Election (2005 film)

Election
Original film poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese黑社會
Simplified Chinese黑社会
Literal meaningBlack Society
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHēi Shè Huì
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingHak1 Se5 Wui2
Directed byJohnnie To
Written byYau Nai-hoi
Yip Tin-shing
Produced byDennis Law
Johnnie To
StarringSimon Yam
Tony Leung Ka-fai
Louis Koo
Nick Cheung
CinematographyCheng Siu-Keung
Edited byPatrick Tam
Music byLo Ta-yu
Production
companies
Distributed byChina Star Entertainment Group
Release date
  • 20 October 2005 (2005-10-20)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguagesCantonese
Mandarin
Box officeUS$2.2 million

Election (Chinese: 黑社會; lit. 'Black Society'; a common Cantonese reference to the triads), is a 2005 Hong Kong crime film directed and produced by Johnnie To. Featuring a large ensemble cast, the film stars Simon Yam and Tony Leung Ka-fai as two gang leaders engaged in a power struggle to become the new leader of a Hong Kong triad.

The film premiered as an "Official Selection" at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, before being released in Hong Kong on 20 October 2005, with a Category III rating. It received widespread critical praise and was a commercial success. At the 25th Hong Kong Film Awards, the film won in four categories including Best Film and Best Director.

A sequel, Election 2, was released in 2006.