ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN ACADEMY ANNOUNCES 15th APSA NOMINEES, JURIES, REVEALS FIRST AWARD WINNERS

The Asia Pacific Screen Academy today announced the full list of nominees for the 15th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), as well as the International Juries who will determine the winners ahead of the glamorous APSA Ceremony at HOTA on Australia’s Gold Coast on Friday November 11. The full Asia Pacific Screen Forum programme and screening schedule were also announced.

The first two APSA Award winners have also been revealed, with the films confirmed to participate in the 4th Asia Pacific Screen Forum.

Muru (New Zealand), directed by Tearepa Kahi and starring Tame Iti and APSA Academy Member Cliff Curtis, takes home the Cultural Diversity Award under the patronage of UNESCO, an award that is at the heart of what APSA represents.

Saim Sadiq, for his debut feature Joyland (Pakistan), has won the Young Cinema Award in partnership with NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) and Griffith Film School (GFS), which recognises the abundant emerging talent of the Asia Pacific.

APSA honours the cinematic excellence of 78 countries and areas from the region producing half the world’s film, celebrating cinematic storytelling that best reflects its cultural origins and the diversity of the Asia Pacific.

Unprecedentedly, in 2022, 19 of the 26 films are from first or second time directors, heralding a bright future for the region’s filmmaking. Across all 94 nominees, a total of 45% are female and 55% male.

Nominated for the APSA for Best Film in 2022 are Before, Now & Then (Nana, Indonesia), also nominated for Best Director (Kamila Andini), Best Performance (Happy Salma) and Best Cinematography (Batara Goempar); Poet (Akyn, Kazakhstan), also nominated for Best Screenplay (writer, director Darezhan Omirbayev) and Best Cinematography (Boris Troshev); Return to Seoul (Retour à Séoul, Cambodia, Qatar, France, Belgium, Germany), also nominated for Best Director (Davy Chou); This Is What I Remember (Esimde, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Netherlands, France), with writer, director and star Aktan Arym Kubat nominated for Best Performance and Best Screenplay together with Dalmira Tilepbergenova; and When The Waves Are Gone (Kapag Wala Nang Mga Alon, Philippines, France, Denmark, Portugal) which sees Lav Diaz nominated for Best Director and John Lloyd Cruz nominated for Best Performance.

The winners of Best Film, Screenplay, Cinematography, Performance and Director will be determined by the APSA International Jury, presided over by eminent Egyptian screenwriter and producer, Mohamed Hefzy. Hefzy will be joined by leading Indian producer Guneet Monga, actor, director and producer Numan Acar (Turkey/Germany), renowned Australian filmmaker Sophie Hyde and acclaimed Sri Lankan director Vimukthi Jayasundara. The International Jury will also award a Jury Grand Prize.

The four-person Youth, Animation, Documentary International Jury will determine the winners in these feature categories. In 2022, the Jury Chair is Shin Su-Won (Republic of Korea), who is also nominated for Best Director for her film Hommage (Omaju). Shin will be joined on the Jury by documentarian Zhao Qi (People’s Republic of China), documentarian and writer Baby Ruth Villarama (Philippines) and New Zealand filmmaker Tearepa Kahi (Muru).

In the running for APSA Best Youth Film are Alam (Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Tunisia), Farha (Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sweden), Hanging Gardens (Janain mualaqa, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom), Jaggi (India) and Sweet As (Australia).

Competing for the APSA for Best Animated Film are Aurora’s Sunrise (Armenia, Germany, Lithuania), Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (Dounia et la princesse d’Alep, Canada), Goodbye, Don Glees! (Gubbai, Don Gurîzu!, Japan), Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish (United States of America, Netherlands) and anthology feature To The Bright Side (Xiang zhe ming liang na fang, People’s Republic of China).

Vying for APSA Best Documentary are All That Breathes (India, United Kingdom, United States of America), Blue Island (Hong Kong, Japan), Children of the Mist (Vietnam), Delikado (Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong, United States of America, United Kingdom) and Woodgirls – A Duet for a Dream (Islamic Republic of Iran, Czech Republic).

