In celebration of the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) milestone, a new, important and relevant award achievement has been introduced – the APSA Young Cinema Award presented by NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) and Griffith Film School (GFS). This important Award addition recognises the abundant emerging talent of Asia Pacific which increases in prevalence in the APSA competition each year. The award is eligible to directors of debut or sophomore feature narrative films, with the recipient chosen from the APSA feature narrative film competition.
In its first year, 69 of the 135 films in the APSA feature narrative open Competition viewed by the APSA International Nominations Council were the work of first or second feature filmmakers. Of those 69 films, 14 were made by female directors. The recipient is selected by the NETPAC Jury drawn from the APSA International Nominations Council and was comprised of Iranian film specialist Dr Anne Démy-Geroe, leading film critic and researcher from Hong Kong (PRC), Ain Ling Wong, and APSA Film Director Maxine Williamson.
Competition has now closed for the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards with a record number of films In Competition – 303 films from 43 countries and areas of Asia Pacific.
APSA Film Director, and member of the APSA Young Cinema NETPAC Jury Maxine Williamson said “Emerging talent in Asia Pacific is incredibly strong and the quality of films we are seeing from debut and sophomore filmmakers speaks to a robust film culture in our region. It is also heartening to see the representation of women directors. Our young filmmakers are leading the way in telling the stories of their culture and it has been an exciting honour to view each and every one of these films. We have a very healthy cinematic future ahead of us with the exceptional and sometimes extraordinary debut talent we are seeing each year.”
The APSA Young Cinema Award recipient will be announced during the 10th APSA Ceremony on Thursday 24 November in Brisbane, Australia. The recipient will be presented with an APSA, an exquisite hand-made glass vessel, crafted by Brisbane artist Joanna Bone.
Chairman of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and its Academy, Michael Hawkins said “In our 10th edition, this important new Award will be presented alongside the other Award achievements. APSA values highly its industry partnerships with both NETPAC and Griffith Film School and I thank them for their ongoing support. I also congratulate NETPAC for all its done for Asian filmmakers and commend them on broadening their scope to include the Pacific in this, their 25th anniversary year.
NETPAC President Aruna Vasudev said “I am very happy that the NETPAC Award will be presented at the Awards Ceremony at APSA from now on. It will be a huge encouragement to the directors as well as recognition of the significance of the work NETPAC has been doing for the past 25 years. Thank you APSA.”
Head of Griffith Film School Herman van Eyken said “Griffith Film School is committed to the development of emerging voices in this region, and we are extremely proud to support this important Award for an outstanding filmmaker early in their career. GFS also works in partnership with the APSA Academy in the Asia Pacific Screen Lab which shares these aims for fostering and developing talent.”
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards, based in Brisbane, 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.
APSA and its Academy is committed to its ongoing partnerships with UNESCO, FIAPF, the European Film Academy (EFA), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), NETPAC (the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema), the Asia Pacific Screen Lab (APSL) and Griffith Film School.
The International Jury for the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) will consist of five eminent former APSA Jury Presidents from three continents and be headed by one of the world’s most acclaimed film makers, Academy-Award® winner Lord David Puttnam (United Kingdom, APSA 2010 Jury President), producer of Chariots of Fire and the Killing Fields, joined by APSA Patron and co-founder and current Chairman of the Busan International Film Festival Kim Dong-Ho, prolific and multi-award winning producer from Hong Kong (PRC) Nansun Shi (The Taking of Tiger Mountain; APSA 2011), Palme d’Or and Oscar®-winning Australian producer Jan Chapman (The Piano; APSA 2012), and celebrated Indian master filmmaker Shyam Benegal (APSA 2013).