The Hong Kong Film Awards Association announced the nominees for their 31st edition on February 8, 2012. Leading the pack are 3D wuxia epic Flying Swords of Dragon Gate and Chinese blockbuster Let the Bullets Fly, each with 13 nominations. Both films - directed by Tsui Hark and Jiang Wen, respectively - are nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Guei Lun Mei for Swords and Carina Lau for Bullets), and Best Film. Bullets also received two Best Actor nominations (for Ge You and Jiang Wen), while Zhou Xun from Swords received a nomination for Best Actress. Despite being perceived as a Mainland Chinese film, Let the Bullets Fly is eligible at the HKFA due to funding from Hong Kong's Emperor Motion Pictures.

The big frontrunner for the major awards is undoubtedly Ann Hui's A Simple Life. While the critically acclaimed drama missed out on the technical awards, it has a total of eight nominations in major categories - one nomination in each of the four acting categories (including heavy favorite Deanie Ip for Best Actress), Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Film.

Also with eight nominations is Johnnie To's ensemble drama Life Without Principle, which is nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Lo Hoi Pang), Best Actor (Lau Ching Wan), and Best Film, among others. To's romantic comedy Don't Go Breaking My Heart is also nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Actress (Gao Yuan Yuan).

In addition to receiving a nomination for Life Without Principle, Lau Ching Wan received another Best Actor nomination for Overheard 2, making him the first double nominee since Simon Yam received two Best Actor nominations in 2010 (he eventually won for Echoes of the Rainbow). The crime thriller by Felix Chong and Alan Mak received eight other nominations, including Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Kenneth Tsang), and Best Film. The first Overheard received six nominations in 2010, but only won Best Editing.

Another frontrunner in the race is Peter Chan's Wu Xia, which earned 12 nominations. However, with the exception for Best Actress (Tang Wei), Best Supporting Actress (Kara Hui), and Best Supporting Actor (Wang Yu), the nominations are mostly in the technical categories, including Donnie Yen for Best Action Choreography.

This year, the award committee changed the Best Asian Film award to Best Chinese-language Film from the Two Coasts award (referring to China and Taiwan). The nominees are You Are the Apple of My Eye, If You Are the One 2, The Flowers of War, Starry Starry Night, and Seediq Bale.

Other notable nominees include Shu Qi for Best Actress (A Beautiful Life), Taiwan pop star Jam Hsiao for Best New Actor (for The Killer Who Never Kills), and 2011 Best Actor winner Nicholas Tse for Best Supporting Actor (for Shaolin).

The 31st Hong Kong Film Awards will be held on April 15th.

Text / Rockman

On February 2, 2012, Media Asia held a special gala premiere in Hong Kong for Romancing in Thin Air, the latest film from director Johnnie To and his frequent collaborator Wai Ka Fai. The two filmmakers were joined by stars Sammi Cheng, Louis Koo, and Wilfred Lau.

At the ceremony before the premiere, Wai and To shared anecdotes about the shooting of the film, which took place over 3000 meters above sea level in China's Shangri-La County. To lamented that even though Shangri-La was a beautiful place to film, nearly half the film crew grew ill due to the high altitude of the region and the tight schedule of the shoot. Wai, both the writer and the producer of the film, confessed that he was hesitant about setting the film there due to the altitude, but To could not resist the region's splendid scenery.

Romancing in Thin Air marks Sammi Cheng and Louis Koo's first film together since 2003's Love For All Seasons. Having known each other since 1999 (when they co-starred in the television drama Man's Best Friend), both Sammi and Louis said that they realized during the film's shoot how much they have grown over the years.

The latest romantic comedy from the Johnnie To/Wai Ka Fai team after 2011's Don't Go Breaking My Heart, Thin Air stars Koo as a superstar whose life crumbles when his fiancée (Gao Yuan Yuan) leaves him at the altar. Escaping to Shangri-La in Yunnan Province, he falls in love with a local inn owner (Sammi Cheng). The film will open in Hong Kong on February 9th and in Mainland China on February 14th, in time for Valentine's Day.