See below for a full list of nominations. Also presented on the night will be the FIAPF Award, determined by International Federation of Film Producers Associations for outstanding achievement in film in the Asia Pacific region, the Best New Performer Award and the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund recipients for 2022.

Bookending the Awards Ceremony on November 11 is the 4th Asia Pacific Screen Forum and Screening Programme, November 9-13. The line-up of industry-led sessions released today is an action-packed schedule featuring a ‘Spotlight on the Middle East’ and topics focusing on filmmaking for social change, rights and recoupment in structuring investments, co-productions, film-friendly locations, and a panel discussion to unpack the role of festivals, awards and media in a film’s journey to audiences.

The Forum includes APSA’s annual Reel Connections event which brings together early-career filmmakers to share ideas, stories, processes and experiences in a special networking event. Additionally, audiences have the opportunity to watch APSA-nominated films and hear directly from the filmmakers at seven public cinema screenings held at HOTA -Home of the Arts.

The dynamic Forum programme enables the local screen industry to access the incredible filmmaking talents of the region and engage with issues that matter to filmmakers through an Asia Pacific lens. Connecting the national industry with the global conversation, it fosters connections and collaborations, as well as cultural and knowledge exchange both from within Australia and across the Asia Pacific.

Chair of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy Tracey Vieira said:

“In 2022 APSA reaches a momentous milestone, celebrating its 15th year. In that time the APSA Academy has grown to unite more than 1400 esteemed filmmakers from the region. The AP Screen

Forum has become a cornerstone of the event, offering the chance to gather, connect and converse with industry peers. Looking at the 2022 nominees, the number of international co-productions, the greater gender balance and the phenomenal representation of first and second time filmmakers are all signs of an industry that continues to grow and evolve toward a bright future and, 15 years on, APSA has stayed true to its main aim, the celebration and preservation of culture through the cinematic storytelling across our region.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said:

“The Gold Coast attracts major film production from all over the world. APSA is a jewel in the crown, offering the opportunity to welcome filmmakers from all over the region to come together, to celebrate their cinematic achievements, and to do it in style at a summery Red Carpet gala event. With the borders open to travel once again, we look forward to welcoming everyone in person to our unique Gold Coast.’’

Major Partner Screen Queensland Chief Creative Officer, Dr Belinda Burns said:

“Screen Queensland would like to congratulate all of the nominees at the 15th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), as well as the first two winners. We are proud that Queensland is the host state of this prestigious event, now 15 years strong, and we look forward to welcoming all guests of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and participating Australian filmmakers to the Gold Coast. As well as being a celebration of the achievements of those nominated and awarded, APSA is an important opportunity for fostering connections and collaborations across our diverse region, relationships that will see the filmmaking industry in our state go from strength to strength.”

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards and Forum are presented by the Asia Pacific Screen Academy with the support of major partners the City of Gold Coast, Screen Queensland, the Motion Picture Association and Griffith Film School, Griffith University.

The Asia Pacific Screen Forum is also supported by Major Government Partner Screen Australia, ATOM QLD, Screenrights, Essential Screen Skills and QT Gold Coast.

APSA acknowledges and celebrates its founding partnerships with UNESCO and FIAPF- International Federation of Film Producers Associations.

Tickets are on sale for the full Forum and the 15th Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony. Both events will be presented as physical events at HOTA on the Gold Coast and the Forum will be globally streamed.

4th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN FORUM https://www.asiapacificscreenawards.com/asia-pacific-screen-forum https://apsa.swoogo.com/APSA2022

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Alicia Brescianini +61 400 225 603 / [email protected]

Cathy Gallagher +61 416 227 282 / [email protected]

Georgina Stegman +61 415 622 213 / [email protected]

Website: https://www.asiapacificscreenawards.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asiapacificscreenawards

#APSA2022

ABOUT THE ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS & ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN ACADEMY

The Asia Pacific Screen Academy proudly presents the region’s highest accolade in film, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Established in 2007, APSA ignites and honours the cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the world’s fastest growing film region: comprising 78 countries and areas, 4.5 billion people, and responsible for half of the world’s film output.

