Two mainland hits House of Flying Daggers and A World without Thieves have not been nominated for the Best Picture prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards this year.

This is because their directors are not from Hong Kong and they do not meet the requirement that Hong Kongers should take charge of at least six aspects of each film that contends for the award.

The award presentation will be held March 27. The lifelong achievement award will possibly go to James Wong Jim, a famous songwriter who died in November 2004.

In another development, however, House of Flying Daggers has met with acclaim across the globe. Some foreign critics have described it as 2004’s most brilliant and colorful film.

Apart from competing for an Oscar nomination in the best foreign film category, Flying Daggers has been selected as the best foreign film by the U.S. Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. In addition, the New York Film Critics Association, Time magazine, Associated Press and The New York Times have all selected it as one of the top 10 films in 2004.

In a U.S. Web poll, 44 percent thought the film would win its category at the Golden Globe Awards, much higher than the several other candidates. Moreover, the London Film Critics Association recently voted it one of the top five films in 2004.

According to a press release by the Hong Kong Film Awards organizers, a Star of the Century award will be presented to Bruce Lee. The organizers stated that since his death, Bruce Lee has been imitated by many famous performers throughout the world.

The organizers also said that since 2005 marked the centenary of China’s film industry, many actors and actresses from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and abroad would be invited to attend the presentation ceremony.

Sixty films will be competing for 19 awards at the ceremony.

(Shenzhen Daily)

lifelong achievement award :（終生成就獎）