The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) congratulates the six films, nominated in last year’s inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards, which have been selected to screen at the 2008 St. George Bank Brisbane International Film Festival (July 31 – August 10, 2008).
Secret Sunshine, produced by Kim In-soo, Lee Chang-dong and Hanna Lee, won the Best Feature Film Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2007 and its lead actress Jeon Do-yeon won the Best Performance by an Actress Award. The film’s director Lee Chang-dong also received nominations for Achievement in Directing and Best Screenplay.
Caramel, produced by Anne-Dominique Toussaint, Hadeel Kamel and Raphaël Berdugo, was nominated for Best Feature Film, director Nadine Labaki was nominated for the Achievement in Directing Award and its ensemble cast received a Best Performance by an Actress nomination for its ensemble cast.
Denias, Singing on the Cloud, produced by Ari Sihasale, won the Best Children’s Feature Film category.
Peng Tao (Little Moth) and Zhanna Issabayeva (Karoy) both received nominations for Best Achievement in Directing and Fei Zhao, Mark Ping-bin Lee and Tao Yang (The Sun also Rises) were nominated for Achievement in Cinematography.
“A significant ambition of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards is to promote Asia-Pacific cinema and to develop international audiences for the works of the outstanding filmmakers of the region. We are delighted that the Brisbane International Film Festival shares our passion for cinema from the region and particularly proud that a number of films which featured prominently in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards last year have been invited to screen at the Festival this year,” said Des Power, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Mr Power also noted that three films nominated in the Awards in 2007 will have cinema releases in Australia this year. Mongol and The Band’s Visit are currently screening in cinemas with Caramel to be released later this year.
The Band’s Visit,winner of the UNESCO Award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, recently became the first Israeli film to be screened in Egypt since the two countries signed a peace deal nearly 30 years ago.
“The screening of The Band’s Visit in Egypt exemplifies one of the objectives of APSA – breaking down the barriers and bringing cultures together through film, even historically warring, hostile ones,” Mr Power said.
The 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards will be presented on November 11 at a ceremony on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is a collaboration with CNN International, UNESCO and FIAPF- International Federation of Film Producers Associations – to acclaim films that best reflect their cultural origins and cinematic excellence.
APSA is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Queensland Events Corporation.