 The film was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 71st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.Much of the film is set in subsidised housing projects, which Chan considered to be 'a very Hong Kong thing' due to the high population density of the region.Though the film is sometimes regarded as a response to the 1997 Hong Kong handover, Chan feels that "Made in Hong Kong" can also be viewed as a character-driven drama that reflects the lifestyle of many young Hong Kong people at the time.