Hong Kong Film Awards

Overview

The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) are Hong Kong's national film awards, presented annually by the Hong Kong Film Awards Association since 1982. The 44th ceremony took place on April 19, 2026, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Ciao UFO won Best Film and Best Director (Patrick Leung). Sons of the Neon Night was the biggest winner with 8 awards from 12 nominations. Tony Leung Ka-fai won his 5th Best Actor award for The Shadow's Edge, and Fish Liew won Best Actress for Someone Like Me. The ceremony was broadcast on ViuTV.

At the 43rd ceremony in April 2025, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In dominated with 9 awards including Best Film and Best Director (Soi Cheang). The Last Dance received the most nominations at 18 but won 5 awards. Sean Lau won his 4th Best Actor award for Papa, and Michelle Wai won her first Best Actress for The Last Dance.

The HKFA is Hong Kong's most prominent film awards body. Nominees and winners are selected through a two-round voting system combining registered industry voters, professional adjudicators, and guild members. The awards cover 19 categories including a unique Best Action Choreography award that reflects Hong Kong's martial arts filmmaking heritage.

Eligibility and Submission Rules

Hong Kong films do not need to be submitted to the HKFA. Any film that meets the eligibility criteria is automatically considered for awards. The criteria are:

1. The film must have had its first commercial release in Hong Kong between January 1 and December 31 of the eligibility year.
2. The film must be publicly ticketed with at least 5 screenings over 7 consecutive days.
3. Runtime must be 60 minutes or longer.
4. The film must be screened on 35mm film or digital format.

Hong Kong Film Qualification

A film qualifies as a "Hong Kong film" if it meets at least 2 of the following 3 criteria:

1. The director is a Hong Kong permanent resident.
2. At least 1 of the 6 key creative roles (producer, screenwriter, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress) is held by a Hong Kong permanent resident.
3. At least 6 of the 15 specified technical roles (cinematography, action choreography, art direction, costume design, editing, original film score, original film song, sound effects, visual effects, etc.) are held by Hong Kong permanent residents.

Best Asian Chinese-Language Film

Any Asian Chinese-language film (excluding Hong Kong films) that has had a public commercial release in Hong Kong is automatically eligible for the Best Asian Chinese-Language Film category, subject to the same screening requirements.

Voting Process

The HKFA uses a two-round voting system:

First Round (Nominations)

Nominations are determined by two groups, each contributing 50% of the first-round score:

• Registered HKFA Voters: Industry professionals who have worked on Hong Kong films in specified roles (director, producer, screenwriter, actor, cinematographer, editor, etc.) and registered with the HKFA. Voters must be Hong Kong permanent residents aged 18 or above.
• First Round 100 Professional Adjudicators: Film industry professionals and media workers invited by the HKFA Voting Affairs Committee.

The top 5 in each category advance to the second round. If there is a tie at the 5th position between 2 candidates, 6 nominees are permitted. If more than 2 candidates tie at 5th, only 4 nominees are selected.

Second Round (Winners)

Winners are determined by two groups, each contributing 50% of the second-round score:

• Second Round 50 Professional Adjudicators: Film workers and media professionals invited by the Voting Affairs Committee.
• HKFA Executive Committee Members and 13 Guild Members: Members of 13 Hong Kong film industry guilds (Directors Guild, Screenwriters Guild, Performing Artistes Guild, Society of Cinematographers, Stuntman Association, Film Arts Association, Film Editors Society, Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong, etc.) plus the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong (CASH).

Guild members vote on their relevant professional awards (25% of score) and all other awards (25% of score). If any Executive Committee member or CASH member is nominated for an award, they are disqualified from voting in that category.

Voting is conducted by mailed ballots, collected and counted by certified accountants.

Key Categories

The 19 award categories for the 44th HKFA (2026) are:

• Best Film
• Best Director
• Best Actor and Best Actress
• Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress
• Best New Performer
• Best New Director - director must have directed no more than 2 films and never won a HKFA directing award
• Best Screenplay
• Best Cinematography
• Best Film Editing
• Best Art Direction
• Best Costume and Makeup Design
• Best Action Choreography - unique among major national film awards
• Best Original Film Score and Best Original Film Song
• Best Sound Design
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Asian Chinese-Language Film - recognizing films from mainland China, Taiwan, and other Chinese-language industries
• Lifetime Achievement Award

History

The first Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony took place in 1982, established by film critics and industry professionals who wanted a formal recognition structure for Hong Kong cinema. The awards emerged during the industry's golden era, when Hong Kong was producing hundreds of films per year and dominating box offices across Asia.

The Best Action Choreography category reflects the central role of martial arts and stunt coordination in Hong Kong filmmaking. This category has honored choreographers whose work redefined screen action globally, including Yuen Woo-ping, Sammo Hung, and Jackie Chan's stunt team. At the 43rd ceremony, Kenji Tanigaki won Best Action Choreography for Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.

Following the 1997 handover to China, many filmmakers began working across the border between Hong Kong and mainland Chinese productions. The Best Asian Chinese-Language Film category creates a bridge between Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan. At the 43rd ceremony in April 2025, director Tsui Hark and producer Shi Nan Sun received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Business Impact for Filmmakers

A Hong Kong Film Award is the industry's highest domestic honor. Recognition at the HKFA raises a film's profile across Chinese-language markets and signals quality to international distributors and festival programmers. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, which swept the 43rd ceremony with 9 awards, grossed nearly HK$108.44 million (approximately $14 million USD) at the Hong Kong box office, making it the second biggest local film of 2024.

