Acclaim for 38 films from 25 Asia Pacific countries and areas
Nominees Best Feature Film
Nominations for the 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) were revealed today with nods for 38 films from 25 Asia Pacific countries and areas. Winners will be announced on Thursday 11 November at the 14th APSA Ceremony on Australia’s spectacular Gold Coast, and streamed across the globe.
Drawn from the world’s fastest growing film region encompassing 70 countries and areas, and representing half the world’s film output, the APSAs set a high bar for celebration of cultural diversity and cinematic excellence.
Two films, both winners at Cannes this year, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car and Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero (Ghahreman), achieved the most nominations, with both films up for the same four categories – Best Feature Film, Achievement in Directing, Best Screenplay and Best Performance by an Actor.
Another Cannes winner, Payal Kapadia’s breakthrough A Night of Knowing Nothing (India) is also nominated for Best Feature Film, as is Russian director Natalya Nazarova’s The Pencil (Prostoy karandash) and Iranian Mohammad Rasoulof’s Golden Bear winner There is No Evil (Sheytan vojud nadarad).
Given the impact of COVID-19 on the region, the eligibility of films in competition this year was extended back to the end of 2019, increasing the field and calibre of competition significantly.
Best Youth Feature Film award features three emerging women directors with their debut or second features nominated. They are Yoon Dan-bi for Moving On (Nam-mae-wui Yeo-reum-bam, Republic of Korea), Granaz Moussavi’s When Pomegranates Howl (Afghanistan, Australia, Netherlands, Iran) and Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen’s Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, who follows in the footsteps of Haifaa al-Mansour, the first Saudi woman filmmaker who was nominated in this category in 2013.
Completing the nominations for Best Youth Feature Film are Ferit Karahan’s Brother’s Keeper (Okul Tıraşı, Turkey, Romania) and Nobuhiro Suwa’s Voices in the Wind (Kaze no Denwa, Japan) which also features Drive My Car Best Actor nominee Hidetoshi Nishijima.
Best Animated Feature Film offers a diverse selection of themes, cultures and disciplines of animation amongst the five nominees: Bashir El Deek and Ibrahim Mousa’s The Knight and The Princess (Saudi Arabia, Egypt), Beauty Water (Gigigoegoe Seonghyeongsu, Republic of Korea), Ayumu Watanabe’s Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (Gyoko no Nikuko-chan, Japan), Andrey Khrzhanovsky’s The Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks (Nos ili zagovor netakikh, Russian Federation) and Ari Folman’s Where is Anne Frank (Belgium).
As always, the Best Documentary Feature Film nominations represent some of the most important stories of Asia Pacific, and often made in the most difficult circumstances. The nominees in 2021 are Vitaly Mansky’s Gorbachev. Heaven (Latvia, Czech Republic), Eliane Raheb’s Miguel’s War (Aanaf Hob, Lebanon, Spain, Germany), Hogir Hirori’s Sabaya (Sweden), Mohammed Abugeth and Daniel Carsenty’s The Devil’s Drivers (Lebanon, Qatar, France, Germany) and finally Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s Writing With Fire (India).
Nominations for Achievement in Directing, Best Screenplay, Achievement in Cinematography and Best Performance categories for Actress and Actor follow in the list below. The winners will be determined by the APSA International Jury, who will be announced in the coming weeks.
Winners will also be announced in APSA’s three special categories, the Cultural Diversity Award under the patronage of UNESCO, the Young Cinema Award in partnership with NETPAC and GFS, and the FIAPF Award for Contribution to Asia Pacific Cinema.
The APSA Ceremony will include the annual announcement of recipients of the four MPA APSA Academy Film Fund grants for 2021.
The 25 Asia Pacific countries and areas represented in the nominees are Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and, for the first time, Vietnam.
The APSA Ceremony on November 11 will also launch the 3rd Asia Pacific Screen Forum, an action-packed six-day program of industry-led networking opportunities, designed to facilitate relationships and collaborations between filmmakers across Asia Pacific. Like the ceremony, the forum will take place both in-person and virtually, with many nominees and APSA Academy Members participating from around the globe.
The 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards and 3rd Asia Pacific Screen Forum are presented by the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, with the support of the City Of Gold Coast, Screen Queensland, Netflix, Motion Picture Association, Griffith University Griffith Film School.
Quotes attributable to:
Chair of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy Tracey Vieira:
“The Asia Pacific Screen Academy is incredibly proud to present the 14th Awards Ceremony in 2021 with the full complement of Award categories, our special awards in collaboration with founding partners UNESCO and FIAPF, and the Academy-specific initiatives with the MPA and APSL.
APSA continues to identify, support and amplify the careers of emerging storytellers throughout Asia Pacific, with 18 of the 38 nominated films by first or second feature directors, and the annual presentation of the Young Cinema Award in partnership with NETPAC and GFS.
