Taiwan's 'Hsiao Yu' grabs five awards at film festival

JAKARTA (JP): Hsiao Yu, a Taiwan thriller-drama about the adventures of an illegal Chinese immigrant in New York, won five of a possible 12 awards, including best film, at the 40th Asia- Pacific Film Festival last night.

Hsiao Yu also won for best sound, best art direction (Wen Li) and best screenplay (Sylvia Chang and Ayli). Actress Rene Liu Joyin, who played the heroine in the film's title, was named best actress.

The Taiwan film, directed by Sylvia Chang, beat four others nominated for best film: The Last Tattoo (New Zealand), Turning Point (Japan), The Lovers (Hong Kong) and And the Moon Dances (Indonesia).

The award ceremony at the Jakarta Convention Center last night was the climax of the four-day festival. Fourteen countries participated in the festival.

Minister of Information Harmoko presented the award for best film to Hsiao Yu producer, Hsu Li Kong.

Among the other nominations for best films, only The Lovers and Turning Point shared in the night's spoils, with one award each -- best director (Tsui Hark) and best editing (Nobuhiko Obayashi).

Surprisingly, the Japanese film 47 Ronin, which was not nominated for best film, came away with two awards: best music (Kenzago Tanikana) and best cinematography (Yokiosho Hata).

Best actor

The award for best actor went to Hwi Chang Kong of South Korea for his role in The Two Flags and best supporting actress was given to Mamaengaroa who played in Once Were Warriors, a New Zealand entry.

Host Indonesia failed to win an award.

Taipei Tree Frog, directed by Taiwan's Liuo Yamm-ming won the best photography non-dramatic film, while Australia's 50 Years of Silence, produced by Ned Lander, won the non-dramatic film category.

A special prize was presented to Sir Run Run Shaw, an 84-year old Hong Kong film mogul for his dedication to the film industry and to the Asia-Pacific Film Festival.

Shaw is one of founders of the festival.

The victory for Hsiao Yu made up for the Taiwan delegation's disappointment that jury did not nominate Taiwan's other major entry, Vive l'Amour, for best film.

Many in the festival, including non-Taiwanese, thought that the film, which won the Golden Lion award for best film at the Venice film festival last year, was a strong favorite.

Rene Liu Joyin, in accepting the best actress award, expressed her gratitude to Yang Kuei Mei, the leading actress in Vive L'Amour, whom she considered as "the best actress in my heart".

The annual film festival saw a total of 30 feature films and 10 documentary films supplied by nine of the 14 countries taking part in the festival: Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. The other five participants -- Kuwait, Vietnam, Singapore, India and the Philippines -- sent their films to be screened only.

The festival will move to Auckland, New Zealand next year. (als)