At the awards ceremony, Dr. Soong exhorted those in the film industry to strive harder, to be open to constructive criticism, and to emphasize the artistic aspect of their work.
亦使得原訂七時開始的金馬獎頒獎典禮，延後了半個小時。擴大活動領域，由北到南全民關注第十八屆獎勵優良電影金馬獎頒獎典禮，於十月三十日晚上七點半揭幕，約有二千五百位國內外嘉賓共聚一堂。