‘We Are Little Zombies’.
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has revealed the nine films that will compete for this year’s Best Asian Film Award.
This is the third year AACTA has presented the award, which forms the foundation for the organisation’s Asia International Engagement Program. The award is designed to honour the finest films of the past year from 19 Asian regions, reflecting the popularity and importance of Asian films in Australia.
The nominees are: Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun (India); Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (India); Cathy Garcia-Molina’s Hello Love Goodbye (Philippines); Jiao Zi’s Ne Zha (China); Bong Joon-Ho’s Palme D’Or winning Parasite (South Korea); Zhang Yimou’s Shadow (China); Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s Super Deluxe (India); Frant Gwo’s The Wandering Earth (China) and Makoto Nagahisa’s We Are Little Zombies (Japan).
The long list of films in competition was reviewed and judged by three pre-selection committees. Each of assessed a specific region – Chinese speaking territories, India and another committee that encompassed South Korea, Japan and other Asian territories. In accordance with their knowledge and experience, each of the committees determined three clear nominees from their allocated regions.
The winner will be determined by the Grand Jury, led by Russell Crowe, who returns as Jury President. Other returning jurors include Australian director and producer Paul Currie (Hacksaw Ridge, Bleeding Steel, The Longest Shot); director, producer and screenwriter Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Skiptrace); and Japanese producer Adam Torel (Gesu No AI, Tezuka’s Barbara). They will be joined by new Grand Jury members: Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee (Lion, Brick Lane, Shadows of Time, Bibar); Indian director, producer and writer Anurag Kashyap (Dabba, Gangs Of Wasseypur, Udaan); Chinese producer Virginia Lok (Line Walker, Flying Tiger); and Chinese actress Chloe Maayan (Sam Foo, Three Husbands, Bitter Flowers).
“It is exciting to see such exceedingly high standard of quality filmmaking from the nominees for the Best Asian Film Award,” said AFI | AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella.
“There is a fast-growing interest in Asian film, both here in Australia and abroad. It is wonderful to see how responsive Australian audiences are to the films crafted by our neighbouring Asian film industries, which continue to inspire us in our own work.”
“Asia now represents more than 50 per cent of the world’s population, so we are very excited to see such a high calibre of films showcasing stories from the region,” said EIG Chairman Kelvin Dong. “As the presenting partner for the Best Asian Film Award, we are proud to join AACTA in celebrating film excellence in Asia and we congratulate all of the nominated films.”
The winner of the Award will be announced in Sydney at the 2019 AACTA Awards Ceremony presented by Foxtel on Wednesday 4 December 2019.
Previously winners of the Best Asian Film Award are Muye Wen’s Dying to Survive and Nitesh Tiwari’s Dangal.
AACTA Award winners will be announced during the The Industry Luncheon on December 2, followed by the AACTA Awards Ceremony & Official After Party December 4.