(本英譯內容僅供參考，中英文內容文意不符者，以中文為準。 The English translated version is intended for reference only. If there is any discrepancy between the Chinese and English versions, the Chinese version shall govern.
I) ELIGIBILITY
2025 Hong Kong Films
Any Hong Kong film (see Note 2), of a duration of 60 minutes or more, shown in Digital Cinema format (see Note 8) or 35mm film with a valid Certificate of Approval issued by the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration and its first commercial theatrical release in Hong Kong between 1 January to 31 December 2025 for at least 5 shows in conventional film screening theatres (see Note 1) with 50 seats or above in 7 consecutive days ,will be automatically considered as participating in the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards.
| Categories of Awards |
1. BEST FILM
2. BEST DIRECTOR
3. BEST SCREENPLAY
4. BEST ACTOR
5. BEST ACTRESS
6. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
7. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
8. BEST NEW PERFORMER (see Note 3)
9. BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
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10. BEST FILM EDITING
11. BEST ART DIRECTION
12. BEST COSTUME & MAKE UP DESIGN
13. BEST ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY
14. BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE (see Note 4)
15. BEST ORIGINAL FILM SONG (see Note 5)
16. BEST SOUND DESIGN (see Note 6)
17. BEST VISUAL EFFECTS (see Note 7)
18. BEST NEW DIRECTOR (see Part III)
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Notice:
1) All candidates and participating production companies for any awards categories must be credited in the opening or closing credit of the film, based on the version released in Hong Kong.
2) “Consultant”: Individuals in this role are not eligible to be nominated for any awards.
3) “Chief Director”: If the film has both a Chief Director and Director positions Chief Director will be considered as a Co-Director.
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(II)VOTING PROCEDURES
First Round Voting
- Nominations for all awards will be selected by (a) registered Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) Voters and (b) First Round Professional Jury.
- HKFA Voter: Any individual who meets the HKFA voter registration qualifications and whose application has been confirmed and
accepted by the Hong Kong Film Awards Association (HKFAA).
- The First Round Professional Jury (total 125 individuals) consists of professionals from the film industry and film-related personnel recommended and invited by the Voting Affairs Committee of HKFAA.
- The result of each group of (2) and (3) will comprise 50% of the first round total score.
- The top five candidates with the highest scores for each respective award will be selected for Second Round Voting. When there are two candidates both ranking fifth with the same score in an award category, the number of nominations for that category will be increased to six. When there are more than two candidates, all ranking fifth, with the same score, the number of nominations for that category will be reduced to four.
- Any ineligible candidates found in the nominations lists, will be revoked, and the vacancy will be filled by the next candidate with the highest score.
- Members of the Professional Jury cannot vote in their capacity as HKFA Voters. They are also prohibited from serving as Second Round Professional Jury members. However, if applicable, they may vote as members of HKFAA Member Associations in the Second Round Voting.
| THE 44th HONG KONG FILM AWARDS VOTING PORTIONS AND SCORE PERCENTAGE |
| First Round Voting : For Nomination (100%) |
| Awards \ Voting portions |
All HKFA Voters |
Professional Jury |
| Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best New Performer, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Costume & Make Up Design, Best Action Choreography, Best Original Film Score, Best Original Film Song, Best Sound Design, Best Visual Effects, Best New Director |
50% |
50% |
Second Round Voting :
- The Second Round Professional Jury (total 75 individuals) and members of the HKFAA member associations will select winners of the 18 awards.
- The Second Round Professional Jury consists of 75 professionals from the Hong Kong film and film-related industry invited by the HKFAA’s Voting Affairs Committee. While jury members are eligible to vote as HKFA voters in the First Round Voting, they cannot vote as member associations of HKFAA in the Second Round. The Second Round Professional Jury’s votes contribute 50% of the total score in the second round.
- Members of the 17 Member Associations of HKFAA are eligible to vote for their respective award categories (accounting for 25% of the total score) as well as other award categories (accounting for 25% of the total score) in the Second Round. Members holding multiple memberships have only one vote. For further details, please refer to the attached table below:
| THE 44th HONG KONG FILM AWARDS VOTING PORTIONS AND SCORE PERCENTAGE |
| Second Round Voting : Final Assessment |
| Awards \ Voting Portions |
Respective Scores from Members of ^HKFAA Member Associations |
Scores from other Members of ^HKFAA Member Associations |
Professional Jury
(75 persons) | Total Percentage |
Best Director
Best New Director
|
Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild |
25% |
25% |
50% |
100% |
| Best Screenplay |
Hong Kong Screenwriters' Guild |
Best Actor, Actress
Best Supporting Actor, Actress
Best New Performer |
Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild |
Best Cinematography
|
Society of Cinematographers (H.K.) |
| Best Action Choreography |
Hong Kong Stuntman Association |
Best Art Direction
Best Costume & Make Up Design
|
Hong Kong Film Arts Association |
| Best Film Editing
|
Society of Film Editors (H.K.) |
Best Original Film Score
Best Original Film Song |
Hong Kong Film Composers' Association |
| Best Sound Design
|
Association of Motion Pictures Post Production Professionals (H.K.)