And perhaps most importantly, APSA continues to honour and respect the many cultures of this richly diverse region as represented through cinematic excellence.
In 2021, the APSA International Nominations Council considered films in APSA competition from 43 Asia Pacific countries and areas, and we are thrilled to see the first nomination for a film from Vietnam with cinematographer Nguyễn Vinh Phúc nominated for his work in LÊ Bảo’s Taste (Vị).
My sincere thanks to the 2021 APSA International Nominations Council, headed once again by the eminent Professor Hong-Joon Kim for your outstanding work with this most difficult task.”
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate:
“As Mayor, I’ve replaced the red carpet with a gold carpet as we roll out the welcome mat for these awards and the amazing talent that supports the industry.’’
“The Asia Pacific Screen Forum underscores our city’s commitment to this global industry.”
Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich:
“Each year, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards shines a light on inspirational talent from the region, including Queensland’s diverse and creative local content creators. As host for the Awards and the Forum, our state is positioned as an important screen hub for the wider Asia Pacific region. Screen Queensland is proud of our ongoing support of the event, which allows Queensland practitioners to connect and collaborate with industry counterparts from across the Asia Pacific.”
14th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS – FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS
BEST FEATURE FILM
A Hero (Ghahreman)
Islamic Republic of Iran, France
Directed by Asghar FARHADI
Produced by Asghar FARHADI, Alexandre MALLET-GUY
A Night of Knowing Nothing
India, France
Directed by Payal KAPADIA
Produced by Thomas HAKIM, Julien GRAFF, Ranabir DAS
Drive My Car
Japan
Directed by Ryusuke HAMAGUCHI
Produced by Teruhisa YAMAMOTO
The Pencil (Prostoy karandash)
Russian Federation
Directed by Natalya NAZAROVA
Produced by Maxim DASHKIN, Anna VON DZIEMBOWSKA, Boris FRUMIN, Danil FERBIKOV, Denis KOVALEVSKIY
There is No Evil (Sheytan vojud nadarad)
Islamic Republic of Iran, Czech Republic, Germany
Directed by Mohammad RASOULOF
Produced by Mohammad RASOULOF, Kaveh FARNAM, Farzad PAK
BEST YOUTH FEATURE FILM
Brother’s Keeper (Okul Tıraşı)
Turkey, Romania
Directed by Ferit KARAHAN
Produced by Kanat DOĞRAMACI
Moving On (Nam-mae-wui Yeo-reum-bam)
Republic of Korea
Directed by YOON Dan-bi
Produced by YOON Dan-bi, KIM Gi-hyeon
Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr)
Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia
Directed by Shahad AMEEN
Produced by R Paul MILLER, Stephen STRACHAN, Rula NASSER
Voices in the Wind (Kaze no Denwa)
Japan
Directed by Nobuhiro SUWA
Produced by Eiji IZUMI
When Pomegranates Howl
Afghanistan, Australia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Netherlands
Directed by Granaz MOUSSAVI
Produced by Granaz MOUSSAVI, Baheer WARDAK, Marzieh VAFAMEHR, Christine WILLIAMS
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Beauty Water (Gigigoegoe Seonghyeongsu)
Republic of Korea
Directed by CHO Kyung-hun
Produced by JEON Byung-jin
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (Gyoko no Nikuko-chan)
Japan
Directed by Ayumu WATANABE
Produced by Sanma AKASHIYA, Eiko TANAKA, Shu KAMIGASO, Mitsugu YAMADA
The Knight and The Princess
Saudi Arabia, Egypt
Directed by Bashir EL DEEK, Ibrahim MOUSA
Produced by Alabbas BIN ALABBAS
The Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks (Nos ili zagovor netakikh)
Russian Federation
Directed by Andrey KHRZHANOVSKY
Produced by Andrey KHRZHANOVSKY
Where is Anne Frank
Belgium
Directed by Ari FOLMAN
Produced by Jani THILTGES, Yves KUGELMANN, Ari FOLMAN, Alexander RODNYANSKY
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Gorbachev. Heaven
Latvia, Czech Republic
Directed by Vitaly MANSKY
Produced by Natalia MANSKAIA, Filip REMUNDA, Vít KLUSÁK
Miguel’s War (Aanaf Hob)
Lebanon, Spain, Germany
Directed by Eliane RAHEB
Produced by Eliane RAHEB
Sabaya
Sweden
Directed by Hogir HIRORI
Produced by Antonio RUSSO MERENDA, Hogir HIRORI
The Devil’s Drivers
Lebanon, Qatar, France, Germany
Directed by Mohammed ABUGETH, Daniel CARSENTY
Produced by Daniel CARSENTY, Felix BLUM
Writing With Fire
India
Directed by Rintu THOMAS, Sushmit GHOSH
Produced by Sushmit GHOSH, Rintu THOMAS
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
Asghar FARHADI for A Hero (Ghahreman)
Islamic Republic of Iran, France
Dea KULUMBEGASHVILI for Beginning (Dasatskisi)
Georgia, France
Ryusuke HAMAGUCHI for Drive My Car
Japan
P S VINOTHRAJ for Pebbles (Koozhangal)
India
Kamila ANDINI for Yuni
Indonesia, Singapore, France
BEST SCREENPLAY
Asghar FARHADI for A Hero (Ghahreman)
