Suk Suk is nominated for 9 awards at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards. |
As coronavirus – COVID-19 – has spread across Asia and is making its progress of outbreaking across the world, three Hong Kong Film Awards nominees have delayed their releases. In Hong Kong, many people are avoiding crowded places, such as cinemas, to try and reduce their risk of infection. This has caused an upset for numerous film releases, dramas have been postponed mid filming in China, and the effects can be rampantly seen as usually busy Asian streets have become almost representative of ghost towns.
Most noticeably, three films that are nominated for the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards have had their release dates pushed back. According to the Singapore Times, Suk Suk, Beyond the Dream and My Prince Edward have all had their releases pushed back for fears of public safety and royalty loss.
My Prince Edward is nominated for five HKFAs |
Suk Suk is a romance film, following the story of an elderly gay couple, made by LGBT director Ray Yeung. The film is Yeung's call for equality in Hong Kong. The film has been nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best New Performer, Best Film Editing and Best Costume & Make-Up Design.
Suk Suk missed out on most nominated to Better Days, which was nominated for 12 awards. It was supposed to be released to the general public on March 12th but has now been pushed back to mid-April, Hong Kong's Ming Pao Daily News has reported.
My Prince Edward follows a woman as she struggles with the decision on if she should marry or not. It has been nominated for five awards: Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Film Editing. Starring Stephy Tang, the film was supposed to be released in mid-April but has now been rescheduled to May 7th.
Beyond the Dream is a romance-drama following a man with schizophrenia and a psychological counsellor. The film has been nominated for 5 awards: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best New Performer and Best Cinematography. Directed by Kiwi Chow, the film was supposed to release in early May but is now looking at being released on May 28th.
Beyond the Dream is nominated for 5 HKFAs |
That's not all the bad news about the Hong Kong Film Awards and the nominees, however. The HKFAs has been pushed further back; usually celebrated in April, the awarding body has decided to announce the winners in May.
On February 13th, the Hong Kong International Film Festival has announced that the Hong Kong International Film Festival and the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum have been postponed due to coronavirus. The April/May edition of the Cine Fan repertory programme has been cancelled.
As coronavirus becomes more prevalent around the globe, the CDC has encouraged people to ensure they wash their hands and to be aware of their health. For more information on prevention, please view this article.
Edited by: Yuanwei (1st editor)