9 Apr – The 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF48) announced winners of the 15 Firebird Awards and FIPRESCI Prize at the Awards Gala held on 7 April at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, with "Snow in Midsummer" and "Sons" taking the top prizes in the Young Cinema Competition. Malaysian director Chong Keat Aun's "Snow in Midsummer" was named Best Film for the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese Language). The jury commended the director for 'demonstrating extraordinary courage in recounting the traumatic experiences of Malaysian travelling players'.
Liang Ming took home the Best Director kudo with "Carefree Days", which won acclaim for his multi-layered plot and witty dialogues. The film's female lead, Lyu Xingchen, also received the Best Actress award, while the Best Actor award went to Jason King in "A Journey in Spring". The jury was impressed by her nuanced facial expressions and his perfect balance in performance respectively.
Of the eight films vying for recognition in the Young Cinema Competition (World) category, Swedish director Gustav Möller's "Sons" was chosen as the Firebird Award winner for being 'masterfully crafted and a great balance between storytelling and human depth'. For 'creating a cinematic world that fuses harsh reality, surrealism and familiar issues', Tunisian director Meryam Joobeur garnered the Best Director award with "Who Do I Belong To". The Best Actor award went to Vangelis Mourikis, who expresses his complex feelings through silence in "Arcadia". Meanwhile, Minna Wundrich, who gave life to a strong female character in "Ivo", was named Best Actress. The jury also concurred to award a Special Mention to 'Pepe", directed by Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias.
In the Documentary Competition, the jury unanimously awarded the Firebird Award to "Favoriten" by Austrian director Ruth Beckermann, commending it for 'reminding us how it only takes one person to make a difference for the next generations.' Hong Kong director Wong Siu-pong took the Jury Prize with "Obedience" for showing the inseparable relationship between people and the society they live in, while the Jury also decided to give a Special Mention to "Intercepted" by Ukrainian director Oksana Karpovych. For telling a warm yet heartbreaking story in strong artistic stylisation, Margherita Giusti received the Firebird Award in the Short Film Competition with "The Meatseller". The Jury Prize went to "Shrooms" by Portuguese director Jorge Jácome, who expertly demonstrates the visceral potentials of the moving image. Besides winning the Best Actor award, "A Journey in Spring", co-directed by Wang Ping- Wen and Peng Tzu-Hui, was also the pick of the FIPRESCI Prize jury for 'leading the audience into their own experiences of separation and grief, while pursuing their own aesthetics.'