Awards News: The 4th Asian Film Awards

South Korea and China were the big winners at the 4th Asian Film Awards held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on Monday as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Bong Joon-ho's thriller Mother won three awards, while most of the remaining awards went to Korean or Chinese films. After winning big prizes last year with Tokyo Sonata, Departures, and Still Walking, Japan was shut out entirely this year.

Other multiple winners were City of Life and Death (also known as Nanjing! Nanjing!), Bodyguards and Assassins, At the End of Daybreak and Face, each winning two awards. The Best Visual Effects award went to South Korean Yi Zeon-hyoung of Thirst. The Toronto International Film Festival's programmer for the Midnight Madness selections, Colin Geddes, felt that the Japanese film Symbol was robbed in this category. He attended the ceremony with TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, sometimes known as the "Godfather of Bollywood." He has appeared in over 100 films, and was mentioned as the character who gives young Malik an autograph in the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

Chinese director Zhang Yimou received an award for Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema. He is the most famous of the "Fifth Generation" of Chinese filmmakers and was acclaimed for his work directing the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. John Woo won the prize for Top-Grossing Film Director for Red Cliff, the highest-grossing film in Chinese history.

This year's jury president was Tony Leung Ka-fai.
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Complete list of Asian Film Award winners

Best Film
Mother (South Korea)

Best Director
Lu Chuan, City of Life and Death (China)

Best Actor
Wang Xueqi, Bodyguards and Assassins (Hong Kong/China)

Best Actress
Kim Hye-ja, Mother (South Korea)

Best Newcomer
Ng Meng Hui, At the End of Daybreak (Malaysia/Hong Kong/South Korea)

Best Supporting Actor
Nicholas Tse, Bodyguards and Assassins (Hong Kong/China)

Best Supporting Actor
Wai Ying-hung, At the End of Daybreak (Malaysia/Hong Kong/South Korea)

Best Screenwriter
Parl Eun-kyo, Bong Joon-ho, Mother (South Korea)

Best Cinematographer
Cao Yu, City of Life and Death (China)

Best Production Designer
Alain-Pascal Housiaux, Patrick Dechesne/Lee Tian-Jue, Face (Taiwan)

Best Composer
Lo Ta-Yu, Vengeance (Hong Kong)

Best Editor
Lee Chatametikool, Karaoke (Malaysia)

Best Visual Effects
Yi Zeon-hyoung, Thirst (South Korea)

Best Costume Designer
Christian Lacroix, Anne Dunsford, Wang Chia-Hui, Face (Taiwan)

Special Awards

Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema
Zhang Yimou

The Asian Film Award for Lifetime Achievement
Amitabh Bachchan

The Asian Film Award for 2009's Top-Grossing Film Director
John Woo