I'm curious to hear what people think. I'm also curious to know if Jackie Chan could submit family vacation photos and get them nominated for best picture. THE MYTH? Come on. It's a good movie, but seriously... And Aaron Kwok for DIVERGENCE? Wasn't his win in Taiwan met with a fair amount of derision? Also, is Best New Director a new category? I don't remember that one from previous ceremonies. Either way, it's a good idea. Nice to see SPL got a couple of noms, expecially the one for Liu Kai-chi.

BEST FILM
SEVEN SWORDS
PERHAPS LOVE
THE MYTH
ELECTION
INITIAL D

BEST DIRECTOR
Tsui Hark (SEVEN SWORDS)
Peter Chan Ho-Sun (PERHAPS LOVE)
Derek Yee Tung-Sing (2 YOUNG)
Johnnie To Kei-Fung (ELECTION)
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung and Alan Mak Siu-Fai (INITIAL D)

BEST SCREENPLAY
Aubrey Lam and Raymond To (PERHAPS LOVE)
Derek Yee Tung-Sing and Chun Tin-Nam (2 YOUNG)
James Yuen Sai-Sung, Jessica Fong and Lo Yiu-Fai (CRAZY N' THE CITY)
Cheung Chi-Kwong and Susan Chan Suk-Yin (WAIT 'TIL YOU'RE OLDER)
Yau Nai-Hoi and Yip Tin-Shing (ELECTION)

BEST ACTOR
Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing (DIVERGENCE)
Tony Leung Ka-Fai (EVERLASTING REGRET)
Andy Lau Tak-Wah (WAIT 'TIL YOU'RE OLDER)
Simon Yam Tat-Wah (ELECTION)
Tony Leung Ka-Fai (ELECTION)

BEST ACTRESS
Zhou Xun (PERHAPS LOVE)
Karena Lam Ka-Yan (HOME SWEET HOME)
Sammi Cheng Sau-Man (EVERLASTING REGRET)
Sylvia Chang Ai-Ka (RICE RHAPSODY)
Karen Mok Man-Wai (WAIT 'TIL YOU'RE OLDER)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alex Fong Chung-Shun (DRINK, DRANK, DRUNK)
Hu Jun (EVERLASTING REGRET)
Liu Kai-Chi (SPL)
Wong Tin-Lam (ELECTION)
Anthony Wong Chau-Sang (INITIAL D)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Zhang Jing-Chu (SEVEN SWORDS)
Teresa Mo Shun-Kwun (2 YOUNG)
Su Yan (EVERLASTING REGRET)
Karena Lam Ka-Yan (AH SOU)
Maggie Siu Mei-Kei (ELECTION)

BEST NEW PERFORMER
Fiona Sit Hoi-Kei (2 YOUNG)
Isabella Leong Lok-Si (BUG ME NOT!)
Annie Liu [Lau Sum-Yau] (AH SOU)
Michelle Ye [Yip Suen] (MOONLIGHT IN TOKYO)
Jay Chou [Chow Kit-Lun] (INITIAL D)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Venus Keung Kwok-Man (SEVEN SWORDS)
Peter Pau Tak-Hei (PERHAPS LOVE)
Peter Pau Tak-Hei (THE PROMISE)
Cheung Chi-Keung (ELECTION)
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Lai Yiu-Fai and Ng Man-Ching (INITIAL D)

BEST FILM EDITING
Angie Lam (SEVEN SWORDS)
Yau Chi-Wai (DIVERGENCE)
Wenders Li and Kong Chi-Leung (PERHAPS LOVE)
Patrick Tam Ka-Ming (ELECTION)
Wong Hoi (INITIAL D)

BEST ART DIRECTION
Eddy Wong (SEVEN SWORDS)
Yee Chung-Man and Peter Wong (PERHAPS LOVE)
William Chang Suk-Ping (EVERLASTING REGRET)
Bill Lui Cho-Hung (A CHINESE TALL STORY)
Tim Yip (THE PROMISE)

BEST COSTUMING
Poon Wing-Yan and Shirley Chan (SEVEN SWORDS)
Yee Chung-Man and Dora Ng Li-Lo (PERHAPS LOVE)
William Chang Suk-Ping (EVERLASTING REGRET)
William Chang Suk-Ping, Bruce Yu and Lee Pik-Kwan (A CHINESE TALL STORY)
Tim Yip and Kimiya Masago (THE PROMISE)