Text / Rockman

K-pop's longest-running boy band Shinhwa will be making a comeback in March 2012. The group has been on hiatus since 2008 as members took turns fulfilling their mandatory military service. Shinhwa announced their comeback intentions back in August of last year, and the date has been set for March 24.

The group has established their own company, aptly named Shinhwa Company, and their official website was recently launched along with a video teaser for their comeback. Shinhwa will be releasing their tenth album and holding concerts at the Seoul Olympic Stadium on March 24 and 25, followed by an Asia tour that is expected to include stops in Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, China, and Japan.

Debuting in 1998, Shinhwa, formed by Eric, Jun Jin, Shin Hye Sung, Kim Dong Wan, Lee Min Woo, and Andy, is K-pop's longest-running idol group, and also among Korea's most enduringly popular artists. The group went on hiatus after celebrating their tenth anniversary in 2008, but all members have remained active as solo artists. Shin Hye Sung has released multiple solo albums in the past few years, and Kim Dong Wan and Eric, both of whom completed their military service in late 2010, made their comebacks last year. Andy and Jun Jin were recently discharged in autumn 2011, and the final member Lee Min Woo will be discharged in early March.

Text / Sanwei

On January 30, 2012, Toei announced its line-up of releases for 2012. One of the many films announced at the press conference is Atarashii Kutsu wo Kawanakya. The film, chronicling a three-day romance between a man and a woman in Paris, will reunite television drama writer Kitagawa Eriko (Beautiful Life) and director Iwai Shunji (Love Letter). The two first collaborated on the 2009 youth romance drama Halfway, starring Kitano Kie and Okada Masaki. Kitagawa will once again act as both director and writer, and Iwai will remain a producer. The film, whose cast has yet to be announced, will be filmed entirely on location in Paris. Its release date has yet to be announced.

Other films Toei has lined up for 2012 include Miike Takashi's Ai to Makoto, the live-action adaptation of Akiyama George's Ashura, and Toei's 60th anniversary film Kita no Kanariatachi.

Text / Rockman

The Japan Academy Prize has announced the prize-winning films for its 35th edition. Suspense drama Yokame no Semi (a.k.a. The Rebirth) leads the race with 13 prizes, including two Best Supporting Actress prizes (Koike Eiko and Nagasaku Hiromi), Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture. Right behind it is the period samurai drama Saigo no Chushingura (a.k.a. The Last Ronin), winning Best Actor (Yakusho Yoji), Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Picture, and eight other prizes. Rounding out the Best Picture prize winners are Mitani Koki's Suteki na Kanashibari (a.k.a. A Ghost of a Chance), Tantei wa Bar ni Iru, and Oshikamura Sodoki.

Oshikamura is the final film of veteran actor Harada Yoshio, who passed away in July 2011 before the film's theatrical release. In addition to a special special In Memoriam prize from the award committee, Harada also won a Best Actor prize alongside Yakusho, Oizumi Yo (for Tantei), Miura Tomokazu (for the latest Railways film), and Sakai Masato (for Bushi no Kakeibo). Bushi no Kakeibo director Morita Yoshimitsu, who passed away in December 2011, will also receive a special In Memoriam prize.

Once again, Studio Ghibli is one of the prize winners in the Best Animated Film category with Miyazaki Goro's From Up on Poppy Hill. The other prize winners in the category are K-On!, Buddha: The Great Departure, Little Ghostly Adventures of Tofu Boy, and the latest Detective Conan film.

One notable absence among the prize winners is Postcard, the film chosen to represent Japan at this year's Academy Awards Best Foreign Film race. The postwar drama received only one prize: Best Director for Kaneto Shindo, who announced that this will be his final film.

Other notable prize winners include Nagasawa Masami (Best Actress for Moteki), DenDen (Best Supporting Actor for Cold Fish), Mitsushima Hikari (Best Supporting Actress for Ichimei), and Kora Kengo (Best New Actor for Keibetsu)

The Grand Prize winner for each category will be announced at the award ceremony on March 2, 2012.

