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Edmund Lee

This year’s Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) arrives under an unprecedented cloud of controversy, making Sunday’s 44th edition at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre one of the most heavily scrutinised ceremonies in the event’s history.
The industry has been reeling ever since the pre-emptive disqualification of four eligible films in early January: Valley of the Shadow of Death, Vital Signs, Finch & Midland and Mother Bhumi.
This opaque and as-yet-unexplained move by the HKFA effectively removed realistic contenders – such as Anthony Wong Chau-sang and Fan Bingbing – from the race and cast a chilling pall over the proceedings.
It is an unwanted development in what has already been a subpar year for local cinema. The resulting slate is heavily reliant on “urban myth” titles: highly anticipated projects like Sons of the Neon Night, Back to the Past and Ciao UFO that wrapped production years ago but languished on the shelf until they were released in 2025.
Despite the noise offstage, there are still worthy cinematic achievements to be celebrated. Below, South China Morning Post film editor Edmund Lee gives his predictions for who will win in the major categories.
Best film: Ciao UFO

Patrick Leung Pak-kin’s nostalgic drama about three former childhood friends bonded by a shared UFO sighting in 1985 has emerged as the definitive front-runner.
While it may not have come close to beating box office records, Ciao UFO is almost universally considered the best film of the year by both critics and industry figures, having already scooped the top prizes from the Hong Kong Film Critics Society and the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild.
Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways. Having wrapped filming years ago and only screening to the general public in recent months, Ciao UFO’s delayed release inadvertently allowed it to perfectly capture the city’s evolving zeitgeist.
Viewing it after everything that has happened in Hong Kong over the past few years lends the story about life’s disappointments and people’s diverging paths a poignant, almost fated resonance with local audiences that none of the other nominees can match.
Best director: Patrick Leung Pak-kin (Ciao UFO)
As the person behind the year’s most acclaimed feature, Leung is the safest bet to take home the best director prize. His ability to balance Ciao UFO’s sci-fi-tinged nostalgia with deeply grounded emotional arcs is the kind of seasoned craftsmanship the HKFA loves to reward.
Among the other nominees, Peter Chan Ho-sun delivered a captivating epic in She’s Got No Name that may nevertheless lose out in a popularity contest, while Behind the Shadows co-directors Jonathan Li Tsz-chun and Chou Man-yu will find it difficult to replicate their success at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards here.

Meanwhile, one of the two first-time directors nominated in this category – actress-turned-filmmaker Shu Qi (Girl) and animation director Tommy Ng Kai-chung (Another World) – can be expected to take home the best new director prize instead.
Best screenplay: Ciao UFO
Beyond its emotional weight, Ciao UFO boasts an unconventional narrative that seamlessly accommodates the public sentiment that has swept through Hong Kong in the past decade. It is a sophisticated piece of writing that elevates the film beyond a simple nostalgic trip.
While the complex plotting of black comedy Unidentified Murder – which took home the screenplay honour at the Film Critics Society Awards in January – makes it a distant second favourite (partly because it hasn’t been as widely seen by the voting body), Ciao UFO remains the most touching script of the year.
Best actor: Tony Leung Ka-fai (The Shadow’s Edge)

In a competitive field, Leung’s intense portrayal of an ageing fugitive in The Shadow’s Edge looks likely to secure him the prize. A fifth win for the veteran here would cement an astonishing milestone: it would mean Leung has won a best actor prize at the HKFA in every single decade since the 1980s.
Leung’s closest competitor this year is Louis Koo Tin-lok – an immensely popular figure in the local film industry – but Koo is suffering from a classic case of vote-splitting, being nominated twice (Behind the Shadows and Back to the Past). Neither role ranks among Koo’s greatest works, and his best actor win in 2018 may still be fresh in voters’ minds.
Meanwhile, Louis Cheung Kai-chung (Golden Boy) remains an inspiring dark horse thanks to his extreme physical transformation. Still, Leung’s villainous turn simply operates on a different level.
Best actress: Fish Liew Chi-yu (Someone Like Me)

