46th Hong Kong Film Festival Announces Winners, A New Old Play Wins FIPRESCI and Firebird Prizes

A New Old Play directed by Qiu Jiongjiong

Qiu Jiongjiong’s A New Old Play from China – a fascinating tale of a family of Sichuan Opera artists living through a tumultuous era – has been named Best Film for the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese Language) at the 46th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF46). Besides winning the Firebird Award, A New Old Play was also the pick of the FIPRESCI Prize jury, who commended the film for “its masterful approach and inventive visual style.”

In the same category, Hong Kong’s Mak Pui-tung won the Best Actor award for The Sparring Partner, brilliantly conveying a sense of helplessness between good and evil. The Best Actress award went to Ailiya for her inspiring performance in Journey to the West, bringing truth, credibility, and compassion to her role. The jury opted not to award a prize for Best Director.

Of the eight films vying in the Young Cinema Competition (World), Palestinian director Maha Haj’s Mediterranean Fever was chosen as the Firebird Award winner for being “an all-rounded gem that is at once a thriller, social comedy, and odd couple bromance.” French and Belgian co-production Love According to Dalva garnered two awards – Best Director to Emmanuelle Nicot for delivering a multi-layered and complex social observation; and Best Actress to Zelda Samson for her sensuality and truthfulness in portraying a victim of abuse. The Best Actor award went to Moritz Treuenfels as a pathological liar in Axiom, embodying humanity inside a troubled soul.

For the Documentary Competition, the jury unanimously gave the Firebird Award to Indian filmmaker Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes for its exquisite and poetic cinematography and profound rumination on the living conditions of different races and animals. Vietnamese director Ha Le Diem received the Jury Prize for her well-crafted dramaturgy in Children of the Mist.

Chilean filmmakers were the big winners in the Short Film Competition. Hugo Covarrubias’ Bestia was selected as the Firebird Award winner for its distinctive animation aesthetics, while Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña collected the Jury Prize for The Bones. Brazilian director Carlos Segundo’s Sideral received a Special Mention.

The 47th edition of the long-running festival will return to its traditional spring slot and take place from 30 March to 10 April 2023.

A Complete List of Jurors and Award Winners