Text / Rockman

Tsui Hark's 3D martial arts epic The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate topped the 6th Asian Film Awards nominations with seven nods, including Best Film and Best Director. Closely behind are Zhang Yimou's The Flowers of War and Wei Te Sheng's Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale with six nominations each, and Asghar Farhadi's Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film winner Nader and Simin, A Separation with five. The four films named above meet Indian film You Don't Get Life a Second Time and Japanese film Postcard in the Best Film category, while Farhadi, Tsui, Zhang, and Wei enter the Best Director duel against fest favorite Sono Sion (Guilty of Romance) and Teddy Soeriaatmadja (Lovely Man).

The Best Actress contention is particularly fierce, with Venice's Best Actress Deanie Ip (A Simple Life) and her Berlin counterpart Leila Hatami (Nader and Simin, A Separation) both in the running, as are India's Vidya Balan (The Dirty Picture), Filipino actress Eugene Domingo (The Woman in the Septic Tank), and Taiwan's Michelle Chen (You Are the Apple of My Eye). Recently crowned Golden Horse Best Actor Andy Lau (A Simple Life) will face Park Hae Il (War of the Arrows), Indonesian actor Donny Damara (Lovely Man), Aloys Chen (The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate), and Yakusho Koji (Chronicle of My Mother) to see who is Asia's Best Actor.

The Best Supporting Actress and Actor nominees include The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate's Guey Lun Mei, 11 Flowers's Yan Ni, Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai's Mitsushima Hikari, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale's Umin Boya, Jump! Ashin's Ke Yu Lun, and The Front Line's Lee Je Hoon. The shortlist for Best Newcomer includes Ni Ni (The Flowers of War), Ko Chen Tung (You Are the Apple of My Eye), Eric Lin (Starry Starry Night), Maeda Oshiro (I Wish), and Gita Novalista (The Mirror Never Lies).

This year, 32 films from 11 countries and regions have been selected to vie for 14 awards at the ceremony, which is to be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on March 19th. Three special awards will also be presented, namely the Edward Yang New Talent Award, the Award for 2011's Top-Grossing Asian Film, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, the latter having been announced to go to Hong Kong director Ann Hui.

Text / Garden, dian

On the night of January 11, 2012, rock band Tokyo Incidents posted a message on their official website announcing that they will officially break up on February 29, 2012. The announcement included no reason for the breakup, but it did include a message from each member expressing their gratitude to their fans and other band members.

The band will go on a final three-venue concert tour in February. While the announcement caught many by surprise, the group's recent busy slate of releases - a mini-album (aptly named Color Bar), the video release of their Discovery tour, a music video compilation, and a compilation album - can now be seen as early signs of the announcement. In 2011, Shiina also returned to solo activities for the first time in two years with the single Carnation.

Formed by Shiina in 2004, Tokyo Incidents (a.k.a. Tokyo Jihen) also consists of bassist Kameda Seiji (also a prolific music producer), guitarist Ukigamo (who joined in 2005), drummer Hata Toshiki, and keyboard Ichiyo Izawa (who also joined in 2005).

Text / Rockman

After nine hours of voting and heated discussions, Johnnie To's Life Without Principle and Ann Hui's A Simple Life became the big winners at the 2011 edition of the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards. A Simple Life, which has already picked up awards at the Venice Film Festival and the Golden Horse Awards, picked up Best Film and Best Actress (Deanie Ip). The critics group especially praised Ip for delivering a meticulous and touching performance as an elderly domestic worker. This is the third Ann Hui film to be awarded Best Film by the group in the last five years. The Way We Are and The Postmodern Life of My Aunt won the award in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

Meanwhile, To's financial drama picked up the Best Screenplay and Best Actor (Lau Ching Wan) awards, while the Best Director award went to Jiang Wen for Let the Bullets Fly. Lau last won the Best Actor award in 2001 for La Brassiere.

Both Bullets and Principle are included on the society's list of seven additional recommended films. Also on the list are independent film Big Blue Lake, Don't Go Breaking My Heart (also directed by Johnnie To), Tsui Hark's Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, Alan Mak and Felix Chong's Overheard 2, and Daniel Lee's White Vengeance.