All APSA nominees, Nominations Councils and Jury members are inducted into the prestigious APSA Academy presided over by Australian screen legend Jack Thompson AM PhD. The Academy boasts over 1,400 of the region’s leading filmmakers and provides exclusive networking, development and funding opportunities available to Academy members through the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, and Academy mentoring opportunities for the next generation of Asia Pacific filmmakers through the Asia Pacific Screen Lab. www.asiapacificscreenawards.com/about-academy

2022 APSA INTERNATIONAL JURY

Determining the winners of Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Performance, Jury Grand Prize

Mohamed Hefzy (Egypt) – Jury President

Guneet Monga (India)

Numan Acar (Turkey/Germany)

Sophie Hyde (Australia)

Vimukthi Jayasundara (Sri Lanka)

2022 APSA YOUTH, ANIMATION, DOCUMENTARY INTERNATIONAL JURY

Determining the winners of Best Youth Film, Best Animated Film, Best Documentary Film

Shin Su-Won (Republic of Korea) – Jury Chair

Zhao Qi (People’s Republic of China)

Baby Ruth Villarama (Philippines)

Tearepa Kahi (New Zealand)

15th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS NOMINATIONS

BEST FILM

Before, Now & Then (Nana), Indonesia

Directed by Kamila Andini

Produced by Ifa Isfansyah, Gita Fara

Poet (Akyn), Kazakhstan

Directed by Darezhan Omirbayev

Produced by Julia Kim

Return to Seoul (Retour à Séoul), France, Belgium, Germany, Cambodia, Qatar

Directed by Davy Chou

Produced by Charlotte Vincent, Katia Khazak

This Is What I Remember (Esimde), Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Netherlands, France

Directed by Aktan Arym Kubat

Produced by Altynai Koichumanova, Denis Vaslin, Yuji Sadai, Carine Chichkowsky, Fleur Knopperts

When The Waves Are Gone (Kapag Wala Nang Mga Alon), Philippines, France, Denmark, Portugal

Directed by Lav Diaz

Produced by Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Jean-Christophe Simon, Joaquim Sapinho, Marta Alves

BEST YOUTH FILM

Alam, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Tunisia

Directed by Firas Khoury

Produced by Marie-Pierre Macia, Clare Gadéa, Naomie Lagadec

Farha, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sweden

Directed by Darin J Sallam

Produced by Deema Azar, Ayah Jardaneh

Hanging Gardens (Janain mualaqa), Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom

Directed by Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji

Produced by Huda Al Kadhimi, Margaret Glover, May Odeh

Jaggi, India

Directed by Anmol Sidhu

Produced by Pardeep Taina, Dhruv Bakshi

Sweet As, Australia

Directed by Jub Clerc

Produced by Liz Kearney

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Aurora’s Sunrise, Armenia, Germany, Lithuania

Directed by Inna Sahakyan

Produced by Vardan Hovhannisyan, Christian Beetz, Justé Michailinaité, Kestutis Drazdauskas, Eric Esrailian, Inna Sahakyan

Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (Dounia et la princesse d’Alep), Canada

Directed by Marya Zarif, André Kadi

Produced by Judith Beauregard

Goodbye, Don Glees! (Gubbai, Don Gurîzu!), Japan

Directed by Atsuko Ishizuka

Produced by Kenji Nakamoto, Sho Tanaka

Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish, United States of America, Netherlands

Directed by Lei Lei

Produced by Lei Lei, Isabelle Glachant

To The Bright Side (Xiang zhe ming liang na fang), People’s Republic of China

Directed by Chen Chen, Liu Maoning, Liu Gaoxiang, Yu Kun, Zhao Yi, Li Nianze, Lan Xiya

Produced by Wang Lei

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM

All That Breathes, India, United Kingdom, United States of America

Directed by Shaunak Sen

Produced by Aman Mann, Shaunak Sen, Teddy Leifer

Blue Island, Hong Kong, Japan

Directed by Chan Tze-woon

Produced by Peter Yam

Children of the Mist, Vietnam

Directed by Hà Lệ Diễm

Produced by Tran Phuong Thao, Swann Dubus

Delikado, Ph,ilippines, Australia, Hong Kong, United States of America, United Kingdom

