Australian film takes top honours at apsa 2009

Australian film Samson & Delilah won the Best Feature Film award at the third annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA). Produced by Kath Shelper and written and directed by Warwick Thornton, Samson & Delilah previously won the Camera d’Or prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and six major awards at the recent Inside Film Awards in Australia.

The awards were presented at a glittering ceremony on the Gold Coast attended by more than 800 film industry luminaries from the Asia-Pacific region, and around the world. Director Thornton was on hand to accept the award.

Thirty-seven films representing 16 countries and territories were finalists in the awards, with winners coming from Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Palestinian Territories, People’s Republic of China and Thailand, and high commendations from the jury for films from Australia, India, Republic of Korea and Russian Federation.

The Awards were determined by an international jury headed by notable Chinese director and producer Huang Jianxin, joined by Tahmineh Milâni (Islamic Republic of Iran), Gina Kim (Republic of Korea), Aden Young (Australia), Andrew Pike (Australia) and Pryas Gupta (India).

Jury member Kim said: “Samson & Delilah has a very special something – the integrity of the filmmaker, the passion and the sincerity of it is really beyond comparison.”

Japan’s Masahiro Motoki received the Best Performance by an Actor award for his performance in Okuribito (Departures) while Best Performance by an Actress award winner was Korea’s Kim Hye-ja for Madeo (Mother).

China’s Nanjing! Nanjing! (City of Life and Death) received two awards: Lu Chuan for Achievement in Directing and Cao Yu for Achievement in Cinematography. Best Screenplay was awarded to Asghar Farhadi for Darbareye Elly (About Elly) (Islamic Republic of Iran).

Best Documentary Feature Film was awarded to Hashmatsa (Defamation) a co-production between Israel, Austria, Denmark and USA and Australia’s Mary and Max, produced by Academy Award winner Melanie Coombs, won Best Animated Feature Film. Ye Haeng Ja (A Brand New Life) from Republic of Korea was awarded Best Children’s Feature Film.

Thailand’s Sawan Baan Na (Agrarian Utopia) won the UNESCO Award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film. The award was accepted by filmmaker, Uruphong Raksasad. Japanese producer Isao Matsuoka was the recipient of the FIAPF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film.

APSA announces winner of development prize for Asia-Pacific filmmakers Baek Seung-bin, director and screenwriter of Jang-rye-sik-ui (Members of the Funeral) from the Republic of Korea won the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards NETPAC Development Prize. Designed to nurture new and rising talent in the region, the US$5000 prize is offered by APSA in collaboration with the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) to an emerging filmmaker from the 2009 Award nominees. The winner was decided by a jury consisting of three APSA Nominations Council members who are also members of NETPAC, Professor Xie Fei (Chair) from China, Yuka Sakano (Japan) and Mohammad Atebbai (Islamic Republic Of Iran). The APSA NETPAC Development Prize Jury noted that Jang-rye-sik-ui featured “masterful direction which attracts viewers from the beginning until the end of the film”, and “visual imagery which is full of originality”. Baek Seung-bing was also praised for his “intelligent woven screenplay.” The prize was presented to Baek Seung-bin at a special ceremony by Australian screen legend Jack Thompson. APSA chairman Des Power said that APSA greatly valued the partnership with NETPAC: “APSA supports the objectives of NETPAC to promote Asian cinema and we appreciate the collaboration we have had with NETPAC since our inception, particularly with its President, Aruna Vasudev, who is a founding member of the APSA Nominations Council.” NETPAC President, Aruna Vasudev said, “We are delighted to join hands with APSA, an initiative which has already brought significant global attention to the outstanding achievements of Asia-Pacific films and filmmakers. This prize is a great encouragement to the talented filmmakers emerging in Asia-Pacific today and the bursary will make a contribution to their creative development.” An international cultural initiative of the Queensland Government, APSA is a unique collaboration between CNN International, UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations. APSA honours the works of filmmakers across a region covering 70 countries, one third of the Earth and half the world’s film output.