Text / Rockman

On the last day of 2011, You Are the Apple of My Eye was officially the highest-grossing Chinese film ever at the Hong Kong box office. The Taiwan movie sensation opened in Hong Kong on October 20 and immediately took the city by storm, breaking numerous box-office records along the way, including the top-grossing Mandarin-language film record previously held by Lust, Caution. The feature debut of Taiwanese novelist-turned-director Giddens displayed surprisingly strong staying power, and on New Year's Eve, its 73rd day of release in Hong Kong, Apple finally pushed its cumulative gross to HK$61.29 million to unseat Stephen Chow's 2004 action comedy Kung Fu Hustle (HK$61.27 million) from the all-time no. 1 spot. This is especially impressive considering that very few Taiwan films had achieved much box-office success in Hong Kong.

Ranking just below the coming-of-age romance in the territory's top-grossing Chinese films of 2011 was the 3D erotica Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy with HK$41.07 million, and all-star comedy I Love Hong Kong with HK$26.68 million. Thriller sequel Overheard 2 (HK$24.01 million), period action drama Shaolin (HK$20.51 million), and Lunar New Year franchise hit All's Well Ends Well 2011 (HK$20.32 million) were the other titles that finished with more than HK$20 million. Johnnie To's romantic comedy Don't Go Breaking My Heart (HK$12.30 million) and crime drama Life Without Principle (HK$8.43 million) came in at no. 7 and no. 9 respectively. Jiang Wen's Mainland megahit Let the Bullets Fly was 8th at HK$12.21 million, and superhero comedy Mr. & Mrs. Incredible rounded out the top 10 with HK$8.22 million.

Text / dian

2012 marks the 15th anniversary of the Bayside Shakedown series, one of the most popular franchises in Japanese entertainment history. Producer Kameyama Chihiro has announced that the anniversary is the perfect time to wrap up the series with its fourth feature film, aptly named Bayside Shakedown Final.

Kameyama said that the idea for ending the series with a final film actually came up during the Bayside Shakedown 3 shoot. After discussions with director Motohiro Matsuyuki, screenwriter Kimizuka Ryoichi, as well as longtime cast members like Oda Yuji and Fukatsu Eri, pre-production quickly went underway. Following the structure of the previous films, Final will once again see the heroes of Wangan precinct tackling multiple cases in a very short period of time.

While the third film attempted to introduce new characters that would potentially take over the series, Final will bring the series' core relationships - between hardworking detectives Aoshima (Oda) and Sumire (Fukatsu), as well as their conflicts with headquarter bureaucrat Muroi (Yanagiba Toshiro) - back to the forefront.

Bayside Shakedown first premiered as a television series in 1997. After two successful television movies, the first theatrical film grossed 10.1 billion yen at the Japanese box office in 1998. The 2003 sequel proceeded to shatter that number, grossing 17.3 billion yen to become the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film in history. After two successful spin-off films - Negotiator and The Suspect - the series returned in 2010 with Bayside Shakedown 3, which grossed 7.3 billion yen at the box office.

Bayside Shakedown Final is set to begin shooting in January 2012 and open in Japanese cinemas in September.

Text / Rockman

Even a week before its finale, NTV drama series Kaseifu no Mita was already the highest-rated non-sequel Japanese television series of the year. Now, the Matsushima Nanako drama enters the history books with its finale episode on December 21, 2011, earning a 40% rating. The special spin-off episode aired before the finale also earned a 28.7% rating.

Not only is the Mita finale the highest-rated drama episode since the Beautiful Life finale in 2000 (41.3%), it's also tied with the finale of 1978's Necchu Jidai as the third highest-rated drama episode of all time (the record holder is still the Tsumiki Kuzuji - Oya to Ko Nihyaku Nichi Sensou finale at 45.3%). Naturally, this also marks a career best for Matsushima, whose previous record was the GTO finale (35.7%).

