Comeback Queen Kara Hui Wins Yet Another Award

Thirty years ago Kara Hui (惠英红, Huì Yīnghóng) was one of Hong Kong's leading martial arts actresses, winning the inaugural Best Actress Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1981. Her career then went into steady decline in the 80s and 90s, to the point where she admitted battling with depression. However the last 12 months have seen a remarkable turnaround in her fortunes with the release of the arthouse hit, At the End of Daybreak. Her performance as an alcoholic mother whose son is accused of rape has seen her take home awards at all the major Chinese-language awards shows.

Her most recent accolade, a Best Actress trophy, was won at the 10th Chinese Film Media Awards held at the end of May. These awards are organised by the Guangzhou newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily, and awards are voted by media represenatives and film critics from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Best Actor at the Chinese Film Media Awards was given to a first-time actor, Chen Wen-Pin (陈文彬) from Taiwan, for his performance as a working-class father battling bureaucracy to gain custody of his daughter in No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti. The Taiwanese film, like At the End of Daybreak it is based on a true story, was co-written by Chen, and was also named Best Film, following on from its Best Film victory at the Golden Horse Awards last year. Experienced actor now turned director Leon Dai (戴立忍, pinyin: Dài Lìrěn) won Best Director for No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti, only the second film he has directed.

Veteran actor Jack Kao (高捷, pinyin: Gāo Jié) won Best Supporting Actor for the Taiwanese comedy-drama A Place of One's Own. His co-star, another veteran Lu Yi-ching (陆弈静), took home Best Supporting Actress.

The Chinese Film Media Awards also named their Best 10 Films of the New Century's first decade. Regular Best Ten list-makers like In the Mood for Love, A One and a Two and Still Life were all there, as well as favourites such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Infernal Affairs. The full list is:

• A One and a Two (一一) - 2000, Taiwan drama
• In the Mood for Love (花样年华) - 2000, Hong Kong romance
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙) - 2000, China/Taiwan/Hong Kong martial arts drama
• My Life as McDull (麦兜故事) -2001, Hong Kong animated comedy
• Infernal Affairs (无间道) - 2002, Hong Kong thriller
• Crazy Stone (疯狂的石头) - 2006, China comedy thriller
• Still Life (三峡好人) - 2006, China/Hong Kong drama
• Assembly (集结号) -2007, China war drama
• The Way We Are (天水围的日与夜) - 2008, Hong Kong drama
• The Message (风声) - 2009, China thriller

The full list of award winners - and there's a lot of them, including awards like Most Versatile Actor and Actress and Film Professional of the Year - can be found at the HKSAR Film No Top 10 Box Office blog.