Hong Kong Association for Pictures and Sound Production |
| Best Visual Effects |
- Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild
- Society of Cinematographers (H.K.)
- Hong Kong Film Arts Association
- Society of Film Editors (H.K.)
- Association of Motion Pictures Post Production Professionals (H.K.)
- Hong Kong Visual Effect Association
- Hong Kong Association for Pictures and Sound Production |
Best Film
|
Each member of the ^17 HKFAA Members Associations can cast one vote.
50% |
50% |
100% |
| ^17 HKFAA Member Associations：
Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild, Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association, Hong Kong Chamber of Films, Society of Film Editors (HK), Hong Kong Screen Writers' Guild, Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild, Hong Kong Stuntman Association, Society of Cinematographers (HK), Hong Kong Theatres Association, Hong Kong Film Arts Association, Hong Kong Movie Production Executives Association, Hong Kong Cinematography Lighting Association, Association of Motion Picture Post Production Professionals, Hong Kong Film Composers' Association, Hong Kong Film Assistant Directors’ Association, Hong Kong Visual Effect Association, and Hong Kong Association for Pictures and Sound Production.
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- In the event any of the Second Round Professional Jury being nominated, inclusive of being the Producers (Co-Producer, Executive Producer) or individual involved in the production or distribution of the nominated “Best Film”, will be replaced by professionals of same industry invited by the HKFAA.
- Nominee with the highest score will be awarded. In the event of a tie score between two nominees, both will be awarded. However, if more than two nominees have equal scores, the nominee with the highest score from the votes of the Second Round Professional Jury will be the winner.
(III) BEST NEW DIRECTOR
Eligibility
- Candidate of the Best New Director category must be Hong Kong resident and holder of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card, with no age limit.
- The film must have its first theatrical release in Hong Kong between 1 January and 31 December 2025, and meet the following requirements:
a. screened in Hong Kong with paid admission;
b. at least 5 screenings in conventional film screening theatres (see Note 1) with a capacity of 50 seats or more in consecutive7 days.;
c. duration of the film must be 60 minutes or longer; and
d. released in either Digital Cinema format (see Note 8) or 35mm film.
- The film must be the candidate’s first or second feature, whether in a directing or co-directing role, will be considered as one submission within the two-film per candidate restriction. It includes the nominated film or other film released overseas that meets the requirements stated in Clause 2 above.
- Candidates must not have previously received the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Director or Best New Director Award prior to the year of their candidacy.
- Individual director or co-directors are eligible for nomination, provided that the latter meets the criteria for Best New Director.
Voting Procedures
First Round Voting
- The list of nominees for Best New Director is selected by registered Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) Voters and First Round Professional Jury in the First Round Voting.
- A maximum of three nominees for Best New Director. In the event that there are less than 11 films eligible for nomination, the number of nominees will be kept as three. In case of a tie between two nominees for the third position, the number of nominations will be increased to four. If there are more than two nominees with equal scores in the third position, the number of nominations for that award will be reduced to two.
- In the event that there are more than 12 films eligible for nomination, the number of nominations will be increased from three to five. In case of a tie between two nominees in the fifth place, the number of nominations will be increased to six. If there are more than two nominees with equal scores in the fifth position, the number of nominations for that award will be reduced to four.
Second Round Voting
The Second Round Voting is conducted by three groups as follows: (a) The Second Round Professional Jury (accounting 50% of the total score); (b) Members of the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild, (accounting 25% of the total score); (c) Other Members of the HKFAA Member Associations (accounting 25% of the total score). In the event of a tie between two nominees, the nominee with the highest score from the votes of the Second Round Professional Jury will be awarded.
(V) VOTING DEADLINE
Votes received after the specified deadline are deemed invalid.
First Round Voting (Nomination Voting)* – 23 January 2026
Second Round Voting (Final Assessment)* – 30 March 2026
(Votes can be submitted in person, by post, email or WhatsApp. For mail delivery, the postmark date shall prevail.)
