Lu Chuan holds Best Director awards trophy at the 4th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on March 22 (TUNGSTAR/SINA)

Mainland director Lu Chuan won Best Director for City of Life and Death at the 4th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Monday.

Chinese action thriller Bodyguards and Assassins scooped several top honors, but was eclipsed for Best Picture by the South Korean movie Mother.

Going into the Asian Film Awards, Bodyguards and Assassins had a total of 19 nominations. Wang Xueqi ended up winning the Best Actor award, and Nicholas Tse took away the Best Supporting Actor trophy.

South Korea's Mother, a thriller recognized for official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, garnered Best Picture and the Best Actress award for Kim Hye-Ja.

Renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou, who choreographed the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, was given the Asian film award for outstanding contribution to Asian cinema.

(CRIENGLISH.com March 23, 2010)