This is arguably the most fiercely contested category of the night: a toss-up between the Malaysian-born Liew and two-time winner Zhang Ziyi (She’s Got No Name).
Liew’s incredibly difficult portrayal of a woman with cerebral palsy in Someone Like Me has already seen her win at the Film Critics Society and Directors’ Guild awards. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see her follow in the footsteps of Jennifer Yu Heung-ying and Michelle Wai Sze-nga to claim her rightful place as one of the best actresses of this new generation of Hong Kong cinema.
While Zhang is spectacular in Peter Chan’s period epic, that film hasn’t resonated as deeply with local audiences. It is probably easier for voters to reward Liew’s sensitive performance – and hard work over the years – than hand Zhang a third gong.
Best supporting actor: Alex To Tak-wai (Sons of the Neon Night)

It took years for Sons of the Neon Night to hit cinemas, but it was worth the wait just to finally see To’s charismatic, imposing turn as a legendary criminal in exile – opposite the protagonist played by reclusive star Takeshi Kaneshiro, no less.
Beyond competing for his first HKFA nomination at the age of 64, Cantopop singer To also delivered a memorable performance as an absent father in Ciao UFO. That extra visibility across the year’s most talked about films will only add to his goodwill among voters.
Best supporting actress: Michelle Wai Sze-nga (Ciao UFO)

Fresh off her best actress win last year, Wai looks poised to return to the podium. Her role in Ciao UFO was shot long before her critical success with The Last Dance, and it has been widely reported that she wasn’t even the first choice for the part.
Wai’s victory would be the ultimate underdog story, further cementing her long-overdue reputation as one of the industry’s most dependable stars. Given the rapport Ciao UFO enjoys with audiences and the industry alike, her sympathetic role as a woman frustrated by circumstances may well be the one to beat.
Our predictions for the winners of the other categories:
Best new performer: Elizabeth Tang To (Girlfriends)
Best cinematography: Sons of the Neon Night
Best film editing: The Shadow’s Edge
Best art direction: Sons of the Neon Night

Best costume and make-up design: Sons of the Neon Night
Best action choreography: The Shadow’s Edge
Best original film score: Sons of the Neon Night
Best original film song: Ciao UFO
Best sound design: Sons of the Neon Night
Best visual effects: Back to the Past
Best new director: Shu Qi (Girl)

Read the full list of nominations here.
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Louis Koo in a still from Back to the Past.

Wong You-nam in a still from Ciao UFO, a favourite to win the best picture prize at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards on April 19, 2026.

A still from Ciao UFO, about three former childhood friends who find their dreams slipping away as adults.

A still from Another World, directed by first-time filmmaker Tommy Ng.

Tony Leung Ka-fai in a still from The Shadow’s Edge.

Fish Liew in a still from Someone Like Me.

Alex To in a still from Sons of the Neon Night.

Michelle Wai in a still from Ciao UFO.

Zhang Ziyi in a still from She’s Got No Name.

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Anson Chan (centre) in a still from We’re Nothing at All.

Patrick Tam in a still from We’re Nothing at All.

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Charlene Choi in a still from Ciao UFO (Category: IIA, Cantonese), directed by Patrick Leung and co-starring Chui Tien-you and Wong You-nam.

A still from Ciao UFO.

Wong You-nam (left) as Heem and Chui Tien-you as Kin in Ciao UFO.

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Cecilia Cheung at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards in 2004. The actress’ personal life garnered a lot of attention in the 2000s, with tabloids covering scandals and her high-profile romantic life. Photo: SCMP

Cheung in 1999. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Cheung speaks after receiving the award for best new performer, as veteran actors Liza Wang and Danny Lee look on, at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2000. Photo: Martin Chan

Cheung and Nicholas Tse in 2001. Photo: Reuters

Cheung in a still from Lost in Time (2003), for which she won best actress at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

Cheung and Tse at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011, the year they filed for divorce. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Cheung and Stephen Chow in a still from King of Comedy (1999). Her feature-film debut remains one of her most memorable roles. Photo: The Star Overseas

Cheung and her three sons. Photo: Weibo

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SCMP film editor Edmund Lee forecasts the best film, director, screenplay, actors and supporting actors at this weekend’s 44th HKFA


SCMP film editor Edmund Lee forecasts the best film, director, screenplay, actors and supporting actors at this weekend’s 44th HKFA.


Hong Kong Film Awards 2026 predictions: Ciao UFO, Back to the Past and more

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}SCMP film editor Edmund Lee forecasts the best film, director, screenplay, actors and supporting actors at this weekend’s 44th HKFA

SCMP film editor Edmund Lee forecasts the best film, director, screenplay, actors and supporting actors at this weekend’s 44th HKFA