Written by Yukawa Kazuhiko - who's also written controversial works like Joou no Kyoshitsu and Majo no Jouken - Kaseifu no Mita is a dark dramedy about a dysfunctional family overcoming a tragedy with the help of a stern, cold-faced housekeeper.

Text / Rockman

Director Morita Yoshimitsu, best known for The Family Game and his provocative relationship dramas, passed away on the night of December 20, 2011 in Tokyo. He was 61 years old.

Morita first made a splash with his surreal 1983 directorial debut Family Game, depicting a family tutor's strange relationship with a middle-class family. Acclaimed for its satiric take on the modern nuclear family, Family Game was acclaimed by Japanese film critics and was nominated for multiple Japan Film Academy Prizes.

Not known for any particular genre, Morita has a very diverse filmography that includes the Yakushimari Hiroko youth film Main Theme, the erotically charged infidelity drama Paradise Lost (one of his biggest hits), the serial killer thriller Copycat Killer, and even a remake of Kurosawa Akira's Sanjuro.

Morita's final film was the comedy Take the A Train, starring Eita and Matsuyama Kenichi as train enthusiasts who become best friends due to their hobby. The film is currently scheduled to open in Japan in March 2012.

Text / Rockman

Oricon has released their yearly ranking for 2011. After taking four out of ten spots on last year's singles chart, AKB48 makes history in 2011 with all five of their 2011 single releases - (in order of ranking) Flying Get, Everyday, Kachusha, Kaze wa Fuiteiru, Ue kara Mariko, and Sakura no Ki ni Narou - taking the top five spots. This is the first time in history a musical unit has taken the top five spots on the Oricon chart (Pink Lady, Hikari Kenji, and Arashi held the previous record at three). With each of their 2011 singles selling over a million copies, AKB48 is also the new record holder for having the highest number of million-sellers in a year, most copies of a single sold for a female group (Flying Get), highest sale for a single (2.15 billion yen for Everyday, Kachusha), and best total single sales for an artist (9.59 billion yen). AKB48's sister group SKE48 also made it in to the singles chart, with their Pareo wa Emerald taking ninth place with 466,000 copies sold. In total, AKB48-related units (spin-offs, sister groups, and solo releases included) took up 16 of the top 50 spots on the single chart.

With only two singles releases in 2011, Arashi occupied only two of the top ten spots, with Lotus and Meikyu Love Song taking sixth and seventh place, respectively. However, the Johnny's group did defeat AKB48 on the album chart, with their Beautiful World taking the top spot over AKB's Koko ni Ita Koto with 907,000 copies sold. This is the third consecutive year that Arashi has topped the album chart, making them the new record holder after Inoue Yosui. The group also has the two best-selling music DVDs of the year, with both their "Scene" - Kimi to Boku no Miteiru Fukei concert DVDs taking the top spots.

In addition to the two idol groups continuing their reigns on the Oricon, 2011 was also the year Korean pop artists marked their place in the Japanese pop world. Six singles - TVXQ's Why?, Kara's Go Go Summer, Kara's Jet Coaster Love, Jang Keun Suk's Let Me Cry, TVXQ's Superstar and SNSD's MR. TAXI/Run Devil Run - reached the top 50 singles chart. Meanwhile, SNSD's first Japanese album and Kara's Super Girl are both on the top ten albums chart with 642,000 and 450,500 copies sold, respectively.

The best-selling debut single of the year goes to Johnny's Kis-My-Ft2, whose debut physical single Everybody Go sold 441,600 copies to become the 10th best-selling single of the year. A.N.JELL from the drama Ikemen Desu Ne managed to score the best-selling debut album with a collection of their songs from the drama.

Officially established in 1968, Oricon tracks sales of entertainment products in Japan on a daily basis and conducts surveys on various popular culture issues. They have since become the main source for information regarding the most popular entertainment and cultural trends of Japan.

Text / Rockman

Veteran Hong Kong actor Wong Wai has died of stomach cancer at the age of 70. His daughter, former Miss Hong Kong pageant contestant Stephanie Wong, broke the news in her Weibo (a Chinese microblogging platform) on December 6 that her father had recently passed away.

