The star-studded First Chinese Film Directors Association Awards were held in Beijing Tuesday evening, with more than 200 big names from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong on hand for the event.

The awards were launched this year in honor of the centenary of the nation's film industry. Internationally acclaimed director Chen Kaige assumed the chair of this year's 11-member judging committee, which also includes celebrated filmmakers such as Lu Xuechang and Jiang Wen.

The committee made its decisions during the Eighth Hong Kong Film Directors Symposium, which ran from January 8 to 11. The judges selected best director, best young director, best actor and best actress. Another award is based on box office take, and a recipient is selected for the special Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tian Zhuangzhuang won the Best Director Award with his spectacular documentary Delamu. The film was knocked out of this year's Oscar competition because a version of it had been broadcast on Japan's NHK television station before the 53-year-old Tian considered submitting it for competition in any international film festivals.

Li Xuejian defeated Fan Wei (The Parking Attendant in July) and Ye Daying (My Father and I) to be named best actor for his role as a retired father in South of the Clouds. He said the prize revivifies him. Li is recovering from nasopharyngeal cancer.

Zhou Xun took the Best Actress Award for her wonderful performance in Baober in Love. Other nominees were Zhang Ziyi (House of Flying Daggers) and Shu Qi (The Foliage). In considering whether to go abroad to advance her career, as her competitors have done, Zhou said that she would consider the film itself rather than the filmmaking environment in making that decision. "Arts and emotions are uniform all over the globe. As long as your story is touching, the foreign audiences will also love it."

Ke Ke Xi Li, a film about saving the Tibetan antelope from poachers, won 33-year-old Lu Chuan the Best Young Director Award. It was also the first movie from the Chinese mainland to be named best film in Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards last December.

The Top Box Office Award belonged to director Zhang Yimou and his epic blockbuster House of Flying Daggers. The biggest hit of the year has raked in more than US$18 million.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to 66-year-old director Wu Tianming of the Xi'an Film Studio. Wu won acclaim in the 1980s with his Life (1983), Old Well (1986) and other realistic works. As the head of the Xi'an Film Studio, he also guided and supported many one-time new hands, such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang and He Ping. Wu's latest work is CEO, made in 2002.

Best director: Tian Zhuangzhuang

Best actor: Li Xuejian

Best actress: Zhou Xun

Best young director: Lu Chuan

Lifetime achievement: Wu Tianming

(China.org.cn by Li Xiao January 12, 2005)