Islamic Republic of Iran
Nasim AHMADPOUR, Shahram MOKRI for Careless Crime (Jenayat-e bi deghat)
Islamic Republic of Iran
Ryusuke HAMAGUCHI, OE Takamasa for Drive My Car
Japan
Dana IDISIS for Here We Are (Hine Anachnu)
Israel, Italy
Asif RUSTAMOV, Roelof Jan MINNEBOO, Ilgar NAJAF for Sughra’s Sons
Azerbaijan, France, Germany
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
FENG Yuchao Robbin for A New Old Play (Jiao ma tang hui)
Hong Kong, France
Phuttiphong AROONPHENG for Anatomy of Time (Wela)
Thailand, Singapore, France, Netherlands
Vignesh KUMULAI, Che PARTHIBAN for Pebbles (Koozhangal)
India
NGUYỄN Vinh Phúc for Taste (Vị)
Vietnam, Singapore, France, Thailand, Germany
Akiko ASHIZAWA for Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas)
Indonesia, Singapore, Germany
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
Alena YIV for Asia
Israel
Azmeri HAQUE BADHON for Rehana (Rehana Maryam Noor)
Bangladesh, Qatar, Singapore
Valentina ROMANOVA-CHYSKYYRAY for Scarecrow (Pugalo)
Russian Federation
Leah PURCELL for The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson
Australia
Essie DAVIS for The Justice of Bunny King
New Zealand
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
Amir JADIDI for A Hero (Ghahreman)
Islamic Republic of Iran, France
Levan TEDIASHVILI for Brighton 4th
Georgia, Russian Federation, Bulgaria, Monaco, United States of America
Hidetoshi NISHIJIMA for Drive My Car
Japan
Merab NINIDZE for House Arrest (Delo)
Russian Federation
Caleb LANDRY JONES for Nitram
Australia
Further Awards to be announced
CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARD UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF UNESCO
YOUNG CINEMA AWARD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NETPAC AND GFS
The Young Cinema Award in partnership with NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) and Griffith Film School (GFS) recognises the abundant emerging talent of the Asia Pacific.
FIAPF AWARD
Determined by FIAPF–International Federation of Film Producers Associations for outstanding achievement in film in the Asia Pacific region.
MPA APSA Academy Film Fund Recipients x 4
ABOUT THE ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN ACADEMY & ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS
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 70 countries and areas, 4.5 billion people, and responsible for half of the world’s film output.
APSA and its Academy is committed to its ongoing global partnerships with UNESCO, FIAPF, the European Film Academy (EFA), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), Premios Platino del Cine Iberoamericano, NETPAC (the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema), the Asia Pacific Screen Lab (APSL) and Griffith Film School.
All APSA nominees, Nominations Councils Jury members are inducted into the prestigious APSA Academy presided over by Australian screen legend Jack Thompson AM PhD. The Academy boasts over 1,300 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
ABOUT THE ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN FORUM
Launched in 2019, the Asia Pacific Screen Forum presents an action-packed program of industry-led networking opportunities, designed to facilitate relationships and collaborations between filmmakers across Asia Pacific. Providing fertile creative ground for APSA nominees and guests to strengthen their connections, the program is open to all industry professionals, providing an unprecedented opportunity to meet and learn from filmmakers from right across the region.
In 2021 the Forum will inspire new connections and models of filmmaking under the theme The Influence of Production on Story. This topic will be explored through a series panel discussion and interactive case studies. The forum will also feature in-conversations, screenings, roundtable discussions and one-on-one meetings and mentorships across Asia Pacific.
The Asia Pacific Screen Forum Steering Committee is crafting a diverse and accessible program with industry at its core. Facilitated by Tracey Vieira, Chair of the APSA Academy and Chief Content Officer of Emmy™ Award production house Hoodlum the Committee is comprised of Loani Arman (Australia), Jo Dillon (Australia), Stephen Jenner (Singapore), Bali Padda (Australia), Bina Paul (India), Debra Richards (Australia), Bain Stewart (Australia), Pearl Tan (Australia), Lorna Tee (Malaysia), Herman Van Eyken (Australia), Jaclyn McLendon (Australia).
MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Cathy Gallagher + 61 (0) 416 227 282 / [email protected]
Georgina Stegman +61 (0) 415 622 213 / [email protected]
MATERIALS FOR MEDIA:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gy8n2d0jc675w4p/AADsSV5TvqFVmoFD7AXETlJHa?dl=0
Clips available on request