Wong Wai began as a film actor in 1963, but shifted his focus to television in the seventies. He earned his reputation as a great character actor with numerous acclaimed TV dramas, particularly of the historical and wuxia genres. His most memorable roles included Lu Buwei in ATV's The Rise of the Great Wall (1986), Nurhaci in Rise and Fall of Qing Dynasty (1987), and Yue Buqun in TVB's Jin Yong swordsman novel adaptation State of Divinity (1996). Wong Wai retired from acting and immigrated to Toronto in 2002.

Text / dian

Hong Kong station TVB gave out its annual awards in the grand presentation ceremony held December 5, making Kevin Cheng and Myolie Wu the big winners of the night with three awards each. Cheng, who played a rogue lawyer in Ghetto Justice, surged ahead of fellow favorites Michael Tse and Moses Chan to sweep Best Actor, My Favorite Male Character, and tvb.com Weibo Popularity Award. It is the second time the actor has been recognized as the "TV King" after winning the most-coveted Best Actor award for Under the Canopy of Love in 2006.

Cheng's Ghetto Justice co-star Wu also won My Favorite Female Character for the drama, besides netting her first Best Actress statuette for the broadcasting giant's anniversary drama Curse of the Royal Harem. In addition, the newly crowned "TV Queen" clinched the title of Extraordinary Elegance Female Artist, with her rumored boyfriend Bosco Wong getting the male counterpart of the public-voted prize.

Despite losing in the key categories, Lives of Omission managed to beat Ghetto Justice, The Other Truth, Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir!, and Forensic Heroes III for the Best Drama award, building the buzz for its upcoming film sequel Turning Point 2. The crime thriller also won Best Supporting Actor (for Ben Wong), whereas Sharon Chan won Best Supporting Actress for Ghetto Justice, which is currently shooting a sequel. Rapper-turned-actor MC Jin and former Miss Hong Kong runner-up Sire Ma won Most Improved Male and Female Artists, while veteran actress Lee Heung Kam was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

On the variety shows front, the Grasshoppers and their game show All Star Glam Exam were awarded Best Host and Best Variety Program, respectively. Best Informative Program was Water of Life, and the Highest Appreciation Value Variety Program Award belonged to Hong Kong Back Then.

Text / dian

The lineup of the 2011 edition of Kohaku Uta Gassen, NHK's annual New Year's Eve music spectacular, was announced on November 30, 2011. This year's show features six musical units making their debut, including Kanda Sayaka (performing with her mother Seida Matsuko), the band Inawashi Rokozu (started by four Fukushima-born musicians from four different bands after the March 11 disasters), and Shiina Ringo (who sings the theme song to NHK's current morning drama). Child stars Ashida Mana and Suzuki Fuku, who made it big on the music scene with their television drama theme song Maru Maru Mori Mori, will become the youngest performers to make it to the Kohaku stage. With Korean pop artists making a splash in the Japanese pop world, record-breaking female groups Kara and Girls' Generation will be performing for the first time. The two groups will be joining compatriot TVXQ, who are making their third appearance on the show.

Singer-songwriter Ayaka, who has been on a health-related hiatus for two years, will be making her fifth appearance on the show this year. Her performance will be a launching pad for her comeback in 2012, which includes a new album under her own record label. Veteran singer-songwriter Matsutoya Yumi will also be making what is only her second appearance in her 38-year career.

Of course, it wouldn't be Kohaku without show staples like Mori Shinichi (44th appearance), Kitajima Sanro (48th appearance), Wada Akiko (35th appearance), and Kobayashi Sachiko (33rd appearance). Other returning acts include Arashi (3rd appearance), EXILE (7th appearance), AKB48 (4th appearance), L'Arc~en~Ciel (5th appearance), and SMAP (19th appearance).

