NOMINEES ANNOUNCED IN THE 7^TH ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS:

39 FILMS FROM 21 ASIA PACIFIC COUNTRIES AND AREAS

 

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk today announced nominees for the 7^th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), with 39 films from 21 Asia Pacific countries and areas vying for the region’s highest accolade in film.

 

The nominations include a record number of films from more countries and areas than ever before and in 2013, for the first time, nominations have gone to films from Bangladesh, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

 

The six films competing for the coveted Best Feature Film award are Omar (Palestine), Iran’s official entry for the Oscars® Le Passé (The Past, France, Italy), Soshite chichi ni naru (Like Father, Like Son, Japan), Bangladesh’s first APSA nomination, Television, anthology film The Turning (Australia), and With You, Without You (Sri Lanka).

 

The 2013 Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony will be held in Brisbane's historic City Hall on Thursday 12 December at a glittering event, with nominees and industry luminaries in attendance.

The Awards, supported by Brisbane City Council and managed by economic development board Brisbane Marketing in a unique collaboration with Paris-based UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations, recognise and promote cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the world’s fastest growing film region: comprising 70 countries and areas, 4.5 billion people, and responsible for half of the world’s film output.

Omar (Palestine) received the most nominations of any film, with a total of three, for Best Performance By An Actor (Adam Bakri), Achievement in Cinematography (Ehab Assal) and Best Feature Film (Hany Abu-Assad, Waleed F. Zuaiter, David Gerson).

 

Five films from five separate countries or areas received two nominations each:   

·       Soshite chichi ni naru (Like Father, Like Son, Japan) – nominated for Best Feature Film and Achievement in Directing (Hirokazu Kore-eda)

·       Shal (The Old Man, Kazakhstan) – nominated for Best Performance by an Actor (Yerbolat Toguzakov) and Achievement in Cinematography (Murat Aliyev)

·       My Sweet Pepperland (Iraqi Kurdistan, France, Germany) – nominated for Achievement in Directing (Hiner Saleem) and Best Performance by an Actress (Golshifteh Farahani)

·       Television (Bangladesh) – nominated for Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay (Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Anisul Haque)

·       Le Passé (The Past, France, Italy) – nominated for Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay (Asghar Farhadi).

 

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said of the nominations: “It is my absolute pleasure to see the 2013 nominations encompass more Asia Pacific countries and areas than ever before, making this year the most international event in APSA’s proud history. We look forward to once again hosting this internationally renowned event in Brisbane.”

 

APSA Chairman Michael Hawkins said: “To be inviting such a prestigious and talented group of filmmakers to Brisbane for APSA in its seventh year is yet another fine achievement for the awards. To see among the nominees first time feature filmmakers who are competing with some of the most established and renowned filmmakers in the region, and indeed the world, means the International Jury has a hard task ahead of them.”

 

Now in his seventh year as Chair of the International Nominations Council, Professor Hong-Joon Kim said of the 2013 nominations: “I am extremely impressed by the overall quality and scope of the films from the Asia Pacific region that were in the running for this year’s awards. I believe this year will prove to be the highest level of competition for APSA since its inauguration in 2007.’

 

All nominees are inducted into the APSA Academy, with nine of this year’s nominees already APSA Academy members. The APSA Academy, led by President Jack Thompson AM PhD, is a growing body of the region’s most influential names in film including past APSA nominees, International Jury and Nominations Council members.

 

Nominated alongside Hirokazu Kore-eda (Soshite chichi ni naru / Like Father, Like Son) and Hiner Saleem (My Sweet Pepperland) in the category of Achievement in Directing is Shahram Mokhri for Mahi Va Gorbeh (Fish and Cat, Islamic Republic of Iran), Anthony Chen for Ilo, Ilo (Singapore) and Emir Baigazin for Uroki Garmonii (Harmony Lessons, Kazakhstan, Germany, France)

 

Nominated for Best Screenplay alongside Asghar Farhadi (Le Passé [The Past]) and Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Anisul Hoque (Television) is U-Wei Bin Hajisaari for Hanyut (Almayer's Folly, Malaysia), Ritesh Batra for The Lunchbox (India, Germany, France) and

Denis Osokin for Nebesnye Ženy Lugovykh Mari (Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari, Russian Federation), who won the APSA in this category in 2011 for Ovsyanki (Silent Souls).

