BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
Alireza Aghakhani for ‘Tanha Do Bar Zendegui Mikonim’ (Before the Burial)
Islamic Republic of Iran
Alireza was born in 1966 in Tehran. He has degrees in metalurgy and Russian language and works as an interpreter. Being an actor in movies was Alireza’s dream from childhood and he adored cinema. In 2006, finally his dream came true when Behnam Behzadi saw him in a street in Tehran and asked him to do a screen test. Alireza trained for a year for this role and it is his first feature film.
Kim Yoon-suk for ‘Chugyeogja’ (The Chaser)
Republic of Korea
Born in 1968, Kim Yoon-suk started his acting career in theatre in 1990. Soon after, Kim started acting for TV and film where he showed his strong acting ability and became recognised for roles in movies such as Thank You, Life, and Be Good While We’re Together. His portrayal of the father in Like a Virgin and his role in A Happy Life were said to be unlike anything else seen on Korean screens, however, it is in The Chaser that Kim has shown the raw and sincere strength of his acting abilities via the strong, charismatic character Jung-ho.
Reza Naji for ‘Avaze Gonjeshk-Ha’ (The Song Of The Sparrows)
Islamic Republic of Iran
Born in Iran in 1942, Reza Naji is an award-winning Iranian actor and an iconic figure of Iranian cinema. Reza started his career as a teenager in theatre with his first film role in Children of Heaven in 1997. Directed by Majid Majidi, the role required an Azeri accent and Reza was chosen by Majidi from 2500 actors who tested for the role. Since then, Reza has played numerous roles in Iranian films, including Sargije (2007) and The Willow Tree (2005). The Song of the Sparrows is his latest collaboration with director Majid Majidi and has garnered Reza with the 2008 Silver Berlin Bear for Best Actor from the Berlin International Film Festival.
Simon Yam for ‘Man Jeuk’ (Sparrow)
Hong Kong
Simon Yam began his film career in 1988 and rapidly became a household name after starring in Hong Kong Gigolo (1990). Since then Yam has accumulated over 100 films to his credit, working with some of the best filmmakers in Hong Kong, including John Woo in Bullet in the Head (1990). In recent years he has also starred in a number of international productions, such as Tomb Raider 2 (2003). His performance in director Johnnie To's PTU (2003) earned him the Best Actor Award at Hong Kong's Golden Bauhinia Award, 2003. Yam continued to collaborate with To in Election (2005), Exiled (2006) and in Official Selection at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, Triangle (2007).
Rajat Kapoor for ‘The Prisoner’
India
Rajat was born in 1961 in Delhi where he did his early schooling. He studied at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) graduating in 1985 and worked with Kumar Shahani and Mani Kaul before making his first feature film, Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One. His other credits include: Raghu Romeo (2003), Mixed Doubles and Mithya. Today Rajat is recognised more for his achievements as an actor than as a director. He made his acting debut in 2001 with character roles in the films Dil Chahta Hai and Monsoon Wedding. He was recently awarded Best Actor (Indian Competition) at the 10th Asian International Film Festival 2008 for his performance in The Prisoner.