Image: Negar Javaherian (Islamic Republic of Iran) International Jury Member 2015
Busan, Republic of Korea: Chairman of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), Michael Hawkins, today announced APSA Patron and Korean film industry legend Kim Dong-Ho as the 2015 APSA International Jury President. The announcement was made at a joint function of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and the Busan International Film Festival, of which Mr Kim is founder and Honorary Director.
Mr Kim is joined on the APSA International Jury by award-winning writer/director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (Bangladesh), distinguished director/writer/curator and Beijing Film Academy Professor, Zhang Xianmin (People’s Republic of China), leading figure of Malaysian new wave cinema, writer/director U-Wei Bin HajiSaari, and renowned Russian writer/director Alexei Popogrebsky, who represents APSA’s Academy alliance with the European Film Academy (EFA). They join previously announced juror, the internationally celebrated Iranian actress Negar Javaherian. This marks the first jury representation of Asia Pacific countries Bangladesh, Malaysia and Russia on the APSA International Jury.
The 9th Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony will be held in Brisbane, Australia’s New World City, in the historic and iconic Brisbane City Hall on Thursday 26 November.
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards are the region’s highest accolade in film, and since its inception in 2007, have enjoyed a unique collaboration with Paris-based UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and FIAPF –International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations.
The APSA UNESCO Award is determined by the APSA International Jury, and is presented annually for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of the cultural diversity through the medium of film. In previous years, the APSA International Jury has awarded the prize from all APSA-nominated films. For the first time in 2015, five films are officially acknowledged with a nomination for this prestigious prize. The nomination goes to the director and both the director and producers will be inducted into the APSA Academy acknowledging the vital work of the producers in bringing stories to the screen.
APSA UNESCO Award nominees for the 9th Asia Pacific Screen Awards are:
Director Miaoyan Zhang for A Corner of Heaven (Tiantang jiaoluo, People’s Republic of China, France) Produced by Miaoyan Zhang, Guillaume de Seille
Director Ella Manzheeva for The Gulls (Chaiky, Russian Federation) Produced by Elena Glikman, Yaroslav Zhivov
Director Senem Tüzen for Motherland (Ana Yurdu, Turkey, Greece) Produced by Olena Yershova, Adam Isenberg, Senem Tüzen, Nikos Moutselos
Director Hany Abu-Assad for The Idol (Ya Tayr El Tayer, Palestine, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Netherlands) Produced by Ali Jaafar, Amira Diab, Fadi Ismail, Baher Agbariya, Hanneke Niens, Hans de Wolf, Pim Hermeling, Maya Sanbar, Sawsan Asfari, Mohammed Hefzy
Director Stephen Page for Spear (Australia) Produced by John Harvey
Chairman of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Michael Hawkins said “It is now more than 10 years since APSA founding chairman Des Power presented the fledgling concept of the APSA film awards to UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific committee, which coincided with the historic signing of the UNESCO treaty on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Then Director-General Koichiro Matsuura spoke of APSA’s potential to promote cultural diversity and understanding among cultures, and of its role in helping to secure peace. Subsequently APSA was formally endorsed by UNESCO.”
“APSA and its Academy unites the filmmakers of Asia Pacific in a celebration of cinematic excellence while holding the promotion and protection of cultural expression at its pinnacle. It is timely, now ten years later, that we elevate the status of APSA’s prestigious UNESCO Award achievement, to distinctly honour five directors.”
“A decade after the Treaty signing and UNESCO’s endorsement of APSA, I was honoured to attend, as Chairman of APSA, the 10th Aniversary of this important treaty on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, during which, APSA’s 2014 UNESCO Award winning film, Memories on Stone (Bîranînên Li Ser Kevirî) from Iraqi Kurdistan/Germany was screened before an international audience in the main auditorium at the world headquarters of UNESCO in Paris.”
The UNESCO screening was attended by the film’s award-winning Iraqi-Kurdish writer/director, Shawkat Amin Korki, writer/producer Mehmet Aktaş, and Abbas Ghazali, also an Member of Parliament in Kurdistan, presented the film and participated in a Q&A before representatives from around the world, APSA Academy members including APSA Chairman, Michael Hawkins and member of the 2014 APSA International Jury, Palestinian writer/director/actress Hiam Abbass.
It is intended that similar screenings will occur for this year’s UNESCO winner.
Previous recipients of the UNESCO Award:
2014: Shawkat Amin Korki for Bîranînên Li Ser Kevirî (Memories On Stone) Iraqi Kurdistan/Germany
2013: Hoze Naghashi (The Painting Pool) Islamic Republic of Iran starring 2015 APSA International Jury member Negar Javaherian
2012: Warriors Of The Rainbow: Seediq Bale Taiwan
2011: Ivan Sen for Toomelah Australia
2010: Bal (Honey) Turkey/Germany
2009: Uruphong Raksasad for Sawan Baan Na (Agrarian Utopia) Thailand
2008: Tinar Islamic Republic of Iran
2007: Bikur Hatizmoret (The Band’s Visit) Israel/Egypt
The APSA International Jury will also determine the winners of Best Feature Film, Achievement in Directing, Achievement in Cinematography, Best Screenplay and Best Performance by an Actress and Actor categories. Nominees in these five categories will be announced on October 21.
The winners of the previously announced APSA Best Youth, Animation & Documentary Feature Film categories will be determined by the APSA Youth, Animation & Documentary International Jury, which is chaired by 2014 APSA UNESCO winner Shawkat Amin Korki.
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve global visions of sustainable development encompassing observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which are at the heart of UNESCO’S mission and activities.
ABOUT THE ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS & ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN ACADEMY
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards, now with a permanent home in Brisbane; Australia’s New World City, are presented by Treasury Casino & Hotel, supported by Brisbane City Council and managed by economic development board Brisbane Marketing. APSA has the privilege of a unique collaboration with Paris-based UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations, and recognises and promotes cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the world’s fastest growing film region: comprising 70 countries and areas, 4.5 billion people, and is responsible for half of the world’s film output.
All nominees, International Nominations Council and APSA International Jury members are inducted into the APSA Academy presided over by President, Australian screen Legend Dr Jack Thompson. The Academy boasts over 750 of the region’s leading filmmakers and provides exclusive networking, development and funding opportunities available to Academy members through the APSA Academy NETPAC Development Prize, the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, the APSA Academy Children’s Film Fund and Academy mentoring opportunities for the next generation of Asia Pacific filmmakers through the Asia Pacific Screen Lab. The APSA’s Academy partner, the European Film Academy shares the common interest of presenting pan-International Awards that promote and award excellence in cinema.