EXCLUSIVE: Hong Kong star Ekin Cheng and fast-rising actress Natalie Hsu are set to receive honorary awards at the New York Asian Film Festival
EXCLUSIVE: Hong Kong star Ekin Cheng and fast-rising actress Natalie Hsu are set to receive honorary awards at the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) next month.
Acclaimed actor and singer Cheng will accept the Star Asia Award on July 14, honouring nearly four decades on screen, while Hsu will receive the Screen International Rising Star Award on July 12, recognising a string of roles in recent major films.
Both most recently starred in Jill Leung’s romantic fantasy drama Last Song For You, which received seven nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards including a best actress nod for Hsu and will receive its North America premiere at NYAFF.
The festival will also host a 35mm screening of Young And Dangerous, Andrew Lau’s 1996 cult classic that shot Cheng to stardom and launched a six-part franchise.
Since then, Cheng has starred in more than 60 films such as fantasy epics The Storm Riders and A Man Called Hero, romantic comedies including My Wife Is 18 and shadowy thrillers like Rule Number One, for which he won best actor at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. He will next be seen in Taiwan drama series The Internet Celebrity from the producers of Netflix’s Light The Night.
“Ekin Cheng belongs to that rare class of actors who have not only shaped films but eras and culture,” said NYAFF president Samuel Jamier, “This award recognises a body of work that has stayed vital, resonant, and deeply attuned to the times. What is remarkable is not just the longevity, but the quiet reinvention.”
Hong Kong actress Hsu will also travel to New York to accept the Screen International Rising Star Award, marking her meteoric ascent following her debut in musical comedy The Day We Lit Up The Sky in 2021.
She has since taken roles in commercially and critically acclaimed titles ranging from Sasha Chuk’s family drama Fly Me To The Moon and disaster thriller Cesium Fallout, starring Andy Lau, to Nick Cheung’s psychological horror Peg O’ My Heart, Dante Lam’s action thriller Bursting Point and fantasy drama Last Song For You.
One of Hsu’s most recent performances was in Pavane For An Infant by Malaysia’s Chong Keat-Aun, which premiered at Tokyo and opened Hong Kong International Film Festival in April. The social drama will receive its North America premiere at NYAFF. She will reunite with director Chong for upcoming drama Mother Bhumi, which stars Fan Bingbing.
“Natalie represents the new generation of Hong Kong talent: fearless in genre choices, and possessing that rare combination of technical skill and emotional authenticity,” said Jamier. “Her rapid rise from teenage debut to leading lady demonstrates the kind of artistic evolution we celebrate with this award.”
The 24th NYAFF is set to run from July 11-27, presented in collaboration with Film at Lincoln Center.
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