The South Korean horror-comedy blockbuster “The Host” took four prizes when the first Asian Film Awards were handed out the other day in Hong Kong. It won for best film, best cinematographer and best visual effects, while its star, Song Kang-ho, was named best actor.

Jia Zhangke of China was given the best-director award for “Still Life” (I’ve seen it, and it’s long but wonderful) and Japanese star Nakatani Miki was crowned best actress for “Memories of Matsuko.”