A poster for The Golden Era Photo: IC

Zhao Wei (right) accepts her award for Best Actress from singer Sammi Cheng at the Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday. Photo: CFP

While the Beijing International Film Festival is still sweeping Beijing like a raging fire, about 2,300 kilometers to the south, the entire city of Hong Kong has been immersed in a cheerful atmosphere as the city hosts the 34th Hong Kong Film Awards.

With 11 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor, Overheard 3 was seen as the most promising film this year. Yet while it did not disappoint fans by winning three out of the 11 nominations, the biggest win of the night still went to The Golden Era, which grabbed five awards including Best Film and Best Director.

Hong Kong actor Lau Ching Wan was crowned Best Actor for his role in Overheard 3, while mainland actress Zhao Wei won Best Actress for her portrayal as the wife of a child trafficker in Dearest. The film was Zhao's first return to the big screen as an actress after her directorial debut So Young in 2013. She was previously nominated for the same award five years ago.

With The Golden Era, a drama that portrays a group of young writers in the 1920s, Hong Kong director Ann Hui swung Best Director. This was the fifth time Hui has won the award with previous wins for A Simple Life (2011), The Way We Are (2008), Summer Snow (1994) and Boat People (1982).

When asked whether she had already become numbed to the honors after receiving so many awards, Hui responded no, but also expressed wishes that young directors could have more opportunities to win in the future. She also revealed that she was disappointed that Tang Wei missed out on Best Actress, yet showed admiration for Zhao's performance.

Veteran actor Kenneth Tsang was given Best Supporting Actor for his role in Overhead 3.

Expressing his joy at receiving this honor, Tsang, now 81, said he wished he had received the award when he was younger.

"It's difficult to receive an award for supporting roles… since these characters don't show up for too long, it is more difficult for audiences to develop feelings towards them during their short time on screen," entertainment news site ent.163.com quoted Tsang speaking to press backstage after receiving the award.

For her role in Golden Chicken SSS, Ivana Wong won in both the Best New Performer and Best Supporting Actress categories. Having collected five nominations - including three in the Best New Performer category - for films Golden Chicken SSS, Delete My Love and Break Up 100, it came as no surprise that Wong won the award for Best New Performer.

However, when it came to the Best Supporting Actress category, Wong was still considered a dark horse as she was up against four more experienced actresses.

Though it received mixed reviews when it hit theaters in the Chinese mainland last May, mainland director Zhang Yimou's drama Coming Home still won the Best Film from Mainland and Taiwan Award. Starring Chen Daoming and Gong Li, and adapted from a novel by well-known author Yan Geling, Coming Home tells the story of separation and reunion of a couple that survived the Cultural Revolution (1966-76).

A film awards once focused on Hong Kong films, coproductions with the mainland - Overheard 3, The Golden Era and Dearest - were the night's biggest winners.

Unsurprised by the outcome, mainland film critic Tan Fei told the Global Times that he believes coproduced films are better able to take advantage of the best parts of both industries.

"There have been many political issues in Hong Kong, but they have not affected the integration of these two film industries," Tan said. "Hong Kong will continue to cooperate with the mainland."

Award Winners

Best Film:

The Golden Era

Best Director:

Ann Hui On Wah (The Golden Era)

Best Actor:

Lau Ching Wan (Overheard 3)

Best Actress:

Zhao Wei (Dearest)

Best Screenplay:

Alan Mak Siu Fai & Felix Chong Man Keung (Overheard 3)