Nervous about the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards

Feeling fairly nervous about tomorrow's award ceremony. I dont get nervous much except when go through long period of not having any nasi lemak but that is another story.

When we first started out making AT THE END OF DAYBREAK (心魔), it was with a a lot of hope that we can be bringing a synergy between malaysian and hong kong that is not forced and unnatural. We seeked out actors we had long admired and whom we think we could handle the characters in the script and bring the film to a new level.

To our relief, Kara Wai Ying Hung and Tsui Tien You agreed to come and play the leading roles of mother and son in the film. They are actors of top pedigree and completely professional and supportive of the rather rudimentary set up of the production. No trailers nor craft service nor limo in sight... lots of long hours, mosquitos, packed meals (which was usually quite yummy as we malaysians love nothing more than to eat well)... the results as one can see from the final film are very satisfying. The film is not everyone's cup of tea for sure but no one can dispute that the actors did a fantastic job of bringing to life the characters of disenfranchised members of society trapped in their own surroundings of a small matter escalating to tragedy.

When Kara was nominated for the Golden Horse awards last Nov, we were happy to present the film in Taiwan when the director, Ho Yuhang first had the idea to make the film from a news story of two young girls murdered and left naked in a jungle - he followed the progress of finger pointing by all the authorities of who are at fault and the parents love and fear driving their children to such dire consequences... and that is the inspiration for DAYBREAK.

Then Kara won the Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Horse ( http://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/gh_tc/gh/gh-e-5.aspx), and then subsequently at the Asian Film Awards (together with Jane Ng Meng Hui for Best Newcomer) ( http://www.asianfilmawards.asia/2010/index.php), and then the Best Actress by the HK Film Critics Association ( http://bit.ly/9esJLj)  we are grateful for the appreciation and recognition by the film industry.

But now, it is the HK FIlm Awards and the stakes are higher somehow. Kara is the first winner of the Best Actress Award for HK FIlm Awards ( http://english.cri.cn/6666/2010/04/11/2481s562345.htm) and  somehow most people are saying that she is shoo-in winner for Best Actress and I sincerely hope so as it would mean so much for her to be able to win at home turf. I remember her saying that she felt that she had given up on film a few years ago as she wasnt getting any decent film offers and filmmakers in HK has forgotten her. I know that everyone says that it is an honor and pleasure to just be nominated but damn, we want her to win this one. To bring a very deserving actress to the fore again ...and to a certain selfish extent, to futher push the film out there as so few people saw it in HK when it was released. And also to show that independent Malaysian films made without any support from any official bodies back home (we have support from Hubert Bals Fund/ Rotterdam & Asian Cinema Fund/ Pusan).

So tonight, i will sleep with fingers, toes and everything else i can cross, in a tight and tense knot. Wish us luck everyone.

p/s: I am happy that LOVEHKFilm.com's annual LOVEHKFilm.com awards highlighted the good work that Tsui Tien You put in and gave him the most underrated performer - thank you guys! http://lovehkfilm.com/features/lovehkfa_2009.htm

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謝謝大家的支持獨立電影