Directed by Karl Malakunas

Produced by Marty Syjuco, Michael Collins, Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, Karl Malakunas

Woodgirls – A Duet for a Dream, Islamic Republic of Iran, Czech Republic,

Directed by Azadeh Bizargiti

Produced by Kaveh Farnam

BEST DIRECTOR

Kamila Andini for Before, Now & Then (Nana), Indonesia

Shin Su-won for Hommage (Omaju), Republic of Korea

Davy Chou for Return to Seoul (Retour à Séoul), France, Belgium, Germany, Cambodia, Qatar

Ameer Fakher Eldin for The Stranger (Al Garib) Palestine, Syrian Arab Republic, Qatar, Germany

Lav Diaz for When The Waves Are Gone (Kapag Wala Nang Mga Alon), Philippines, France, Denmark, Portugal

BEST SCREENPLAY

Makbul Mubarak for Autobiography, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Qatar, France, Poland, Germany

Vahid Jalilvand for Beyond the Wall (Shab, Dkheli, Divar), Islamic Republic of Iran

Park Chan-wook, Chung Seo-kyeong for Decision to Leave (Heojil kyolshim), Republic of Korea

Darezhan Omirbayev for Poet (Akyn), Kazakhstan

Aktan Arym Kubat, Dalmira Tilepbergenova for This Is What I Remember (Esimde), Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Netherlands, France

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Batara Goempar for Before, Now & Then (Nana), Indonesia

Lv Songye for One and Four (Yige he sige), People’s Republic of China

Boris Troshev for Poet (Akyn), Kazakhstan

Florent Herry for Snow and the Bear (Kar ve Ayı), Turkey, Germany, Serbia

Niklas Lindschau for The Stranger (Al Garib), Palestine, Syrian Arab Republic, Qatar, Germany

BEST PERFORMANCE

Happy Salma for Before, Now & Then (Nana), Indonesia

Navid Mohammadzadeh for Beyond the Wall (Shab, Dkheli, Divar), Islamic Republic of Iran

Lee Jeong-eun for Hommage (Omaju), Republic of Korea

Aktan Arym Kubat for This Is What I Remember (Esimde), Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Netherlands, France

John Lloyd Cruz for When The Waves Are Gone (Kapag Wala Nang Mga Alon), Philippines, France, Denmark, Portugal

CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARD UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF UNESCO

Muru, New Zealand, Directed by Tearepa Kahi, Produced by Reikura Kahi, Selina Joe, Tame Iti

YOUNG CINEMA AWARD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NETPAC AND GFS

Saim Sadiq for Joyland, Pakistan

The Young Cinema Award in partnership with NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) and Griffith Film School (GFS) recognises the abundant emerging talent of the Asia Pacific.

TO BE ANNOUNCED

FIAPF AWARD

Determined by FIAPF–International Federation of Film Producers Associations for outstanding achievement in film in the Asia Pacific region.

BEST NEW PERFORMANCE (Inaugural presentation)

For first or second time lead performance in a feature length role.

MPA APSA ACADEMY FILM FUND

Recipients of four US$25,000 grants for 2022

A joint initiative of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy (APSA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA) since 2010, the Fund supports both organisations’ goal to increase cultural diversity on screen in the world’s fastest growing region of film production. The Fund is open exclusively to APSA members.

MPA APSA Academy Film Fund Jury

Andrew Pike (Australia) – Chair

Mai Meksawan (Thailand)

Maryam Ebrahimi (Islamic Republic of Iran/Sweden)

ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN LAB

Successful Projects and Mentors to be announced for 2022/23 year-long immersive development program.

An initiative of the APSA Academy in association with Griffith University, Griffith Film School, NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema), the Sun Foundation.

Herman Van Eyken, Chair of the CILECT Asia Pacific Association

Philip Cheah, (Advisor to NETPAC)

Ki Yong Park (Founder Asian Film Academy)

Anne Demy-Geroe (Vice-President NETPAC)