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Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" can't qualify for the major categories at the Hong Kong Film Awards - a major honor in Chinese-language cinema - because not enough Hong Kong residents worked on the movie, a news report said Thursday.

The news comes after Oscar organizers rejected the spy thriller as Taiwan's entry for best foreign film, because not enough Taiwanese took part in making it.

Lee, who won best director Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain" last year, hails from Taiwan.

The much-hyped "Lust, Caution" is about a sexually charged relationship between an undercover activist (Tang Wei) and the Japanese-allied intelligence chief (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) in World War II ERA Shanghai.

The award qualification problem is a product of filmmakers from different parts of the Chinese-speaking world increasingly working together.

Cheung Tung-joe, a member of the Hong Kong Film Awards voting affairs committee, said "Lust, Caution" is not eligible for major categories at the event in 2008, like best film or best director, China's Information Times newspaper reported Thursday.

The Hong Kong Film Awards event is open to movies that meet at least two of three requirements: a Hong Kong director, a Hong Kong film company and at least six Hong Kong residents among the key creative talent.

Cheung was quoted as saying not enough Hong Kongers worked on the film.

"Lust, Caution" is partly funded by Hong Kong's Edko Films Ltd. and lead actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai is from Hong Kong. But lead actress Tang Wei is mainland Chinese, Director Lee and script writer Wang Hui-ling are Taiwanese, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto is Mexican and composer Alexandre Desplat is French.

However, Cheung said the film, which has earned millions of U.S. dollars (euros) at the Taiwan and Hong Kong box office, qualifies for the best Asian film prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards, which is open to non-Hong Kong movies.

Calls to the Hong Kong Film Awards Association went unanswered. A publicist for the organizers did not immediately respond to a reporter's e-mail seeking comment.

The movie's recent problems in meeting film award requirements stem from a growing integration in the Chinese-speaking film industry. It is common for Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan to pool resources and talent.
Commenting on the trend, Lee recently told Taiwan's CTI Cable News: "With Chinese-language films, their production systems and audiences are spread out wide."

The best-known Chinese-language film honor is Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards, open to all Chinese-language movies. "Lust, Caution" has qualified for that event, scheduled for Dec. 8 in Taipei.

credits: asianpopcorn.

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