Filipino actress Crisel Consunji, who has been making waves internationally for her role in the independent film Still Human, has been nominated in two categories by the prestigious Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA).
Consunji got a Best Actress nod and a nomination as the “Best New Performer,” the award-giving body announced today. The HKFA is known as “Hong Kong’s Oscars” and recognizes achievements in filmmaking in an annual ceremony, usually held in April.
“I’m so happy to be one of the nominees, I’m grateful for everyone who worked on Still Human, especially the director Chan Siu-kuen for making this film that focuses on the problems that Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong face,” Consunji said, according to Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao.
Still Human tells the story of Filipina Evelyn (Consunji), a former nurse who becomes a caregiver in Hong Kong for the paralyzed Leung (Anthony Wong).
It is director Oliver Chan Siu-kuen’s feature debut and was produced by veteran Hong Kong indie filmmaker Fruit Chan.
The film premiered in the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival in November, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Before moving to Hong Kong at 23 years old, Consunji was a theater actress in the Philippines, having starred in a staging of the musical Into The Woods, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
She then left the Philippines to work as a performer in Hong Kong Disneyland. Consunji eventually co-founded preschools in Hong Kong and now works as an educator.
According to the SCMP, the actress landed her role in Still Human through a casting call posted on Facebook.
Apart from Consunji’s two nominations, Still Human scored nominations in six other categories which include Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best New Director.
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