Ang Lee's bankable spy thriller, Lust, Caution, will likely be shunned from competing for the Hong Kong Film Awards, said a senior member of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association.

Joe Cheung Tung-cho, member of the Hong Kong Film Awards' voting affairs committee, was in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou attending the just opened 16th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival. He said Lust, Caution was not eligible for the Hong Kong Film Awards because it was not purely Hong Kong made.

The Chinese-language film, directed by Taiwan-born Ang Lee and starring one of Hong Kong's best-known actors, Tony Leung, was denied earlier this month as Taiwan's candidate for next year's best foreign-language film Oscar. The reported reason was that only part of the film's investment was from Taiwan.

Joe Cheung said Lust, Caution encompassed efforts from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, as well as a number of foreign talents, which disqualifies it from the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Although the film is not eligible for any single category, Cheung noted there is a "Best Asian Film" award, where Hong Kong-made is not a requirement.

The 26th Hong Kong Film Awards were held this April. Nominees for next year's competition haven't been announced.

Lust, Caution has encountered several postponements for its Chinese mainland release. The newest date set for the opening is November 1.

Despite this, the fresh Golden Lion winner has been a box-office hit since its opening in Hong Kong and Taiwan in late September.
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(CRI.cn October 26, 2007)