Hong Kong – Korean film Secret Sunshine by Lee Chang Dong swept the top kudos for the Asian Film Awards including Best Director and Actress, as well as ousted blockbusters Lee Ang’s Lust, Caution and Peter Chan’s The Warlords to take home Best Film at the second edition of the kudos event. The AFA, held March 17, 2008 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, was the gala curtain raiser for the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo 2008. Director Lee Chang Dong expressed his “shock” at having won against respected filmmakers in the region as he gave his thank you speech for a second time having received the award for top helmer just before the Best Film prize. Jeon Do Hyeon took the best actress award for her role as a lady who copes with the death of her husband and child in Secret Sunshine. Local favourite and Hong Kong Entertainment Ambassador Tony Leung Chiu-wai won what was his 14th best actor honour in his career for his role as a collaborationist with the Japanese in pre-WW2 China in erotic spy thriller Lust, Caution. Special prizes including Lifetime Achievement Award and the Edward Yang New Talent Award went to Japanese directors Yoji Yamada and Ishii Yuya respectively. Best Supporting Actor and Actress were presented to Sun Hong-Lei and Joan Chen for their respective parts in Mongol and The Sun Also Rises. The latter film also saw its production designers Cao Jiuping and Zhang Jian Qun notch the Best Production Designer kudos. Best Screenwriter went to Au Kin Yee and Wai Ka Fai for their effort in Mad Detective; while Ng Yuen Fai clinched the Best Visual Effects prize for The Warlords. David Richardson won Best Editor for his cuts in Eye in the Sky; Liao Pen-jung was named Best Cinematographer for Help Me Eros; while Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravijiani took the Best Composer prize for their work on Bollywood blockbuster Om Shanti Om. The awards ceremony, broadcast live on TVB Pearl in Hong Kong, also featured a medley of theme songs from recent romance flicks sung by Singapore songstress Stephanie Sun. The prize presentations were preceded by the red carpet event graced by regional celebrities, artistes and filmmakers including Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Vivian Hsu, Jet Li, Shu Qi, Song Hye Gyo, Tsai Ming Liang, Jaycee Chan and Shawn Yue.