# Mad World (film)

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.

## Premise

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.

## Cast

* Shawn Yue as Tung—a mentally ill stockbroker
* Eric Tsang as Tung's father—a cross-town trucker who takes in his son
* Elaine Jin as Tung's mother—mentally ill woman who was killed by her son
* Charmaine Fong as Jenny—Tung's former fiancée
* Wong Chun as Tung's younger brother (voice)

## Development

Wong and Chan cited Cageman (1992), about an impoverished community living in cage homes, as a major influence.

## Production

The film was shot in 16 days, mostly on location in subdivided flats, and with a budget of around US$257,000. 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.

## Release

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.

## Reception

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.

## Awards and nominations

| Award ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result |
| 53rd Golden Horse Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Elaine Jin | Won |
| 53rd Golden Horse Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Eric Tsang | Nominated |
| 53rd Golden Horse Awards | Best New Director | Wong Chun | Won |
| Hong Kong Film Directors Guild Awards | Best New Director | Wong Chun | Won |
| 1st Malaysia Golden Global Awards | Best Film | Mad World | Nominated |
| 1st Malaysia Golden Global Awards | Best Actor | Eric Tsang | Won |
| 1st Malaysia Golden Global Awards | Best Screenplay | Florence Chan | Nominated |
| 1st Malaysia Golden Global Awards | Best Cinematography | Zhang Ying | Nominated |
| 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Film | Mad World | Nominated |
| 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Director | Wong Chun | Won |
| 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Screenplay | Florence Chan | Won |
| 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Actor | Shawn Yue | Nominated |
| 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Actor | Eric Tsang | Nominated |
| 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Actress | Elaine Jin | Nominated |
| 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Actress | Charmaine Fong | Nominated |
| 23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Film of Merit | Mad World | Won |
| 12th Osaka Asian Film Festival | Grand Prix | Mad World | Won |
| 11th Asian Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Elaine Jin | Nominated |
| Youth Film Handbook Awards | Award for Excellence | Mad World | Won |
| Youth Film Handbook Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Elaine Jin | Won |
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Director | Wong Chun | Nominated |
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Screenplay | Florence Chan | Nominated |
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Actor | Shawn Yue | Nominated |
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Eric Tsang | Won |
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Charmaine Fong | Nominated |
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Elaine Jin | Won |
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Original Film Score | Yusuke Hatano | Nominated |
| 36th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best New Director | Wong Chun | Won |
| 17th Chinese Film Media Awards | Best Actor | Shawn Yue | Nominated |
| 17th Chinese Film Media Awards | Best Screenplay | Florence Chan | Nominated |
| 17th Chinese Film Media Awards | Best New Director | Wong Chun | Nominated |
| 17th Chinese Film Media Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Eric Tsang | Nominated |
| 17th Chinese Film Media Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Elaine Jin | Nominated |
| 17th Chinese Film Media Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Charmaine Fong | Nominated |