Head of Universal International calls for review of “irrational” system
SHIRLEY ZHAO A ND JEFFIE LAM
UPDATED : Wednesday, 06 April, 2016, 11:44pm
Crucindo Hung Cho-sing of the Motion Picture Industry Association echoes call for voting reform. Photo: Felix Wong
Award-winning movie Ten Years has stoked fresh controversy after one movie maker threatened an awards ceremony boycott in the wake of its winning best picture at a recent industry competition and a newly launched TV station boss revealed it might want to buy it.
The low-budget production – which depicts a dystopian future with diminished human rights as Beijing exterts greater control over Hong Kong – won best picture at the city’s annual film awards on Sunday.
Since its triumph, it has been at the centre of a divisive debate that continued yesterday when Daniel Lam Siu-ming, head of Universal International film production company, called for a review of what he described as an “irrational” film awards voting system.
Lam, who is also a member of the Movie Producers and Distributors Association, suggested that if the system was not changed his company might quit the awards.
Separately, in response to a question about buyingTen Years at the official launch of the new PCCW-owned free-to-air TV station ViuTV, its general manager Lo Ting-fai was non-committal but said the matter was being actively considered.
“We have colleagues discussing this matter,” Lo said, adding that the new station’s priority was building an audience. Ten Years has packed out local public venues since its release.
Producer Andrew Choi (fourth from left) and director Ng Ka-leung (fifth) pose with the cast and crew of “Ten Years” after the film won best picture at the Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday. Photo: Edward Wong
ViuTV officially kicked off with eclectic offerings, such as popular Korean soap opera Descendants of the Sun and the much-hyped reality show Travel with Rivals. In the latter, the opening episode features the unlikely pairing of pro-establishment Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing with radical pan-democratic lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung on a trip to Poland.
Also yesterday, Luan Guozhi, deputy head of China’s media authority, described reports that the mainland had banned Ten Years as “hearsay”. Luan did not explain why its winning best picture on Monday was not reported in the mainland media.
Luan Guozhi of China’s media authority did not explain why the best picture win was not reported in the mainland. Photo: SCMP Pictures
The movie was also nowhere to be found on the mainland’s major online streaming portals, which at times put up titles that did not win approval to enter mainland cinemas.
The film has also drawn heavy criticism in state-controlled media such as Global Times.
The movie’s detractors have criticised the award voting system as open to political manipulation.
Crucindo Hung Cho-sing, chairman of the Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association, called for a reform of the system, which he said was unrepresentative of the industry.
A still from “Ten Years”. Photo: SCMP Pictures
But Tenky Tin Kai-man, a director of the awards association, said he did not believe anyone could manipulate the voting because every voter had only one vote to cast for each award. He added there was no money or concrete benefits given to award winners, so there would not be a motive to manipulate voting.
Tin said the awards had been in existence 35 years and that if there was something untoward, it would have happened long ago.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung yesterday refused to comment on the film, saying he had not seen it.
Additional reporting by Nikki Sun
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1934072/more-ten-years-fallout-hong-kong-movie-producer-threatens
