TELLING STORIES TOGETHER IN ASIA PACIFIC
INDUSTRY DELEGATIONS FROM AUSTRALIA, TURKEY, CHINA JOIN
APSA/BAPFF NOMINEES & GUESTS FOR CREATIVE COLLABORATION SUMMIT
9th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS – 2nd BRISBANE ASIA PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy in association with Screen Australia, supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will present the largest focused Asia Pacific screen culture event ever held in Australia, next week in Brisbane. The summit, with a major focus on creative collaborations in Asia Pacific forms part of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy’s industry networking events in the lead up to the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) on November 26.
Titled Telling Stories Together in Asia Pacific, the summit will bring together the 40-strong members of three film industry delegations from Australia, Turkey, People’s Republic of China with some 100 APSA nominees, International Jury members and APSA Academy members, joined by Queensland filmmakers, and representatives from APSA partners Griffith Film School and the Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) Asia Pacific arm.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk welcomed the announcement and said “Brisbane has played host to many major international events in recent times, from the G20 and the Global Café to the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial currently happening across the city. I am thrilled to welcome the more than 100 representatives and delegates from the film industries of Asia Pacific and beyond, to this important and exciting networking event in our New World City.”
The Australian Delegation will comprise representatives of the Australian Directors Guild (ADG), the Australian Writers Guild (AWG) and the Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA). SPAA, a member organisation of APSA founding partner FIAPF – International Federation of Film Producers Associations, has been actively involved with the APSAs since their inaugural year in 2007, and has constituted an important part of APSA’s journey.
The ADG delegation consists of directors Nadia Tass (Malcolm), Pauline Chan (33 Postcards), Amiel Courtin-Wilson (Bastardy, Ruin), Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket) and James Lingwood (From the Dragon’s Mouth). The Australian Writers Guild is represented by Barbara Connell and Warren Coleman (Happy Feet). SPAA members and producers attending are Owen Johnson (Crow Films), Brian Rosen (SixtyFourSixtyFilms / Flying Bark Productions), Barbara Stephens (Flying Bark Productions & APSA Nominee for Blinky Bill: The Movie) and Cindy Li (JIA Films).
Head of Business and Audience Screen Australia, Richard Harris said, “APSA brings together extraordinary delegations from across the Asia Pacific. This is an exceptional opportunity for this select group of Australian directors, writers and producers to meet with these creatives, and work towards creative collaborations”.
CEO of the Australian Directors Guild, Kingston Anderson said “This is a unique opportunity for Australian writers, directors and producers to meet their colleagues form the Asia Pacific region and start a dialogue about creating stories that can cross our regions and enrich our cultures.”
Chairman of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and its Academy Michael Hawkins said “One of the great strengths of the APSA Academy is its ability to bring together its members, to foster collaborations and promote creative partnerships. In 2015 we bring together this year’s Academy inductees with the many delegations from the region, including directors, writers and producers, with the intended result being finding stories to tell. This initiative has infinite potential and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy is thrilled to host it in Brisbane.”
A major event in the schedule is the Turkish Waves reception, hosted by the Turkish Government’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The reception, similar to the Turkish event held annually at the A-list film festivals Cannes, Berlin and Venice, is part of the Turkish Waves Turkish cultural events across both the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards which sees a large contingent of Turkish filmmakers coming to Brisbane.
Celebrating the rich and diverse arts and culture of Turkey, Turkish Waves will also include musical performances, festival panel discussions, curated and programmed by Turkish producer and APSA Academy member Zeynep Özbatur Atakan (Producer of the 2014 Cannes Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep) and will feature a screening program of some of the most significant Turkish films of the last five decades and a specially-produced limited edition cinema programme booklet.
The summit is the result of discussions held at an event hosted by Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and the Brisbane City Council’s economic development board Brisbane Marketing, earlier this year in Sydney, where members of the Australian screen industry including Screen Australia, SPAA, ADG, the Motion Picture Association, APSA Academy members and local screen industry spoke about the importance of encouraging and supporting co-productions and collaborations in this region.
Set over the three days of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy networking events leading up to the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the summit’s schedule includes sessions daily commencing Tuesday 24 November, and concluding on Thursday 26 November, ahead of the delegates attending the Asia Pacific Screen Awards Ceremony that evening.
ABOUT THE ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS & ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN ACADEMY
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards are the region’s highest accolade in film, and now in its 9th edition, the nominees represent 39 films from 22 countries and areas of Asia Pacific.
The 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 Jack Thompson. The Academy boasts over 870 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.
WATCH THE CEREMONY WEBCAST LIVE on Thursday, 26 November 2015 from 19.00 (AEST) at: www.asiapacificscreenacademy.com
MEDIA ACCREDITATION
APSA welcomes applications for accreditation from national and international media for BAPFF, APSA Red Carpet arrivals, APSA Awards Ceremony and for the week of activities.
To apply for media accreditation CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE to view the full list of 2015 APSA nominations