BEST ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY
Lau Kar-Leung, Stephen Tung Wai and Xiong Xin-Xin (SEVEN SWORDS)
Lee Chung-Chi (DIVERGENCE)
Jackie Chan, Stanley Tong Kwai-Lai and Richard Hung (THE MYTH)
Donnie Yen (SPL)
Yuen Wo-Ping, Yuen Shun-Yi, Ku Huen-Chiu (HOUSE OF FURY)

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE
Kenji Kawai (SEVEN SWORDS)
Peter Kam, Leon Kam, Leon Ko (PERHAPS LOVE)
Joe Hisaishi (A CHINESE TALL STORY)
Lo Tayu (ELECTION)
Chan Kwong-Wing (INITIAL D)

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SONG
"Perhaps Love" from PERHAPS LOVE; Composer: Peter Kam; Lyrics: Lin Xi; Sung by: Jackie Cheung Hok-Yau
"Endless Love" from THE MYTH; Composer: Choi Jun-Young; Lyrics: Choi Jun-Young, Wang Zhong-Yan; Sung by: Jackie Chan and Kim Hee-Sun
"Won't Do It Again" from WAIT 'TIL YOU'RE OLDER; Composer: Peter Kam; Lyrics: Andy Lau Tak-Wah; Sung by: Andy Lau Tak-Wah
"Drifting" from INITIAL D; Composer: Jay Chou; Lyrics: Fang Wen-Shan; Sung by: Jay Chou
"Thugs" from DRAGON RELOADED; Composer: Joe Lei; Lyrics: Joe Lei; Sung by: Ronald Cheng Chung-Gei

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Steve Burgess and Ho Wai (SEVEN SWORDS)
Kinson Tsang (PERHAPS LOVE)
Kinson Tsang (A CHINESE TALL STORY)
Wang Danrong and Roger Savage (THE PROMISE)
Kinson Tsang (INITIAL D)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Peter Webb (SEVEN SWORDS)
Wendy Choi and David Tso (THE MYTH)
Eddy Wong and Victor Wong (A CHINESE TALL STORY)
Frankie Chung Chi-Hang, Don Ma Wing-On, Cecil Cheng Man-Ching and Tam Kai-Kan (THE PROMISE)
Eddy Wong, Victor Wong and Bryan Chong (INITIAL D)

BEST NEW DIRECTOR
Matthew Tang Hon-Keung (b420 aka BEFORE 20 ... BEFORE TOO OLD)
Kenneth Bi (RICE RHAPSODY)
Stephen Fung Tak-Lung (HOUSE OF FURY)

BEST ASIAN FILM
KE KE XI LI (Mainland China)
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (Japan)
THREE TIMES (Taiwan)
SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE (South Korea)
BE WITH YOU (Japan)

Brian, if you don't mind I will put up the salient award nominee info in a locked sticky....and we can keep this thread for comments.

My "educated guesses" for some of the categories...(and these are based on what experience has led me to believe will win -- NOT personal preferences):

BEST FILM
PERHAPS LOVE

BEST DIRECTOR
Peter Chan Ho-Sun (PERHAPS LOVE)

BEST SCREENPLAY
Aubrey Lam and Raymond To (PERHAPS LOVE)

BEST ACTOR
Andy Lau Tak-Wah (WAIT 'TIL YOU'RE OLDER)

BEST ACTRESS
Karena Lam Ka-Yan (HOME SWEET HOME)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Anthony Wong Chau-Sang (INITIAL D)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Teresa Mo Shun-Kwun (2 YOUNG)

BEST NEW PERFORMER
Fiona Sit Hoi-Kei (2 YOUNG)

BEST ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY
Yuen Wo-Ping, Yuen Shun-Yi, Ku Huen-Chiu (HOUSE OF FURY)

As I said..."educated guesses", but we'll see how I do. Some of these categories were actually a really hard pick...as the nominees were all so utterly banal that it came down to picking one that was less banal than the others...

Sounds good to me, Bob. Whatever works best.

