(Maggie Cheung at the second Entertainment Expo on March 20. / Sohu Photo)

Award-winning Hong Kong film-star Maggie Cheung appealed on Monday for the local media to help save the territory's struggling movie industry as she was voted most charismatic Chinese actress in an online poll.

Cheung, who won the best actress gong at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for her role in "Clean" criticised the press for putting down new actors at a time when the once-dynamic Hong Kong film industry is going through its worst time in a decade.

"I know that the Hong Kong film market is small but I hope the press will stop putting down local actors. Why can't we be united and work together to promote the Hong Kong film industry?" she said to an audience at the second Entertainment Expo, the southern Chinese territory's biggest entertainment event.

Cheung, 41, made her comments after she was voted the most charismatic Chinese actress by 43,000 people from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan in an online poll by Expo organisers.

Hong Kong heart-throb Tony Leung Chiu-wai of "In the Mood for Love" was voted the most charismatic actor, while directors Johnnie To of triad gangster flick "Election" and Tsui Hark of kung fu epic "Seven Swords" were both voted the most admired Chinese directors.

Hong Kong's main annual film awards will be handed out at another ceremony on April 8,  which is also part of the month-long Expo.

Among the celebrities who attended the Expo, which runs for a month, was acclaimed "2046" and "In the Mood for Love" director Wong Kar-wai, action hero Jackie Chan, "The Lover" actor Tony Leung Ka-fai and "Infernal Affairs" director Andrew Lau.

Singers Jacky Cheung and Joey Yung also performed at the gala opening ceremony.

The Expo is hoped to provide a shot in the arm for the territory's ailing film industry which suffered its worst year in a decade in 2005 with plunging domestic box-office receipts and a decline in the number of local productions.

Hong Kong released just 55 films last year, the lowest number in 10 years and well down from the 64 movies that hit cinema screens in 2004.

Piracy and the inability of moviemakers to meet the changing tastes of local audiences in the face of Hollywood blockbusters have been blamed for the decline.