Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director


The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director is an award presented annually at the Hong Kong Film Awards. It is given to honour the best director of a Hong Kong film. The 1st Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony was held in 1982, with no formal nomination procedure established; the award was given to Allen Fong for his direction of Father and Son. After the first award ceremony, a nomination system was put in place whereby no more than five nominations are made for each category and each entry is selected through two rounds of voting. Firstly, prospective nominees are marked with a weight of 50% each from HKFA voters and a hundred professional adjudicators, contributing towards a final score with which the top five nominees advance to the second round of voting. The winner is then selected via a scoring process where 55% of the vote comes from 55 professional adjudicators, 25% from representatives of the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild and 20% from all other HKFA Executive Committee Members.
From the 2nd Hong Kong Film Awards, there are five, sometimes 6, nominations for the category of Best Director from which one director is chosen the winner of the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director. The most recent award was jointly awarded at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards to the three director of Trivisa; Frank Hui, Jevons Au and Vicky Wong. The directors with most awards in this category is Ann Hui with five wins, followed by Allen Fong and Johnnie To with 3 times each.

Winners and nominees

Indicates the winner

YearDirectorFilm
1981
'
Allen FongFather and Son
1982
'
Ann HuiBoat People
1982
'
David LaiLonely Fifteen
1982
'
Sammo HungThe Prodigal Son
1982
'
Choi Gai-KwongTeenage Dreamers
1982
'
Patrick Tam Kar-MingNomad
1983
'
Allen FongAh Ying
1983
'
Li Han-XiangBurning of the Imperial Palace
1983
'
Wu MaThe Dead and the Deadly
1983
'
Teddy RobinAll the Wrong Spies
1983
'
Kirk WongHealth Warning
1984
'
Yim HoHomecoming
1984
'
Tsui HarkShanghai Blues
1984
'
Johnny MakLong Arm of the Law
1984
'
Po-Chih LeongHong Kong 1941
1984
'
Danny Lee Sau-YinLaw with Two Phases
1985
'
Mabel CheungIllegal Immigrant
1985
'
Stanley KwanWomen
1985
'
Ricky LauMr. Vampire
1985
'
Sammo HungHeart of Dragon
1985
'
Jackie ChanPolice Story
1986
'
Allen FongJust Like Weather
1986
'
Stephen ShinBrotherhood
1986
'
John WooA Better Tomorrow
1986
'
Derek YeeThe Lunatics
1986
'
Li Han-XiangThe Last Emperor
1986
'
Stanley KwanLove Unto Waste
1987
'
Ringo LamCity on Fire
1987
'
Ching Siu-tungA Chinese Ghost Story
1987
'
Mabel CheungAn Autumn's Tale
1987
'
Ringo LamPrison on Fire
1987
'
Ann HuiThe Romance of Book & Sword
1987
'
Patrick TamFinal Victory
1988
'
Stanley KwanRouge
1988
'
Lawrence Ah MonGangs
1988
'
Alex LawPainted Faces
1988
'
Wong Kar-waiAs Tears Go By
1988
'
Jacob CheungLast Eunuch in China
1989
'
John WooThe Killer
1989
'
Johnnie ToAll About Ah-Long
1989
'
Jacob CheungBeyond the Sunset
1989
'
Anthony Chan YauA Fishy Story
1989
'
Mabel CheungEight Taels of Gold
1990
'
Wong Kar-waiDays of Being Wild
1990
'
John WooBullet in the Head
1990
'
Ann HuiSong of the Exile
1990
'
Yim HoRed Dust
1990
'
Clara LawFarewell China
1991
'
Tsui HarkOnce Upon a Time in China
1991
'
John WooOnce a Thief
1991
'
Gordon ChanFight Back to School
1991
'
Lawrence Ah MonLee Rock
1991
'
Poon Man-KitTo Be Number One
1992
'
Jacob CheungCageman
1992
'
Jeffrey Lau92 Legendary La Rose Noire
1992
'
Gordon ChanKing of Beggars
1992
'
Tsui HarkOnce Upon a Time in China II
1992
'
Stanley KwanCenter Stage
1993
'
Derek YeeC'est la vie, mon chéri
1993
'
Kirk WongCrime Story
1993
'
Cha Yuen-YeeLegal Innocence
1993
'
Peter Chan
Lee Chi-Ngai
Tom, Dick and Hairy
1993
'
Clara LawTemptation of a Monk
1994
'