* Hong Kong Film Awards Association reserve the right to revise the Voting Deadline.
Notes:
(Note 1)
A film MUST be released in recognized conventional film screening theatres by HKFAA, which include:
(I)Cinemas belonging to members of
The Hong Kong Theatres Association Ltd
(II) Conventional film screening theatres under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, such as Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, and Hong Kong Film Archive.
(III) Premises regularly showing commercial films with a valid Cinema License, also known as the “Places of Public Entertainment License (Cinema/Theatre)”) issued by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and invited by the HKFAA.
(Note 2)
A film will be considered a “Hong Kong Film” if it meets at least two of the following criteria:
(I)The film director(s) must be a Hong Kong resident and hold a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card.
(II) At least one of the production companies must be legally registered in HKSAR.
(III) At least SIX individuals who are directly involved with and responsible for their respective positions must be Hong Kong residents with Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards. Only one Hong Kong resident will be counted for each working position. These positions are counted based on the following 15 awards: Producer, Screenplay, Actor in a leading role, Actress in a leading role, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Action Choreography, Art Direction, Costume & Make Up Design, Film Editing, Original Film Score, Original Film Song, Sound Design and Visual Effects. (In the event multiple Hong Kong residents participate in the creation of an “Original Film Song”, such as composer, lyricist and singer, only one person will be counted.)
(Note 3)
Eligibility of Best New Performer will be determined upon the submission being the candidate’s first leading or supporting role in the Hong Kong Film(s) during the current year of nomination. Best New Performer candidates can also compete for Best Actor/Actress or Best Supporting Actor/Actress with the same film(s). In case of any disputes, the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association reserves the right to make the final decision.
(Note 4)
Candidates eligible for “Best Original Film Score” must be the principal composer certified by the producing companies, and responsible for the production of the score. The eligible work must be created specifically for and used in the nominated film. Candidates shall be required to provide a music cue sheet or a notification of works form issued by the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong (CASH) for recognition of originality. Failure to provide such documents may result in the withdrawal of eligibility by the Hong Kong Film Awards Association.
(Note 5)
Candidates eligible for the “Best Original Film Song” must be the original creation (including melody, lyrics and performance) specifically made for and first used in the film and certified by the production companies. Candidates shall be required to provide a music cue sheet or a notification of works form issued by the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong (CASH) for recognition of originality. Failure to provide such documents may result in the withdrawal of eligibility by the Hong Kong Film Awards Association.
(Note 6)
“Best Sound Design” refers to the overall judgment of every audible element in the film, including dubbing/sync-sound recording, sound effects, music scoring, and final mixing. Eligibility for this award is limited to the individuals, main sound designer(s) directly involved and principally responsible for and have the major contribution to the film's sound design. The production company(s), producer(s), or director(s) should provide the name(s) of the sound designer(s), up to a maximum of four.
(Note 7)
“Best Visual Effects” is determined by the contribution the visual effects make to the overall production, including computer special effects used in the production stage and scene shooting (such as explosions, miniatures and mechanical special effects). Eligibility for this award is limited to the individuals, who is directly involved and principally responsible for and have the major contribution to the film's visual effects. The production company(s), producer(s), or director(s) should provide the name(s) of the primary individuals up to a maximum of four.
(Note 8)
The film should be in a 24- or 48-frame progressive scan Digital Cinema format with a minimum projector resolution of 2048 x 1080 pixels. The source image format should conform to SMPTE 428-1-2006 D-Cinema Distribution Master - Image Characteristics. If image compression is used, it should conform to ISO/IEC 15444-1 (JPEG 2000). The image and sound file formats should be suitable for exhibition in commercial Digital Cinema sites.
Notes:
- Hong Kong Film Awards Association reserves the right to disqualify a nominated film if its production company/distributor fails to provide DVD or digital files of the nominated film during the two rounds voting.
- In the event of any disputes during the voting process, the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association reserves the right to the final decision.
- Hong Kong Film Awards Association reserves the right to revise the ELIGILIBITY AND VOTING PROCEDURES. Any update will be announced on the official website of HKFAA.
- In the event of any discrepancies between the Chinese and English versions, the Chinese version shall prevail.
- Certificate of Nomination and Award Trophy:
a. All nominees will receive ONE Certificate of Nomination;
b. Award for individuals: ONE trophy will be given to the winner. In the event that an award is shared by more than one winner, a maximum of TWO trophies will be presented.
c. Award for Best Film: TWO trophies will be awarded to the winning film; one for the production company and one for the producer.
