[Press Release by TM Publicity]
Men Jeuk (Sparrow, Hong Kong), Om Shanti Om (India), Tulpan (Kazakhstan/Russia/ Switzerland/Poland/Germany), Uc maymun (Three Monkeys, Turkey/France/Italy) and Hong Se Kang Bai Yin (The Red Awn, The People’s Republic of China) will vie for Best Feature Film in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards to be announced on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, on November 11.
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (the APSAs) – the region’s highest accolade in film in 2008 – has announced nominees in nine Award categories representing 33 films from 17 countries and areas of the Asia-Pacific region. They are Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Lebanon, Qatar, New Zealand, People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
Johnnie To’s Men Jeuk (Sparrow) has received four nominations – Best Feature Film, Achievement in Directing, Achievement in Cinematography and Best Performance by an Actor. Uc maymun (Three Monkeys), directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, has received three nominations.
Australian film The Black Balloon has been nominated for Best Children’s Feature Film.
“The nominees were determined from more than 180 films from 43 countries and areas entered in these, the second APSAs. We are greatly encouraged by the response from filmmakers from Asia-Pacific in our mission to acclaim their work and promote it to an international audience. Once again, the nominees showcase the tremendous talent and creativity that exists in the burgeoning film industries of the region,” said APSA Chairman Des Power.
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards – the APSAs – is a collaboration with CNN International, UNESCO and FIAPF – International Federation of Film Producers Associations and is an international cultural initiative to acclaim films that best reflect their cultural origins and demonstrate cinematic excellence.
In the run-up to the 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, CNN International is to feature the power and reach of Asia-Pacific cinema in four half-hour Scene By Scene documentaries airing the weekends of October 4th ,11th, 18th and Nov 1st. The programs, hosted by Anjali Rao, feature the region’s directors, producers and stars talking about the political, religious and cultural challenges they face. A fifth program airs the weekend of November 15th and focuses on the Awards ceremony, including interviews with some of the winners.
The nominees in the 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards are:
BEST FEATURE FILM
Hong Se Kang Bai Yin (The Red Awn)
Produced by Li Xudong, Lin Nianxiu, Sun Xiaoxi, Wang Shunsheng, Chen Weidong (People’s Republic of China)
Men Jeuk (Sparrow)
Produced by Johnnie To (Hong Kong)
Om Shanti Om
Produced by Gauri Khan (India)
Tulpan
Produced by Gulnara Sarsenova, Karl Baumgartner, Valerie Fischer, Bulat Galimgereyev, Sergey Melkumov, Sergey Selyanov, Elena Yatsura, Henryk Romanowski, Thanassis Karathanos, Raimond Goebel (Kazakhstan/Russia/ Switzerland/Poland/Germany)
Uc maymun (Three Monkeys)
Produced by Zeynep Özbatur, Fabienne Vonier, Valerio De Paolis, Cemal Noyan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey/France/Italy)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Byul-byul Yi-ya-gi 2: Yeo-seot-bit-ggal Mu-ji-gae (If You Were Me: Anima Vision 2)
Produced by Nam Kyu-sun (Republic of Korea)
Stranger Mukoh Hadan (Sword of the Stranger)
Produced by Masahiko Minami (Japan)
Vals im Bashir (Waltz with Bashir)
Produced by Yael Nahlieli, Ari Folman, Serge Lalou, Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul, Theirry Garrel, Pierette Ominetti (Israel/France/Germany)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
33 Yaoum (33 Days)
Produced by Mai Masri, Mohammad Belhaj, Jean Chamoun (Lebanon/Qatar)
Ggeutnaji Anhmeun Jeon Jaeng (63 Years On)
Produced by Lee SeungGu (Republic of Korea)
Kantata Takwa
Produced by Setiawan Djody, Erros Djarot, Gotot Prakosa (Indonesia)
Rain of the Children
Produced by Vincent Ward, Marg Slater, Tainui Stephens, Kero Nancy Tait (New Zealand)
Tinar
Produced by Mahdi Moniri (Islamic Republic of Iran)
BEST CHILDREN’S FEATURE FILM
The Black Balloon
Produced by Tristram Miall (Australia), Sally Ayre-Smith, Elissa Down, Jimmy Jack, Mark Turnbull
Mahek
Produced by Children’s Film Society, India (India)
Pisay (Philippine Science)
Produced by Auraeus Solito Jr, Endi Balbuena and Paul Morales, Linda Cordova, Erwin Navarro (Philippines)
Siri Raja Siri (King Siri)
Produced by Renuka Balasooriya, Somaratne Dissanayake (Sri Lanka)
Taare Zameen Par
Produced by Aamir Khan, Ajay Bijli, Sanjeev K Bijli (India)
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
Kim Jee-woon for Joheunnon nabbeunnom isanghannom (The Good, The Bad, The Weird, Republic of Korea)
Johnnie To for Men Jeuk (Sparrow, Hong Kong)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa for Tokyo Sonata (Japan/The Netherlands/Hong Kong)
Sergey Dvortsevoy for Tulpan (Kazakhstan/Russia/Switzerland-Poland-Germany)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan for Uc maymun (Three Monkeys, Turkey/France/Italy)
BEST SCREENPLAY
Hong Sang-soo for Bam guan at (Night and Day, Republic of Korea)
Suha Arraf and Eran Riklis for Etz Limon (Lemon Tree, Israel/France/Germany)
Dervis Zaim for Nokta (Dot,Turkey)
Behnam Behzadi for Tanha do bar zendegui mikonim (Before the Burial, Islamic Republic of Iran)
Max Mannix, Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Sachiko Tanaka for Tokyo Sonata (Japan/The Netherlands/Hong Kong)
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Lee Mogae for Joheunnon nabbeunnom isanghannom (The Good, The Bad, The Weird, Republic of Korea)
Kiiran Deohans for Jodhaa Akbar (India)
Cheng Siu-keung for Men Jeuk (Sparrow, Hong Kong)
Oleg Kirichenko for Rusalka (Mermaid, Russian Federation)
Gökhan Tiryaki for Uc maymun (Three Monkeys, Turkey/France/Italy)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
Omarbekova Nesipkul for Baksy (Native Dancer, Kazakhstan/Russian Federation/France/Germany)
Hiam Abbass for Etz Limon (Lemon Tree, Israel/France/Germany)
Akie Namiki for Jitsuroku Rengo Sekigun: Asama Sanso Eno Michi (United Red Army, Japan)
Miao Pu for Ying Tao (Cherries, People’s Republic of China)
Daria Moroz for Zhivi I pomni (Live and Remember, Russian Federation)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
Reza Naji for Avaze Gonjeshk-ha (The Song of Sparrows, Islamic Republic of Iran)
Kim Yoon-suk for Chugyeogja (The Chaser, Republic of Korea)
Simon Yam for Men Jeuk (Sparrow, Hong Kong)
Rajat Kapoor for The Prisoner (India)
Alireza Aghakhani for Tanha do bar zendegui mikonim (Before the Burial, Islamic Republic of Iran)
In addition, three major awards will be presented for outstanding achievement.
FIAPF Award
The FIAPF – International Federation of Film Producers Associations will determine the winner of the award for outstanding achievement in film in the Asia-Pacific region.
UNESCO Award*
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film.
Jury Grand Prize*
The Jury can, at its discretion, present a further award – the Jury Grand Prize.
*Nominees and nominated films from all award categories are eligible for these prizes to be decided by the APSA Jury.