Wong Kar-Wai's The Grandmaster has won 12 prizes at the Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film. Wong was also named Best Director while Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Zhang Jin won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively.

Wong Kar WaiWong Kar-Wai's 'The Grandmaster' Cleaned Up At The Hong Kong Film Awards

"I remember it was 1994 when I was last here," said Kar-Wai upon accpteing his prize, "It was a short walk from the podium to the stage, but it took me 20 years to come back to this spot."

It was Wong's third win for Best Director, after scooping the award for Days of Being Wild (1990) and Chungking Express (1994).

The Grandmaster also won Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Costume and Make-up Design, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Original Film Score and Best Action Choreography. 

The film chronicles the life of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man from the 1930s in Foshan, his flight to Hong Kong after the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the events leading to his death.

The movie begins with Ip Man reflecting on martial arts and then cuts to a fight scene between him and a dozen combatants. After Ip wins, his experiences flashbacks of his life from his early training at the age of seven to his induction into martial arts by the master Chan Wah-Shun. 

More: Hotly tipped epic The Grandmaster kicks off Berlin Film Festival

Watch The Grandmaster 'Fight in the Rain' clip: