This year's Hong Kong Film Awards released its nominations list on Wednesday, naming those up for one of the top honors in the Chinese-language movie industry.

John Woo's star-studded historical epic, "Red Cliff", racked up 15 nominations out of the 19 categories, followed by "Ip Man", a biopic of Bruce Lee's kung fu master.

Other fierce competitors include "Painted Skin", a Chinese fairytale story, and "The Way We Are", a documentary-like film about a working-class neighbourhood.

The six-million-US-dollar budget awarding ceremony will be held on Sunday, April 19, at the Hong Kong Culture Center.

Full list of the nominations

Best Film:

The Way We Are
Red Cliff
Yangtze River 7
Painted Skin
Ip Man

Best Director:

Ann Hui - 'The Way We Are'
Johnnie To - 'Sparrow'
Benny Chan - 'Connected'
Wilson Yip - 'Ip Man'

Best Scriptwriter:

Run Papa Run
The Way We Are
Painted Skin
Witness
Intimate Lover

Best Actor:

Louis Koo - 'Run Papa Run'
Simon Yam – 'Sparrow'
Tony Leung – 'Red Cliff'
Nick Cheung – 'Witness'
Donnie Yen – 'Ip Man'

Best Actress:

Bau Hei Jing – 'The Way We Are'
Prudence Liew – 'True Women For Sale'
Barbie Hsu (Da S) – 'Connected'
Zhou Xun – 'Painted Skin'
Karena Lin – 'Intimate Lover'

Best Supporting Actor:

Zhang Fengyi - 'Red Cliff'
Stephen Chow – 'Yangtze River 7'
Liao Qizhi – 'Witness'
Gordon Lam – 'Ip Man'
Louis Fan – 'Ip Man'

Best Supporting Actress:

Nora Miao – 'Run Papa Run'
Chen Liyun – 'The Way We Are'
Vicki Zhao – 'Painted Skin'
Race Wong – 'True Women For Sale'
Sun Li – 'Painted Skin'

Best New Performer:

Monica Mok – 'Ocean Flame'
Kitty Zhang – 'Not All Women Are Bad'
Liang Jin Long – 'The Way We Are'
Lin Chiling – 'Red Cliff'
Xu Jiao – 'Yangtze River 7'

Best Cinematography:

Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
Sparrow
Red Cliff
Painted Skin
Ip Man

Best Film Editing:

Sparrow
Red Cliff
Connected
Witness
Ip Man

Best Art Direction:

Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
Kingdom and the Beauty
Red Cliff
Painted Skin
Ip Man

Best Costume Design:

Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
Not All Women Are Bad
Kingdom and the Beauty
Red Cliff
Painted Skin

Best Action Choreography:

Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
Red Cliff
Connected
Painted Skin
Ip Man

Best Sound Mixing:

Red Cliff
Connected
Painted Skin
Witness
Ip Man

Best Visual Effects:

Red Cliff
Yangtze River 7
Missing
Painted Skin
Ip Man

Best Original Film Score:

Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
Sparrow
Red Cliff
Painted Skin
Ip Man

Best Original Film Song:

随梦而飞 (Fly With Dream) – 'Kingdom and the Beauty'
分手要狠 (Breaking Up Is Ruthless) – 'My Love'
心战 (Heart War) – 'Red Cliff'
一万年的序幕 (Ten Thousand Year's Prelude) – 'Missing'
画心 (Painted Heart) – 'Painted Skin'

Best New Director:

Derek Kwok – 'The Moss'
Heiward Mak – 'High Noon'
Ivy Ho – 'Intimate Lovers'

Best Asian Film:

If You Are The One
Cape No. 7
Detective Galileo
Forever Enthralled
Assembly

(CRI, China.org.cn February 12, 2009)