ELEVEN NATIONAL FILM SECTORS RECOGNISED IN APSA 2018 HONOURS

The 12^th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) ceremony proved a true celebration of cinema from the region, with awards being bestowed upon films from Australia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Singapore and Turkey. The gala ceremony, held in the main room of the The Brisbane Exhibition & Convention Centre, was hosted by New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis (Once Were Warriors; Whale Rider, The Meg) and Australian television personality Sofie Formica (pictured, below).

Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku) can now add an APSA to its list of growing international trophies after winning the Best Film honour. Having earned the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or in May and already slated as Japan’s official entry in the Best Foreign Film Oscar race, the prolific filmmaker’s family drama is proving to be one of the most warmly received films in a career filled with critical and commercial hits. The film’s producer Taguchi Hijiri accepted the award on his director’s behalf.

APSA International Jury President Alexander Rodnyansky, Russian producer of 2014 APSA Best Feature Film winner Leviathan, said, “We have had the great fortune to be presented with a unique line up of films that represent the different countries, cultures and talents of our region. I have discovered new worlds by watching them.” On the Best Film winner, he declared, “Shoplifters turns an intimate story about an unusual family into a metaphorical social analysis that is relevant not only for Japan, but everywhere.”

Rodnyansky (second from left) oversaw a jury that included (from left) Chilean actress Antonia Zegers, Indonesian director Nia Dinata, Nepalese filmmaker Deepak Rauniyar and Georgian producer Vladimer Katcharava. They awarded this year’s Grand Jury Prize to Lee Joon-dong and Lee Chang-dong for Burning (Republic of Korea), winner of the Cannes FIPRESCI Prize in 2018. The Korean filmmaking team is popular with APSA judges, having previously earned four awards. The unmistakable trophies, designed by Brisbane artist Joanna Bone, feature prominently in the apartment of star Steven Yuen in a scene from Burning.

The Cultural Diversity Award under the Patronage of UNESCO was awarded to Garin Nugroho and Ifa Isfansyah for Memories of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku; pictured, right) from Indonesia and accepted on the night by lead actor Muhummad Khan. Nugroho will now present a screening of the film on December 15 in Paris at UNESCO Headquarters as part of the Intergovernmental Committee meeting on the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

In one of the evening's most moving moments, Indian actress-turned-filmmaker Nandita Das was awarded the FIAPF Award for Achievement in Film in the Asia Pacific Region. In her acceptance speech, the passionate advocate for civil liberties and human rights cited her early work in Deepa Mehta's lesbian romance Fire, a film that changed the landscape of Indian cinema 22 years ago and which still inspires her today. Her latest work, Manto, a biographical account of writer Saadat Hasan Manto's life in 1940s India, earned her leading man Nawazuddin Siddiqi the Best Actor APSA trophy.

The Australian sector was recognized in the Best Documentary Feature Film category, where director Paul Damien Williams and producer Shannon Swan were honoured for Gurrumul, the first win for Australia in this category at APSA. Also recognised were Hildur Guðnadóttir and the late Jóhann Jóhannsson for Mary Magdalene, director Garth Davies’ UK/Australian co-production. Legendary musician and chair of the Music in Film jury, Ryuichi Sakamoto said of the winning film, “Mary Magdalene’s soundtrack is a meticulous work of art by the composers. The quality of craftsmanship and the depth of emotions are overwhelming.”

The full list of 2018 Asia Pacific Screen Award winners:

BEST FEATURE FILM:
Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku; Japan) Kore-eda Hirokazu, Matsuzaki Kaoru, Yose Akihiko, Taguchi Hijiri

JURY GRAND PRIZE:
Burning (Republic of Korea) 
Lee Joon-dong, Lee Chang-dong

CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARD UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF UNESCO: Memories of My Body (Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku; Indonesia)
 Garin Nugroho, Ifa Isfansyah

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING:
Nadine Labaki for Capharnaüm (Lebanon)

SPECIAL MENTION FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING: Ivan Ayr for Soni (India)

BEST SCREENPLAY:
Dan Kleinman, Sameh Zoabi for Tel Aviv on Fire (Israel, Belgium, France, Luxembourg)

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Hideho Urata for A Land Imagined (Singapore, France, Netherlands)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR: Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Manto (India)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS:
Zhao Tao for Ash is Purest White (Jiang hu er nv; People’s Republic of China, France)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Hildur Guðnadóttir, Jóhann Jóhannsson for Mary Magdalene (Australia, UK)

BEST YOUTH FEATURE FILM: The Pigeon (Güvercin) Banu Savıcı, Mesut Ulutaş (Turkey)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Rezo (Znaesh’ mama, gde ya byl) (Russian Federation) Leo Gabriadze, Timur Bekmambetov

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM: Gurrumul (Australia)
Paul Damien Williams, Shannon Swan

YOUNG CINEMA AWARD:
Yeo Siew Hua for A Land Imagined (Singapore, France, Netherlands)

FIAPF Award for Achievement in Film in the Asia Pacific Region: Nandita Das (India) 

MPA APSA ACADEMY FILM FUND Recipients:

Producer Ifa Isfansyah, director Kamila Andini (Indonesia) for Yuni;

Producer Olga Khlasheva, director Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Kazakhstan) for Hell is Empty and All The Devils Are Here;

Producer Mai Meksawan, director Uruphong Raksasad (Thailand) for Worship;

Director, producer, screenwriter Semih Kaplanoglu (Turkey) for Asli.

APSA ACADEMY BO AI FILM FUND Recipient:

Director Feras Fayyad (Syria) for feature documentary The Cave

ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN LAB Recipients:

Sherwan Haki (Syria)
Taro Imai (Japan)
Khanjan Koshore Nath (India)