This year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) will include a non-gendered Best Performance Award in place of actor and actress categories.
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy has also expanded the definition of the region to incorporate Micronesia’s Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Melanesia’s New Caledonia, Polynesia‘s American Samoa, French Polynesia, Hawai’i, Pitcairn Islands, Rapa Nui, and Wallis and Futuna.
Academy chair Tracey Vieira said the changes were well suited to the times.
“Fostering meaningful connection across the region and beyond has never been more important,” she said.
“Doing this by sharing our cultures and experiences through screen stories is at the heart of APSA and in 2022 we strive to be ever more inclusive with the introduction of new non-gendered awards and with new countries and areas invited to become a part of this globally significant screen event.”
The 15th APSA ceremony will take place Friday, November 11 at Home of The Arts (HOTA) on the Gold Coast, alongside the 4th edition of the Asia Pacific Screen Forum and public screening program, to be held November 9-13.
Also new this year is a Best New Performer Award, honouring the lead performance of a newcomer in a first or second feature film.
Determining the nominees for the 2022 event is the APSA International Nominations Council, comprising chair Hong-Joon Kim, alongside members Gulnara Abikeyeva, Anne Démy-Geroe, Delphine Garde-Mroueh, Anderson Le, Bina Paul, and Kiki Fung.
Nominees across the youth, animation, and documentary categories will be determined by an additional International Nominations Council consisting of chair Meenakshi Shedde, Carl Joseph Papa, and Faramarz K-Rahber.
Nominees will be announced in October and winners will be determined by the soon-to-be-announced APSA International Jury.