yuen was named Best Supporting Actor for his role as a Cantonese opera actor in Tracey.