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Hong Kong Film Awards 2014

The HK Film Awards Association [Cn] has released photos of the main nominees of the 2014 awards which will be presented at Hong Kong Cultural Centre on April 13. The images will feature in a special publication for the gala event.

[Update] The main winners include The Grandmaster (film), Zhang Ziyi (actress), Nick Cheung (actor), Kara Hui (supporting actress), Max Zhang (supporting actor), Wong Kar Wai (director) and Babyjohn Choi (newcomer). Congratulations.

Hong Kong Film Awards 2014 best actress nominees
Best Actress – Cherry Ngan, Tang Wei, Zhang Ziyi, Sammi Cheng, Nina Paw

[Read more…] about Hong Kong Film Awards 2014

Deanie Yip crowned best actress at Venice

Hong Kong actress Deanie Yip was awarded the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress at the 68th Venice Film Festival on Saturday. The 63-year-old veteran won the award with her role in A Simple Life (English subbed trailer below). She’s the first Chinese actress in 19 years (Gong Li in 1992) to received the gong. Congratulations.

Directed by Ann Hui and co-starring Andy Lau, A Simple Life is adapted from a true story which tells the mother-and-son-like relationship of a servant and her young master.

Baba Yetu becomes first video game song to win a Grammy

Baba Yetu by Christopher Tin became the first piece of video game music to win a Grammy Award. It’s the theme song for the 2005 video game Civilization IV, and a re-release version was announced last week as the winner in the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) category.

Check the music video below which uses footage from the popular video game. You can also check the song which featured at the Dubai Fountain in one of my old posts from 2009.

Baba Yetu means Our Father in Swahili, a main language in East Africa. The lyrics, also in Swahili, are a translation of the Lord’s Prayer, a venerated Christian prayer.

Ron Ragin and the Stanford Talisman performed the original song in the game. The Soweto Gospel Choir performed the re-release in Tin’s 2009 album Calling All Dawns instead; and it’s the later version that won the Grammy. Tin also won the Best Classical Crossover Album award, congrats.

Over the years game makers have produced some good music and stories etc. but never got much credit in mainstream entertainment awards. This win is a milestone, but I’m not sure if things will change in near future; video games music will remain a niche on its own.