An annual tradition since 1951, the Kohaku Uta Gassen ("The Red and White Song Battle") features Japan's most popular musical acts (split into red and white teams) in a friendly competition that involves performing hit songs for viewer votes. The Kohaku remains one of the highest-rated television programs on Japanese television, and it's still the preferred New Year's Eve pastime for most Japanese families. The show also can have significant impact on music sales, as certain songs that were not initially popular would experience an increase in sales after they are exposed to a nationwide audience on the show. This year's show, which has the theme "Let's sing for tomorrow", will be hosted by actress Inoue Mao (for the red team) and Arashi (for the white team), and it will be held on the night of December 31, 2011.

Text / Rockman

One of Korea's major year-end music award shows, the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) were held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on November 29. The biggest awards were split among the top artists in attendance, with Super Junior bringing home Album of the Year, Best Male Group, and the Singapore Choice award for most popular Korean artist in Singapore. Girls' Generation was named Artist of the Year and Best Female Group, and 2NE1 won Song of the Year for "I Am the Best" and Best Vocal Performance by a Group for Lonely. For the solo artists, Kim Hyun Joong won Best Male Artist while Baek Ji Young won Best Female Artist, as well as Best OST Song for her Secret Garden ballad.

For the second consecutive year, miss A won Best Dance Performance by a Female Group, this time for Good-bye Baby. BEAST took Best Dance Performance by a Male Group for Fiction, while their labelmate HyunA won Best Dance Performance by a Solo Artist for Bubble Pop. Best Rap Performance went to LeeSsang for "Turned Off the TV". Mnet's own Huh Gak and girl group Apink took the Best New Artist awards, while on the international front, Chinese singer Wei Chen and Asian-American R&B group Aziatix won the Best New Asian Artist awards. Not all winners were in attendance, including IU (Best Vocal Performance by a Solo Artist for Good Day), CNBLUE (Best Band Performance for "Intuition"), and Big Bang (Best Music Video for Love Song).

With the show lasting almost four hours, MAMA (and its predecessor Mnet KM Music Festival) is especially known for elaborate stages and collaboration performances. YB, Dynamic Duo, and Simon D opened the star-studded show, which included special performances from 2NE1, Girls' Generation, Super Junior, BEAST, Kim Hyun Joong, miss A, and Superstar K 3 winners. MAMA also invited international acts including Japanese diva and Hottest Asian Artist winner Koda Kumi, Best Asian Artist China winner Jane Zhang, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am and apl.de.ap who were joined by CL, and Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang who performed with BEAST. The most talked about act is probably the newly formed Trouble Maker unit of BEAST member Hyun Seung and 4minute member HyunA, who shocked the audience with an onstage kiss as part of their performance. Lee Hyo Ri and Big Bang's T.O.P famously pulled a similar stunt during their 2008 Mnet stage collaboration.

After traveling to Macau last year, this is the second time MAMA has been held abroad. An amazing lineup of famous actors showed up in Singapore to present awards, including Kim Hee Sun, Song Seung Heon, Ko Su, Yoon Eun Hye, Ji Sung, Han Hyo Ju, Han Chae Young, Bae Soo Bin, Kim Min Hee, Park Si Hoo, Nam Gyu Ri, Park Si Yeon, Song Joong Ki, Oh Ji Ho, and Lee Byung Hun who welcomed the audience in English. Local Singaporean stars like singer Dick Lee and actress Fann Wong also attended the event.

Text / Sanwei

A publicist for Vicki Zhao (Red Cliff, Mulan) has confirmed that the Chinese actress will be making her directorial debut in 2012. The film, which has yet to have an English title, will be an adaptation of Xin Yiwu's novel To Our Youth That is Fading Away, about a woman's love affairs with two men during her university days and their reunion years later.

The publicist confirms that the production has obtained official shooting permit from China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television. Zhao has also secured writer Li Qiang (Peacock, The Postmodern Life of My Aunt) for the script, and Hong Kong director Stanley Kwan (Rouge, Lan Yu) has signed on as producer. The cast is currently being finalized.

Even though Zhao is better known as one of China's biggest actresses, she actually returned to the Beijing Film Academy in 2006 as a graduate student in the Directing Department, studying under acclaimed director Tian Zhuangzhuang.