 

Nominees for Best Performance by an Actress, in addition to Golshifteh Farahani (My Sweet Pepperland), are fellow Iranian actress Negar Javaherian for The Painting Pool (Islamic Republic of Iran), as well as Zhang Ziyi for The Grandmaster (Hong Kong (PRC), People’s Republic of China), Whirimako Black for Tuakiri Huna (White Lies, New Zealand) and Kurdish actress Ayça Damgacı for Yozgat Blues (Turkey, Germany).
 

Nominees for Best Performance by an Actor, in addition to Adam Bakri (Omar) and Yerbolat Toguzakov (Shal / The Old Man), are Lee Byung-hun for Masquerade (Republic of Korea), Tatsuya Nakadai for Nippon no higeki (Japan’s Tragedy, Japan) and Aaron Pedersen for Mystery Road (Australia).

 

Nominated for Achievement in Cinematography, together with Ehab Assal (Omar) and Murat Aliyev (Shal [The Old Man]), are Mandy Walker ASC ACS for Tracks (Australia, United Kingdom), Lu Yue for Yi Jiu Si Er (Back to 1942, People’s Republic of China) and Rajeev Ravi for Monsoon Shootout (India, United Kingdom, Netherlands). Rajeev Ravi shot the 2012 APSA Jury Grand Prize winner Gangs of Wasseypur.

 

Nominations for the other feature film categories are:

 

Best Children’s Feature Film

 

Beom-joe So-nyeon (Juvenile Offender, Republic of Korea) produced by Park Joo-young.

 

Tabidachi no Shima Uta - Jugo no Haru (Leaving on the 15^th Spring, Japan) produced by Yasuhiro Masaoka, Hiroshi Higa and Takeshi Sawa.

 

Shopping (New Zealand) produced by Sarah Shaw and Anna McLeish.

 

Wadjda (Saudi Arabia, Germany) produced by Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner and co-produced by Amr Alkahtani.

 

Lamma Shoftak (When I Saw You, Palestine, Jordan) produced by Ossama Bawardi with co-producers by Rami Yasin, Sawsan Asfari, Maya Sanbar Jamo and Tariq Al Ghussein.

 

 

Best Documentary Feature Film

 

The Act of Killing (Denmark, Norway, UK) produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen, Joram Ten Brink, Christine Cynn, Anne Köhncke, Joshua Oppenheimer, Michael Uwemedimo and anonymous Indonesian producers. Co-Produced by Torstein Grude, Bjarte Mørner Tveit, Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn.

 

Shomrei Hasaf (The Gatekeepers, Israel, France, Germany, Belgium) produced by Dror Moreh, Estelle Fialon and Phillipa Kowarsky and co-produced by Anna Van der Wee.

 

Menstrual Man (Singapore, India) produced by Amit Virmani and Seah Kui Luan.

 

Frihet Bakom Galler (No Burqas Behind Bars, Sweden, Japan, Netherlands, Denmark) produced by Maryam Ebrahimi.

 

Alam Laysa Lana (A World Not Ours, Lebanon, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Palestine) produced by Patrick Campbell and Mahdi Fleifel.

 

 

Best Animated Feature Film

 

Sa-i-bi (The Fake, Republic of Korea) produced by Cho Young-kag.

 

Koo! Kin-Dza-Dza (Russian Federation) produced by Sergey Selyanov, Leonid Yarmolnik, Yuri Kushnerev, Oleg Urushev and Konstantin Ernst.

 

Sakasama no Patema (Patema Inverted, Japan) produced by Mikio Ono.

 

Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Rises, Japan) produced by Toshio Suzuki.

