Four films were excluded from the Hong Kong Film Awards’ (HKFA) official contenders list for this year’s ceremony, an omission that has prompted questions within the local film industry after no explanation was provided by organisers.
The films – Valley of the Shadow of Death, Finch & Midland, Vital Signs, and Mother Bhumi – were absent from the provisional contenders list released on 13 January by the HKFA for its 44th edition, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.
All four films had commercial releases in Hong Kong in 2025, and met the eligibility criteria set out in the HKFA’s by-laws.
HKFA’s by-laws state that any Hong Kong film released commercially between 1 January and 31 December, with at least five screenings over seven consecutive days, automatically qualifies for consideration.
This has puzzled the industry, as filmmakers do not need to submit their films to be considered, nor can they withdraw their films from consideration.
According to a report by Yahoo News Hong Kong, internal HKFA meetings had not discussed removing any films from eligibility.
Additionally, a reference list circulated to committee members in October last year included at least two of the affected titles, and viewing links or DVD screeners were later provided to voters and professional jurors. One of the films was also reportedly still listed on official forms earlier this month before being removed in a subsequent revision.
The Independent has reached out to the HKFA for comment.
An eligible HKFA voter told Hong Kong Free Press that they noticed the omissions after receiving the ballot booklet listing eligible films.
“The Hong Kong Film Awards admit films based on eligibility criteria, not submissions. And according to the rules, all four of those films should be eligible to contend for the awards,” the voter said, adding that they had never encountered such a situation in more than a decade working in the industry.
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The omissions have also drawn attention to the apparent removal of the Best Asian Chinese-Language Film category, which recognises Chinese-language films made outside Hong Kong.
Deadline has reported that the category, which has been won by Taiwanese films for the past two years, does not appear on this year’s awards list.
Two of the films removed from the contenders list, Valley of the Shadow of Death and Finch & Midland, share a common lead actor. Both star Anthony Wong, a veteran of Hong Kong cinema who has publicly supported the pro-democracy “umbrella movement” in 2014.
A third title, Vital Signs, stars Neo Yau, who was previously involved in a political satire group that mocked the Hong Kong government, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.
The fourth film, Mother Bhumi, sits slightly apart. The Malaysian-Hong Kong co-production stars Fan Bingbing, a mainland Chinese actor who largely disappeared from China’s entertainment industry after a tax evasion scandal in 2018 and has since focused on international projects.
Founded in 1982, the HKFA is Hong Kong’s most prominent film awards body. Nominees and winners are selected by a combination of film professionals, critics, academics and a professional jury.
The deadline for voting this year ends on 23 January, and the ceremony is usually held in April; the date for this year’s event has not been announced yet.
In December last year, Hong Kong authorities banned the public screening of Kiwi Chow’s Deadline, saying the film could be “detrimental to national security”.
