The three actors were recognised at a scaled-back ceremony in Hong Kong, celebrating outstanding contributions to Asian cinema
The 19th Asian Film Awards took place on March 15 at Hong Kong’s Xiqu Centre, where three actors were honoured for their contributions to Asian cinema. Zhang Ziyi received the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, while Liu Haoran was presented with the AFA Next Generation Award and Terrance Lau took home the AFA Rising Star Award.
Notably, this year’s ceremony was held in a more intimate format following the recent Wang Fuk Court fire, with organisers deciding to scale back the event. Competitive categories and the traditional red carpet were removed, allowing the evening to focus on recognising three artists whose recent work has stood out across the region’s film industry.
Earlier in the day, the Xiqu Centre also hosted a series of masterclasses featuring leading filmmakers and industry figures, including Hwang Dong-hyuk, Jia Zhangke and Zhang Ziyi herself. Jia later returned to the stage during the ceremony to present Zhang with the evening’s top honour.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential actresses in Chinese-language cinema, Zhang first gained international recognition with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and went on to star in major films such as Hero, House of Flying Daggers and The Grandmaster. Over the past two decades, she has taken on a wide range of roles – from the gentle heroine of The Road Home to martial arts warriors and more complex contemporary characters – helping shape how women are portrayed in Chinese-language cinema.
The ceremony also spotlighted a new generation of performers. Chinese actor Liu Haoran first rose to prominence through the hugely popular Detective Chinatown franchise, which established him as one of the most recognisable young actors in Chinese cinema. In recent years, he has broadened his range with more dramatic roles, including his portrayal of a gifted mathematician in Decoded, drawing increasing attention from both audiences and critics
Meanwhile, Hong Kong actor Terrance Lau has steadily built his career across stage, television and film. A graduate of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Hong Kong actor first gained attention for his understated performance in Trouble Girl, which highlighted his ability to portray complex characters with quiet intensity. More recently, he reached a wider audience for his role as Shin in the action hit Twilightof the Warriors: Walled In, further establishing himself as one of the city’s most promising young actors.
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