I can't make too many predictions as I haven't seen enough of these films, most of which are actually now sitting on the "to watch" pile. Perhaps I can squeeze 'em all in before the actual show!

Having seen all the action choreography nominees, though, I'll throw my lot in with Donnie Yen for SPL, although HOUSE OF FURY would be a very close second.

IMHO, Tony Leung Ka Fai wins best actor hands down in Election.

As long as The Myth doesn't win for visual effects and Seven Swords doesn't win for editing, i'll be happy. I agree with magic-8, Tony Lueng should win for Election. But I will admit, I haven't seen most of these yet.

Everyone: I do a votecaster for the fans every year. Please cast your vote for each category: http://pub50.bravenet.com/vote/vote.php ... 4290887256

Your vote should be based on the title that you feel is most qualified, not on what you predict will win.

Having Myth nominated for visual effects is, ah..., astounding. Makes one wonder if all of this is meant to be taken seriously...

These get more ridiculous each year

I must have been living under a rock. I vaguely remember hearing of Initial D. It's up for almost every award! I don't remember hearing anything great about it before. I've seen The Myth and Seven Swords and I just ordered Election. None of these films (with the exception of SPL) really wowed me.

MrBooth wrote:These get more ridiculous each year

I don't know if it's so much "ridiculous" as "sparse", really.

Last year there were only 35 bonafide Hong Kong movies produced in Hong Kong. That figure excepts the following:

1. 2003 production shelved and released in '05: The Set Up
2. Digital Video production screened in cinemas: New Born
3. Co-productions/Productions with/from the PRC: All About Love, A Chinese Tall Story, Curse Of Lola, Everlasting Regret, Initial D, The Myth, Perhaps Love (three-way production with Malaysia), The Promise, Seven Swords, Where Is Mama's Boy?
4. Co-production with Thailand: The Eye 10 (this excludes Pattaya Paradise which remains unreleased)
5. Co-production with South Korea: Seoul Raiders (this excludes The Promise, which was exclusively a PRC production)
6. Co-production with Singapore: Rice Rhapsody

So, it's not exactly so much "ridiculous", but more "what exactly else did they have to pick from?" It has been perhaps the lowest output production year passed in Hong Kong cinema history...

NB: Don't forget, if you do a search of the DB herein, the Taiwanese and PRC titles that are returned on a calendar year search of 2005 do not count as none of them were Hong Kong lensed or financed.

So, it's not exactly so much "ridiculous", but more "what exactly else did they have to pick from?" It has been perhaps the lowest output production year passed in Hong Kong cinema history...

True... I guess I'd just have liked to see AV get a nod :p

fingers crossed for Donnie (best AC - SPL)!!!

Having Myth nominated for visual effects is, ah..., astounding. Makes one wonder if all of this is meant to be taken seriously...

I guess this goes with what Mike is saying regarding the fact that there just wasn't much else to pick from. In fact, it looks as though all the movies that even had extensive special effects work in them are nominated! Guess they had to come up with five nominees, so they picked the only five movies that could even qualify. That said, I was rather impressed with the special effects during the climax of THE MYTH, even if those featured in the rest of the film were a mixed bag.

Also, is Best New Director a new category? I don't remember that one from previous ceremonies. Either way, it's a good idea.

Yes, I agree it's a great idea. I think they called it the Professional Recommendation Award or something like that. Last year the winner was Wong Ching-Po for Jiang Hu. Other nominees were Barbara Wong Chun-Chun for Six Strong Guys and Yuen Kin-Toh for McDull, Prince de la Bun.

I think Stephen Chow won the best new dir award for Shaolin Soccer.

hey,

2002
Outstanding Young Director:
• Stephen Chow Sing-Chi (Shaolin Soccer)

2003
Outstanding Young Director:
• Law Chi-Leung (Inner Senses)

2004
Professional Recommendation Awards: New Director Award
Winner:
• Edmond Pang Ho-Cheung (Men Suddenly in Black)

2005
Professional Recommendation Award: Young Director Award
Winner:
• Wong Ching-Po (Jiang Hu)
(out of the nominess, one to McDull director Toe Yuen wouldn't have hurt)

Leung Ka-fai winning for Election? You're not being ironic, right?

I don't know, I like him, but I hated his character and, for me, his acting was basically being irrationaly obsessed and talking loudly.