| Mad World | |
| Director: | Wong Chun |
| Producer: | Derek Chiu Heiward Mak |
| Starring: | Shawn Yue Eric Tsang Elaine Jin Charmaine Fong |
| Music: | Yusuke Hatano |
| Cinematography: | Zhang Ying |
| Editing: | Wong Chun |
| Studio: | Mad World Limited |
| Distributor: | Golden Scene |
| Runtime: | 101 minutes |
| Country: | Hong Kong |
| Language: | Cantonese |
| Gross: | [1] |
Mad World (Cantonese: 一念無明) is a 2016 Hong Kong drama film directed by Wong Chun and starring Shawn Yue, Eric Tsang, Elaine Jin and Charmaine Fong. It is Wong's directorial debut after winning the First Feature Film Initiative. It was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
Tung, a former financial analyst who is struggling with bipolar disorder, is placed in the custody of his truck-driver father after being discharged from a mental health institution.
Wong and Chan cited Cageman (1992), about an impoverished community living in cage homes, as a major influence.[3]
The film was shot in 16 days, mostly on location in subdivided flats, and with a budget of around . As the film was selected by the First Feature Film Initiative (along with Weeds on Fire and Opus 1), they were unable to procure outside investments. Actors Eric Tsang and Shawn Yue both waived their salaries when they joined the cast.[4] [5]
The film premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. It opened in Hong Kong cinemas on 30 March 2017. The film grossed almost 10x its budget in theaters. A fraction of the profits were used to compensate actors Eric Tsang and Shawn Yue, who waived their salaries, and the few crew members who worked for free.
Clarence Tsui for The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "While not exactly a full-fledged success, Mad World offers an intimate showcase of a promising director, an actor who can do much more than he’s usually asked to, and a kind of non-manic storytelling that pays for those who are patient enough to pay attention." Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post gave the film 3.5/5 stars. He wrote, "Mad World is not quite the profound reflection of reality its makers intended it to be, but despite its flaws this is a brave film."
The film was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[6]
| Award ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53rd Golden Horse Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Elaine Jin | [7] | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Eric Tsang | |||
| Best New Director | Wong Chun | |||
| Hong Kong Film Directors Guild Awards | Best New Director | Wong Chun | ||
| 1st Malaysia Golden Global Awards | Best Film | Mad World | ||
| Best Actor | Eric Tsang | |||
| Best Screenplay | Florence Chan | |||
| Best Cinematography | Zhang Ying | |||
| 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Film | Mad World | ||
| Best Director | Wong Chun | |||
| Best Screenplay | Florence Chan | |||
| Best Actor | Shawn Yue | |||
| Eric Tsang | ||||
| Best Actress | Elaine Jin | |||
| Charmaine Fong | ||||
| Film of Merit | Mad World | |||
| 12th Osaka Asian Film Festival | Grand Prix | Mad World | ||
| 11th Asian Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Elaine Jin | ||
| Award for Excellence | Mad World | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Elaine Jin | |||
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Director | Wong Chun | ||
| Best Screenplay | Florence Chan | |||
| Best Actor | Shawn Yue | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Eric Tsang | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Charmaine Fong | |||
| Elaine Jin | ||||
| Best Original Film Score | Yusuke Hatano | |||
| Best New Director | Wong Chun | |||
| 17th Chinese Film Media Awards[8] | Best Actor | Shawn Yue | ||
| Best Screenplay | Florence Chan | |||
| Best New Director | Wong Chun | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Eric Tsang | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Elaine Jin | |||
| Charmaine Fong |