 

Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya (The World of Goopi and Bagha, India) produced by Children’s Film Society, India.

 

Winners in the feature film categories will be determined by the 2013 APSA International Jury, headed by esteemed Indian screenwriter and director Shyam Benegal, who will lead a group of accomplished Jury members including Korean screenwriter and director Kim Tae-yong, “Queen of Sri Lankan Cinema” actress of stage and screen Hon Dr Malani Fonseka, Turkish actor Tamer Levent, Swiss director Christoph Schaub and Hong Kong producer Albert Lee. The International Jury can also, at its discretion, present a further prize: the Jury Grand Prize, for which nominated narrative feature films are eligible.

 

Two additional major awards for outstanding achievement will be presented at the ceremony:

The UNESCO Award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film.

The FIAPF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film which celebrates a film practitioner from the region whose career and actions contribute strongly to the development of the film industry.

The APSA NETPAC Development Prize of US$10,000 will also be awarded to a first or second time feature filmmaker. This emerging talent prize is supported by APSA and the Griffith Film School, Griffith University.

 

-        ENDS –

 

View the full list of 2013 APSA Nominees below and at: http://www.asiapacificscreenacademy.com/2013/11/2013-asia-pacific-screen-awards-nominees/

 

IMAGES: Available for download at: http://www.asiapacificscreenacademy.com/unlisted-pages/2013-official-nominee-images/

 

FOOTAGE: Selected footage from previous APSA ceremonies available on request.

 

Media enquiries: 

Cathy Gallagher, Publicist

Mobile: +61 416 227 282 | Email: apsamedia@brisbanemarketing.com.au

Alicia Brescianini, Publicist

Mobile: +61 400 225 603 | Email: apsamedia@brisbanemarketing.com.au

Natalie Motto, Publicist

Mobile: +61 416 002 103 I Email: apsamedia@brisbanemarketing.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEVENTH ANNUAL ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS

NOMINATIONS

 

2013 APSA Nominees

 

 

Best Feature Film

 

Like Father, Like Son (Soshite chichi ni naru)

Japan

Produced by Matsuzaki Kaoru, Taguchi Hijiri 

 

Omar 

Palestine

Produced by Hany Abu-Assad, Waleed F. Zuaiter, David Gerson

 

The Past (Le Passé)

France, Italy

Produced by Alexandre Mallet-Guy

 

Television

Bangladesh

Produced by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Co-Produced by Mahboob Rahman

 

The Turning

Australia     

Produced by Robert Connolly, Maggie Miles

 

With You, Without You

Sri Lanka

Produced by Lasantha Navarathna, Mohamed Adamaly

 

 

BEST CHILDREN’S FEATURE FILM

 

Juvenile Offender (Beom-joe So-nyeon)

Republic of Korea

Produced by Park Joo-young

 

Leaving on the 15^th Spring (Tabidachi no Shima Uta - Jugo no Haru)

Japan

Produced by Yasuhiro Masaoka, Hiroshi Higa, Takeshi Sawa

 

Shopping

New Zealand

Produced by Sarah Shaw, Anna McLeish

 

Wadjda

Saudi Arabia, Germany

Produced by Roman Paul, Gerhard Meixner

Co-Producer by Amr Alkahtani

 

When I Saw You (Lamma Shoftak)

Palestine, Jordan

Producer by Ossama Bawardi

Co-Producers by Rami Yasin, Sawsan Asfari, Maya Sanbar Jamo, Tariq Al Ghussein

 

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

 

The Act of Killing

Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom

Produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen, Joram Ten Brink, Christine Cynn, Anne Köhncke, Joshua Oppenheimer, Michael Uwemedimo, anonymous Indonesian producers

Co-Produced by Torstein Grude, Bjarte Mørner Tveit, Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn

 

The Gatekeepers (Shomrei Hasaf)

Israel, France, Germany, Belgium

Produced by Dror Moreh, Estelle Fialon, Phillipa Kowarsky

Co-Producer by Anna Van der Wee

 

