Nawazuddin in Manto

12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards Nominations announced
Indian films receive 5 nominations

Brisbane, 18 October: The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), the region’s highest accolade in film, celebrating and honouring the cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the region, have unveiled the full list of nominations for the 12th edition. Films from India have received 5 nominations:

Best Performance by an Actor: Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Manto
Best Youth Feature Film: Village Rockstars
Best Documentary Feature Film: Up Down & Sideways
Achievement in Directing: Ivan AYR for Soni
Achievement in Cinematography: Saumyananda SAHI for Balekempa

This is Siddiqui’s second APSA nomination after receiving a Special Mention in this category in 2016 for Anurag Kashyap’s Raman Raghav 2.0. Back then he only just missed out to Manoj Bajpayee for his portrayal in Aligarh. At that time APSA Jury President Lord David Puttnam said the competition was so close between the actors, the International Jury had to award a Special Mention to Siddiqui.

Village Rockstars is produced and directed by Rima DAS.

Up Down & Sideways (kho ki pa lü, India) is directed by Anushka MEENAKSHI, Iswar SRIKUMAR Produced by Manas MALHOTRA.

In 2018, films from Japan and People’s Republic of China lead the tally with 7 nominations each, while films from Australia, India and Kazakhstan each received 5 nominations and Uzbekistan has received a nomination for the first time. Nominations go to a total of 46 films from 22 countries from the vast region, comprised of 70 countries and areas and responsible for half of the world’s film output.

Achievement in direction:
Nominated alongside Kore-eda for Achievement in Directing are Ivan Ayr for Soni (India) and three APSA Academy members Nadine Labaki for Capharnaüm (Lebanon), Australia’s Bruce Beresford for Ladies in Black, and Emir Baigazin for The River (Ozen; Kazakhstan, Norway, Poland).

Best performance by Actor:
Actors from five different countries will compete for the Best Performance by an Actor award: Karim Mirkhadiyev, the first ever nominee from Uzbekistan, nominated for his role in Fortitude (Sabot, Uzbekistan) is up against superstar Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Manto (India), child actor and former Syrian refugee Zain Al Rafeea for Capharnaüm (Lebanon), Bahman Farmanara for Tale of the Sea (Hekayat-e Darya; Islamic Republic of Iran) and Akylbek Abdykalykov for Night Accident (Tunku Kyrsyk; Kyrgyzstan).

Achievement in Cinematography:
The five nominees for Achievement in Cinematography are Saumyananda Sahi for Balekempa (India), APSA Academy member Zhang Miaoyan and Xu Zhiyong for Silent Mist (People’s Republic of China, France), Hideho Urata for A Land Imagined (Singapore, France, Netherlands) and two Thai cinematographers Chaiyapruek Chalermpornpanit for Malila: The Farewell Flower (Thailand) and Nawarophaat Rungphiboonsophit for Manta Ray(Kraben Rahu; Thailand, People’s Republic of China, France).

Best Youth film:
Nominated for Best Youth Feature Film is Ava (Islamic Republic of Iran, Qatar, Canada), Nervous Translation (Philippines), Passage of Life (Boku no kaeru basho; Japan, Myanmar), The Pigeon (Güvercin; Turkey) and Village Rockstars (India).

Best Documentary Feature Film:
The nominees for Best Documentary Feature Film hail from all corners of the region: Amal (Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar, France, Germany, Norway, Denmark), Gurrumul (Australia), Of Fathers and Sons (Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, Qatar, Germany), Of Love & Law (Japan, United Kingdom, France) and Up Down & Sideways (kho ki pa lü; India).

The Cultural Diversity Award:
The Cultural Diversity Award under the patronage of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) is an award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film. Nominated for this unique award that represents the shared goals of the two organisations are Ala Changso (People’s Republic of China), Balangiga: Howling Wilderness (Philippines), The Lord Eagle (Toyon Kyyl; Russian Federation), Memories of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku; Indonesia) and The Taste of Rice Flower (Mi Hua Zhi Wei; People’s Republic of China).

This year for the first time directors as nominees for the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Youth Feature Film, Best Animated Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature Film will be honored alongside the producers.

The winners of both the APSA FIAPF Award for outstanding achievement in film in the Asia Pacific region and the APSA Young Cinema Award, presented in partnership with NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) and Griffith Film School to recognise the abundant emerging talent of the Asia Pacific, will be announced ahead of the 2018 APSA ceremony, and will be presented to the winners at the event.

The APSA International Jury will also award a feature film with a Jury Grand Prize.

The 12th APSA ceremony and red carpet event will take place on Thursday 29 November in Brisbane, Australia, with nominees and special guests attending from across the region and world.

“Brisbane is a proud home to the awards and we look forward to welcoming this year’s exciting nominees. APSA is an incredibly special event for the Asia Pacific. It is our city’s great privilege to honour our region’s wonderfully-diverse stories and celebrate the filmmakers who are responsible for building the world’s fastest growing film region”, Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said.

As the ceremony continues to grow and expand, this year will see the first ever entry from Uzbekistan and an award for Best Original Score among other things, a proud Michael Hawkins, Chair of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and its Academy said.

“In its twelfth year, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards continues to grow both in size, with the addition of a new Best Original Score award, and in reach, with the first ever nomination from Uzbekistan. The film industry in our culturally diverse region is thriving, and APSA with it, with the award nominations honouring established and developing filmmaking talent from across the Asia Pacific”, Chair of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and its Academy Michael Hawkins said.

The International Juries who will determine the 2018 APSA winners will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards, based in Brisbane, are supported by Brisbane City Council and managed by economic development board Brisbane Marketing. APSA recognizes and promotes 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.

  • – Vir Rajendra

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