A Separation, Anatolia lead Asia Pacific Screen Awards nominations

Let the Bullets Fly from Mainland China/Hong Kong, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia from Turkey/Bosnia and Herzegovina, Wedding Planners from India, and A Separation and Goodbye, both from Iran, will vie for best film at the Fifth Annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSAs).

The nominees were made public by 2011 international jury president, Hong Kong producer Nansun Shi, at the Pusan International Film Festival this evening. They were chosen from 240 entries and encompass 37 films from 19 countries and areas.

A Separation, written, directed and produced by Asghar Farhadi, and Anatolia, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, who was also a writer and a co-producer, have the most nominations with four each. Both represent their countries in the 2012 Academy Awards race and have been much acclaimed.

A Separation [pictured] was the first Iranian film to win the Golden Bear for best film at Berlin, won Silver Bears for best actress and best actor, and won this year’s Sydney Film Prize. Anatolia was in competition in Cannes, sharing the Grand Prize with The Kid With a Bike.

Goodbye is the next most acclaimed film with three nominations. It earned Mohammad Rasoulof the award for best direction in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.

The APSAs now offers script development,t via two film funds to nominees, and jury and nominations council members from the last five years. Applications close on Oct 21 and the recipients will be announced as part of the APSA presentation ceremony on Nov 24 on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Two awards — sponsored by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific  Cultural Organization – will be presented in addition to those above and, at its discretion, the jury can present the Screen International Jury Grand Prize.

Films are judged on cinematic excellence and the way in which they attest to their cultural origins. Seventy countries and areas across the region were eligible.

ASPA nominees 2011

Best Feature
A Separation (Iran) Asghar Farhadi
Let the Bullets Fly (Mainland China/Hong Kong) Ma Ke, Albert Lee, Yin Homber, Barbie Tung, Zhao Haicheng
Goodbye (Iran) Mohammad Rasoulof
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey/Bosnia and Herzegovina) Zeynep Özbatur Atakan, Mirsad Purivatra, Eda Arıkan, İbrahim Şahin, Müge Kolat, Murat Akdilek, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Wedding Planners (India) Aditya Chopra

Achievement in Directing
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation (Iran)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey/Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Mohammad Rasoulof, Goodbye (Iran)
Jiang Wen, Let the Bullets Fly (Mainland China/Hong Kong)
Na Hong-jin, The Yellow Sea (Korea)

Best Performance by an Actress
Judy Davis, The Eye of the Storm (Australia)
Nahed El Sebai, Cairo 678 (Egypt)
Nadezhda Markina, Elena (Russia)
Shayesteh Irani, Facing Mirrors (Iran)
Leyla Zareh. Goodbye (Iran)

Best Performance by an Actor
Peyman Moadi, A Separation (Iran)
Wang Baoqiang, Mr Tree, (China)
Sasson Gabay, Restoration (Israel)
Fa’afiaula Sagote, The Orator (New Zealand/Samoa)
Daniel Connors, Toomelah (Australia)

Best Screenplay
Yoon Sung-hyun, Bleak Night (Korea)
Denis Osokin, Silent Souls (Russia)
Alexey Balabanov, A Stoker (Russia)
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation (Iran)
Ercan Kesal, Ebru Ceylan and Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey/ Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Achievement in Cinematography
Vladimir Bashta, Brest Fortress (Russia)
Yuri Klimenko, The Edge (Russia)
Mark Lee Ping Bin, Norwegian Wood (Japan)
Sonthar Gyal, Old Dog (China — Tibet)
Gökhan Tiryaki, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best Children’s Feature
11 Flowers (China/France) Isabelle Glachant, Wang Xiaoshuai, Didar Domerhi, Lu Dong, Laurent Baudens, Gael Nouaille
Buta (Azerbaijan) Khamis Muradov, Ilgar Najaf
The Flood (Israel/France/Germany/Canada) Chilik Michael, Ina Fichman, Avraham Pirchi, Tami Leon, David Silber, Moshe Edery, Leon Edery
The Fourth Portrait (Taiwan), Tseng Shao-chien
Red Dog (Australia), Nelson Woss, Julie Ryan
Wind and Fog (Iran) Naser Dehghani Poudeh

Best Documentary Feature
Amin (Iran/Korea/Canada/Ukraine), Shahin Parhami
Bakhmaro (Georgia/Germany) Anna Dziapshipa, Heino Deckert
I Was Worth 50 Sheep (Sweden/Japan/US) Maryam Ebrahimi
Marathon Boy (India/UK) Gemma Atwal, Matt Norman
Pink Saris (India/UK) Amber Latiff, Girjashanker Vohra.

Best Animated Feature
Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below (Japan) Noritaka Kawaguchi
Leafie (Korea) Lee Eun, Shim Jaemyung, Kim Sunku
RPG Metanoia (Phillippines) Charles Rapaport, Malou Santos, Lelette Bontia, Ann Gatmaytan, Ned Villarama
Tatsumi (Singapore) Tan Fong Cheng, Phil Mitchell, Freddie Yeo, Eric Khoo, Gary Goh, Greg Chew, Brian Gothong Tan, Wong Kim Hoh
The Ugly Duckling (Russia) Garri Bardin