Menstrual Man

Singapore, India

Produced by Amit Virmani, Seah Kui Luan

 

No Burqas Behind Bars (Frihet Bakom Galler)

Sweden, Japan, Netherlands, Denmark

Produced by Maryam Ebrahimi

 

A World Not Ours (Alam Laysa Lana)

Lebanon, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Palestine

Producer by Patrick Campbell, Mahdi Fleifel

 

 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

 

The Fake (Sa-i-bi)

Republic of Korea

Produced by Cho Young-kag

 

Koo! Kin-Dza-Dza

Russian Federation

Produced by Sergey Selyanov, Leonid Yarmolnik, Yuri Kushnerev, Oleg Urushev, Konstantin Ernst

 

Patema Inverted (Sakasama no Patema)

Japan

Produced by Mikio Ono

 

The Wind Rises (Kaze Tachinu)

Japan

Produced by Toshio Suzuki

 

The World of Goopi and Bagha (Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya)

India

Produced by Children’s Film Society, India

 

 

Achievement in Directing

 

Anthony Chen for Ilo Ilo 

Singapore

 

Emir Baigazin for Harmony Lessons (Uroki Garmonii)

Kazakhstan, Germany, France

 

Hiner Saleem for My Sweet Pepperland

Iraqi Kurdistan, France, Germany

 

Hirokazu Kore-eda for Like Father, Like Son (Soshite chichi ni naru)

Japan

 

Shahram Mokri for Fish and Cat (Mahi Va Gorbeh)

Islamic Republic of Iran

 

 

BEST SCREENPLAY

 

Asghar Farhadi for The Past (Le Passé)

France, Italy 

 

Denis Osokin for Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari (Nebesnye Ženy Lugovykh Mari)

Russian Federation

 

Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Anisul Haque for Television

Bangladesh

Ritesh Batra for The Lunchbox 

India, France, Germany

 

U-Wei Bin Hajisaari for Almayer's Folly (Hanyut)

Malaysia

 

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

 

Ehab Assal for Omar

Palestine

 

Lu Yue for Back to 1942 (Yi Jiu Si Er)

People’s Republic of China

 

Mandy Walker ASC ACS for Tracks

Australia, United Kingdom

 

Murat Aliyev for The Old Man (Shal)

Kazakhstan

 

Rajeev Ravi for Monsoon Shootout

India, United Kingdom, Netherlands

 

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR

 

Aaron Pedersen in Mystery Road

Australia

 

Adam Bakri in Omar

Palestine

 

Lee Byung-hun in Masquerade

Republic of Korea

 

Tatsuya Nakadai in Japan’s Tragedy (Nippon no higeki) 

Japan

 

Yerbolat Toguzakov in The Old Man (Shal)

Kazakhstan

 

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS

 

Ayça Damgacı in Yozgat Blues 

Turkey, Germany

 

Golshifteh Farahani in My Sweet Pepperland

Iraqi Kurdistan, France, Germany

 

Negar Javaherian in The Painting Pool

Islamic Republic of Iran

 

Whirimako Black in White Lies (Tuakiri Huna)

New Zealand

 

Zhang Ziyi in The Grandmaster (Yi dai zong shi)

Hong Kong (PRC), People's Republic of China

 

 

 

Total number of Nominations for each Asia Pacific country or area:

·       Australia                                  3

·       Bangladesh                             1

·       Hong Kong (PRC)                    1

·       India                                        4

·       Iran                                          2

·       Iraqi Kurdistan                         2

·       Israel                                        1

·       Japan                                      6

·       Jordan                                     1

·       Kazakhstan                              3

·       Lebanon                                  1

·       Malaysia                                  1

·       New Zealand                           2

·       Palestine                                 5

·       People’s Republic of China     2

·       Republic of Korea                   3

·       Russian Federation                  2

·       Saudi Arabia                           1

·       Singapore                                2

·       Turkey                                      1

·       United Arab Emirates               1