Louis Koo pose with the Extraordinary Star Asia Award for Exceptional Contribution to Asian Cinema with the audience at the North American premiere of "Vital Signs", during the New York Asian Film Festival on July 19, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR)

NEW YORK - Louis Koo, one of Hong Kong's biggest stars, was honored with the prestigious Extraordinary Star Asia Award at the New York Asian Film Festival on Wednesday.

"I hope that I as well as my company will be able in the future to bring you more films, films that will touch your heart and touch your souls ... I hope our films will be able to reach not just Asia but into every corner in the world," said Koo at the awarding ceremony.

Louis Koo (center); director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York Candy Nip (second right); executive director of the New York Asian Film Festival Samuel Jamier (first right); director of the film "Vital Signs" Cheuk Wan-chi (second left); and producer of "Vital Signs" Jacqueline Liu (first left) pose for a photo at the New York Asian Film Festival on July 19, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

Hailing the versatile artist as "a Hong Kong name, an icon in Asia," Candy Nip, Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York, said Koo's illustrious career extends far beyond acting. "It is very difficult for me not to mention the other side of him - Louis is a very, very big philanthropist."

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Saluting Koo's remarkable talents and his passion for the entertainment industry, Nip made high remarks on Koo's charitable acts, adding that Koo has donated a lot of money to take care of the underprivileged and to build schools, hospitals and other facilities in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.