The film is tentatively scheduled to start shooting after Lunar New Year 2012.

Text / Rockman

Hong Kong family drama A Simple Life shared the spoils with Taiwan's big-budget aboriginal epic Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale at the 48th Golden Horse Awards ceremony held on November 26 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. A massive critical and popular success, Wei Te Sheng's ambitious Seediq Bale was nominated for 11 awards and was ultimately awarded Best Feature Film, Best Supporting Actor (for Bokeh Kosang), Best Original Film Score, and Best Sound Effects. Released theatrically in two parts but competed as a single entry, the film also emerged winner of the public-voted Audience Choice Award.

Ann Hui's A Simple Life stole the limelight with its victory in three major categories. Hui won her second Best Director statuette after 1999's Ordinary Heroes. Having played mother and son numerous times before, Andy Lau and Deanie Ip star in this film as a rich man and the domestic helper who has taken care of him all his life, and their much-lauded performances sent them to the Best Leading Actor and Best Leading Actress thrones. It was star-producer Lau's second Best Actor after 2004's Infernal Affairs III, while it was the first for Ip, who was the hot favorite after being crowned Best Actress two months ago at the Venice Film Festival for her first film role in 11 years.

Taiwan blockbuster You are the Apple of My Eye made a star out of its 20-year-old male lead Ko Chen Tung, who beat the three fellow nominees of Seediq Bale to the Best New Performer award. The film's writer-director Giddens, however, lost Best New Director to former MV and commercial helmer Wuershan, whose stylish debut The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman was also the winner of Best Makeup & Costume Design.

Mainland actress Qin Hailu (The Piano in a Factory) might have lost out in the Best Actress race, but she got a consolation as one of the five credited screenwriters of Return Ticket, which won Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Tang Qun. Best Adapted Screenplay went to Jiang Wen's western actioner Let the Bullets Fly, which also won Best Cinematography. Peter Chan's martial arts drama Wu Xia brought home three trophies, namely Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and star Donnie Yen's Best Action Choreography.

Other award-winners included Hometown Boy for Best Documentary, The Man Behind the Book for Best Film Editing, Jump Ashin! for Best Original Film Song, The Piano in a Factory for the FIPRESCI Prize, veteran production staff member Wong Wei Liu for Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year, and late director Ting Shan Si for Lifetime Achievement Award.

Text / dian

Ryoo Seung Wan's crime thriller The Unjust emerged as the surprise winner at the 32nd Blue Dragon Awards held in Seoul on November 25. The film about corruption in the public sector won Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Korea's biggest hit of the year, the period epic War of the Arrows was nominated in ten categories and walked away with five awards, including the Audience Choice Award, Best Supporting Actor for Ryu Seung Ryong, Best New Actress for Moon Chae Won, and Best Actor for Park Hae Il, who was just crowned last month at the Daejong Awards.

Kim Ha Neul also repeated her Daejong feat, picking up the Best Actress trophy for her turn as the visually impaired heroine of Blind. Another repeat winner, the indie youth drama Bleak Night won Best New Director for Yoon Sung Hyun and Best New Actor for Lee Je Hoon. Veteran actress Kim Soo Mi elicited great applause for her Best Supporting Actress win for Late Blossom. Jang Hoon's Korean War blockbuster The Front Line, which led with 11 nominations, picked up two technical prizes in Cinematography and Art Design. The Yellow Sea was recognized for Best Lighting, and Silenced for Best Music.

Popularity Awards were given to Ko Su (The Front Line), Gong Yoo (Silenced), Choi Kang Hee (Petty Romance), and Kim Hye Su (Villain and Widow), who also hosted the award ceremony with actor Lee Bum Soo. Girl groups Wonder Girls and T-ara were the guest performers for the show, and the night's award presenters included Song Kang Ho, Soo Ae, Jung Ryeo Won, T.O.P, Lee Min Jung, Lee Jung Jin, Nam Gyu Ri, Lee Min Ho, Park Bo Young, Min Hyo Rin, Kim Soo Hyun, and Tang Wei.

Text / Sanwei