For Hong Kong filmmakers, an HKFA win directly affects distribution opportunities. The Hong Kong box office has contracted significantly, with cinema closures and a sluggish local market. Awards recognition can extend a film's theatrical run and attract streaming platform acquisitions. The Last Dance, which won 5 awards at the 43rd ceremony, was Hong Kong's highest-grossing film of 2024.

The 2026 controversy over 4 excluded films has introduced uncertainty about the HKFA's independence. The 44th ceremony proceeded on April 19, 2026, without addressing the exclusions publicly. This affects the awards' credibility and may influence future participation.

Recent Winners / Nominees

44th Hong Kong Film Awards (April 19, 2026)

• Best Film: Ciao UFO (producers: Amy Chin, Bonnie Wong)
• Best Director: Patrick Leung (Ciao UFO)
• Best Actor: Tony Leung Ka-fai (The Shadow's Edge) - his 5th win in this category
• 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 Director: Shu Qi (Girl)
• Best Screenplay: Kong Ho-yan, Amy Chin (Ciao UFO)
• Most awards: Sons of the Neon Night (8)
• Most nominations: Sons of the Neon Night (12)

43rd Hong Kong Film Awards (April 27, 2025)

• Best Film: Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In
• Best Director: Soi Cheang (Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In)
• Best Actor: Sean Lau (Papa) - his 4th win in this category
• Best Actress: Michelle Wai (The Last Dance) - her first HKFA win
• Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Chu (The Last Dance)
• Best Supporting Actress: Jo Koo (Papa)
• Best New Performer: Dylan So (Papa)
• Best New Director: Robin Lee (Four Trails)
• Best Screenplay: Chan Mou Yin Anselm, Cheng Wai Kei (The Last Dance)
• Best Action Choreography: Kenji Tanigaki (Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In)
• Best Asian Chinese-Language Film: Old Fox (Taiwan)
• Lifetime Achievement: Tsui Hark and Shi Nan Sun
• Most awards: Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (9)
• Most nominations: The Last Dance (18)

Eligibility Quirks That Trip People Up

• Mistake: Assuming you need to submit your film to the HKFA for consideration. Correct rule: Hong Kong films do not need to be submitted. Any film meeting the eligibility criteria is automatically considered. The HKFA identifies eligible films based on their commercial release in Hong Kong.
• Mistake: Assuming any film released in Hong Kong qualifies as a "Hong Kong film." Correct rule: A film must meet at least 2 of 3 criteria. The director must be a Hong Kong permanent resident. At least 1 of 6 key creative roles must be held by a Hong Kong permanent resident. At least 6 of 15 specified technical roles must be held by Hong Kong permanent residents.
• Mistake: Assuming a single screening qualifies a film. Correct rule: The film must be publicly ticketed with at least 5 screenings over 7 consecutive days. Private screenings, festival-only screenings, and non-ticketed events do not count.
• Mistake: Assuming the HKFA operates without political influence. Correct rule: In January 2026, 4 films were excluded from the 44th HKFA contenders list without explanation. The films (Valley of the Shadow of Death, Finch and Midland, Vital Signs, Mother Bhumi) met all published eligibility criteria. The omissions raised censorship concerns within the industry.

Prestige Tier

The Hong Kong Film Awards are the highest domestic film honor in Hong Kong, equivalent to the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan. Within Asian cinema, the HKFA sits alongside the Japan Academy Prize and the Baeksang Arts Awards as a top national film prize.

Relative to international awards, the HKFA carries significant weight in Chinese-language markets but limited visibility in Western markets. HKFA winners that also premiere at Cannes or receive Oscar submissions gain broader international attention. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In exemplifies this pattern, combining 9 HKFA wins with a Cannes Midnight Screening and an Oscar submission.

The Best Action Choreography category is unique among major national film awards. No other national awards body maintains a dedicated category for martial arts and stunt coordination. This gives the HKFA a distinct position in recognizing a craft discipline that originated in Hong Kong.

What Filmmakers Should Know

If you are a Hong Kong filmmaker, the path to HKFA eligibility is automatic if your film meets the release criteria. Focus on securing a commercial theatrical release with at least 5 ticketed screenings over 7 consecutive days in Hong Kong. No submission form or fee is required.

The two-round voting system gives equal weight to registered industry voters and professional adjudicators. In the second round, 13 guild members plus the Executive Committee determine winners. If you are nominated in a category, any guild member or Executive Committee member connected to your film is disqualified from voting in that category.

The key trade-off: an HKFA win raises your film's profile across Chinese-language markets but has limited direct impact on Western distribution. The Hong Kong box office has contracted, with cinema closures and a sluggish local market. Awards recognition can extend a theatrical run and attract streaming acquisitions, but the commercial ceiling is lower than in mainland China or Western markets.

Watch

See Also

For understanding Asian cinema distribution and international sales, see Distribution Deals Explained. To model revenue across Asian markets, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For evaluating the cost of an awards campaign against projected returns, use the Ad Spend Break-Even Calculator.