Wong Kar-waiChungking Express
1994
'
Wong Kar-waiAshes of Time
1994
'
Peter ChanHe's a Woman, She's a Man
1994
'
Tsui HarkThe Lovers
1994
'
Gordon ChanThe Final Option
1995
'
Ann HuiSummer Snow
1995
'
Derek YeeFull Throttle
1995
'
Wong Kar-waiFallen Angels
1995
'
Yim HoThe Day the Sun Turned Cold
1995
'
Johnnie ToLoving You
1996
'
Peter Chan
1996
'
Derek ChiuThe Log
1996
'
Derek Yee
Lau Chi-Leung
Viva Erotica
1996
'
Shu KeiHu Du Men
1996
'
Benny ChanBig Bullet
1997
'
Fruit ChanMade in Hong Kong
1997
'
Wong Kar-waiHappy Together
1997
'
Ringo LamFull Alert
1997
'
Mabel CheungThe Soong Sisters
1997
'
Johnnie ToLifeline
1998
'
Gordon Chan
Dante Lam
Beast Cops
1998
'
Stanley KwanHold You Tight
1998
'
Fruit ChanThe Longest Summer
1998
'
Mabel CheungCity of Glass
1998
'
Patrick YauThe Longest Nite
1999
'
Johnnie ToThe Mission
1999
'
Sylvia ChangTempting Heart
1999
'
Ann HuiOrdinary Heroes
1999
'
Ringo LamThe Victim
1999
'
Johnnie ToRunning Out of Time
2000
'
Ang LeeCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2000
'
Wong Kar-waiIn the Mood for Love
2000
'
Fruit ChanDurian, Durian
2000
'
Johnnie To
Wai Ka-Fai
Needing You...
2000
'
Wilson YipJuliet in Love
2001
'
Stephen ChowShaolin Soccer
2001
'
Ann HuiJuly Rhapsody
2001
'
Stanley KwanLan Yu
2001
'
Johnnie To
Wai Ka-Fai
Love on a Diet
2001
'
Ann HuiVisible Secret
2002
'
Andrew Lau
Alan Mak
Infernal Affairs
2002
'
Law Chi-LeungInner Senses
2002
'
Peter Chan'
2002
'
Fruit ChanHollywood Hong Kong
2002
'
Zhang YimouHero
2003
'
Johnnie ToPTU
2003
'
Johnnie To
Wai Ka-Fai
Running on Karma
2003
'
Derek YeeLost in Time
2003
'
Andrew Lau
Alan Mak
Infernal Affairs II
2003
'
Benny Chan Muk-SingHeroic Duo
2004
'
Derek YeeOne Nite in Mongkok
2004
'
Wong Kar-wai2046
2004
'
Stephen ChowKung Fu Hustle
2004
'
Benny Chan Muk-SingNew Police Story
2004
'
Johnnie ToBreaking News
2005
'
Johnnie ToElection
2005
'
Derek Yee2 Young
2005
'
Andrew Lau
Alan Mak
Initial D
2005
'
Peter ChanPerhaps Love
2005
'
Tsui HarkSeven Swords
2006
'
Patrick Tam Kar-MingAfter This Our Exile
2006
'
Jacob CheungBattle of Wits
2006
'
Johnnie ToElection 2
2006
'
Johnnie ToExiled
2006
'
Zhang YimouCurse of the Golden Flower
2007
'
Peter ChanThe Warlords
2007
'
Ann HuiThe Postmodern Life of My Aunt
2007
'
Yau Nai-HoiEye in the Sky
2007
'
Johnnie To
Wai Ka-Fai
Mad Detective
2007
'
Derek YeeProtégé
2008
'
Ann HuiThe Way We Are
2008
'
Benny ChanConnected
2008
'
John WooRed Cliff
2008
'
Johnnie ToSparrow
2008
'
Wilson YipIp Man
2009
'
Teddy ChanBodyguards and Assassins
2009
'
Ann HuiNight and Fog
2009
'
John WooRed Cliff II
2009
'
Derek YeeShinjuku Incident
2009
'
Alan Mak
Felix Chong
Overheard
2010
'
Tsui HarkDetective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
2010
'
Derek Kwok
Clement Cheng
Gallants
2010
'
Wilson YipIp Man 2
2010
'
Su Chao-pinReign of Assassins
2010
'
Dante LamThe Stool Pigeon
2011
'
Ann HuiA Simple Life
2011
'
Johnnie ToLife without Principle
2011
'
Tsui HarkFlying Swords of Dragon Gate
2011
'
Alan Mak
Felix Chong
Overheard 2
2011
'
Jiang WenLet the Bullets Fly
2012
'
Longman Leung
Sunny Luk Kim Ching
Cold War
2012
'
Cheang Pou-soiMotorway
2012
'
Pang Ho-cheungLove In The Buff
2012
'
Lo Chi LeungThe Bullet Vanishes
2012
'
Dante LamThe Viral Factor
2013
'
Wong Kar WaiThe Grandmaster
2013
'
Johnnie ToDrug War
2013
'
Benny ChanThe White Storm
2013
'
Derek KwokAs The Light Goes Out
2013
'
Dante LamUnbeatable
2014
'
Ann HuiThe Golden Era
2014
'
Fruit ChanThe Midnight After
2014
'
Peter ChanDearest
2014
'
Dante LamThat Demon Within
2014
'
Alan Mak
Felix Chong
Overheard 3
2015
'
Tsui HarkThe Taking Of Tiger Mountain
2015
'
Adrian Kwan Shun FaiLittle Big Master
2015
'
Derek YeeI Am Somebody
2015
'
Wilson YipIp Man 3
2015
'
Philip Yung Tsz KwongPort Of Call
2016
'
Frank Hui, Jevons Au and Vicky WongTrivisa
2016
'
Wong ChunMad World
2016
'
Derek TsangSoul Mate
2016
'
Johnnie ToThree
2016'
'
Stephen ChowThe Mermaid''