'Ip Man 4', 'Better Days' dominate Hong Kong Film Awards, presented online

'Better Days' (left) took the major honours while 'Ip Man 4' swept the technical awards.

Chinese romantic crime drama Better Days, directed by Hong Kong's Derek Tsang, scooped eight awards at this year's Hong Kong Film Awards, including best film, best director, best screenplay and best actress.

Critically acclaimed elderly gay drama Suk Suk took the best actor and best supporting actress awards, organisers announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Winners, however, were unable to give acceptance speeches on stage as the awards ceremony was cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic. The results were announced instead via a 25-minute live streaming event hosted by awards chairman Derek Yee.

Dressed in black tie, Yee appeared to be sitting in a dimly lit VIP cinema among the awards statuettes, yet to be presented to the recipients. He said despite the cancellation of the star-studded awards ceremony, organisers kept the polling going and received 1,675 votes from industry practitioners, about 57% of registered voters.

Better Days was yanked by mainland authorities from the Berlinale last year, but later became a box office sensation. It also earned awards for acting star Zhou Dongyu and China pop sensation Jackson Yee, and for best original film song for "Fly," written by Ellen Joyce Loo, the Hong Kong singer-songwriter who died of suicide in 2018, age 32.

Action drama Ip Man 4: The Finale emerged as the biggest winner of craft awards, with prizes for film editing, sound design and Yuen Wo-ping's action choreography. – By Vivienne Chow/Reuters

2020 Hong Kong Film Awards Winners

• Best Film: Better Days
• Best Director: Derek Kwok-cheung Tsang (Better Days)
• Best Actor: Tai Bo (Suk Suk)
• Best Actress: Zhou Dongyu (Better Days)
• Best Screenplay: Better Days
• Best New Performer: Jackson Yee, Better Days
• Best New Director: Norris Wong Yee Lam, My Prince Edward
• Best Costume & Makeup Design: Better Days
• Best Art Direction: Fagara
• Best Film Editing: Ip Man 4: The Finale
• Best Cinematography: Better Days
• Best Supporting Actor: Cheung Tat Ming (I'm Livin' It)
• Best Supporting Actress: Patra Au Ga Man (Better Days)
• Best Action Choreography: Ip Man 4: The Finale
• Best Visual Effects: The White Storm 2: Drug Lords
• Best Sound Design: Ip Man 4: The Finale
• Best Original Film Song: Fly, from Better Days
• Best Original Film Score: My Prince Edward
• Best Asian Chinese-Language Film: An Elephant Sitting Still