Eric Tsang– and Shawn Yue-starrer Mad World has been selected as Hong Kong's representative for the foreign language film-category at the 90th Academy Awards.
The Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong selected Mad World ahead of the other three movies in contention – Zhang Jiajia' See You Tomorrow, Derek Tsang's Soul Mate and the yet-to-be-released Chasing the Dragon by Wong Jing and Jason Kwan.
Funded by the First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI) of the Hong Kong Film Development Fund, this low-budget movie also marked the directorial debut of Wong Chun.
The film narrates the story of a bipolar patient's life with his truck-driver father after being discharged from a mental asylum. This austere family drama has been lauded by fans and critics alike, largely due to its heavy critique of the mental and social ills peculiar to Hong Kong's society.
Mad World has captivated the imagination of the audiences ever since its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. Made on a paltry budget of USD 256,000, the film was a huge success at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards, and the 53rd Golden Horse Awards held in Taipei. Wong Chun was lauded as the Best New Director at both those award shows. Veteran actors Elaine Jin and Eric Tsang were also honored as the Best Support Actress and Best Actor, respectively. Florence Chan was also awarded for the Best Screenplay.
Here's wishing the Mad World team great success at the Oscars!