Bodyguards and Mother lead Asian Film Award nominations

The nominations, announced on January 20, also saw Park Chan-wook’s Cannes winner Thirst and Lu Chuan’s City Of Life And Death receive four nominations each, also including best film. The remaining contenders in the category are Brillante Mendoza’s Lola, Leon Dai’s No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti and Parade by Isao Yukisada.

The 14-person jury will be led by Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Kar-fai. Other jury members include Christian Jeune, director of film department and deputy director delegate at the Cannes Film Festival; Tokyo Film Festival programme director Kenji Ishizaka; Christophe Terhechte, head of the Forum sidebar at the Berlinale; Noah Cowan, artistic director at the festival centre Bell Lightbox; and film-maker Park Ki-yong, who is also head of the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). The awards will be held on March 22 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.  

AFA will be as the Opening Gala of Entertainment Expo Hong Kong and will coincide with two other events of the 34th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), and the 8th Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF).

The full nominations

Best Film

Bodyguards And Assassins (Hong Kong / China)

City of Life and Death (China)

Lola (The Philippines)

Mother(South Korea)

No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti (Taiwan)

Parade (Japan)

Best Director

Bong Joon-ho – Mother (South Korea)

Asghar Faradi - About Elly (Iran)

Lu Chuan - City of Life And Death (China)

Brillante Mendoza – Lola (The Philippines)

Sono Sion - Love Exposure (Japan)

Yonfan - Prince of Tears (Hong Kong / Taiwan)

Best Actor

Aasno Tadanobu - Villon’s Wife (Japan)

Huang Bo – Cow (China)

Matsimoto Hitoshi – Symbol (Japan)

Song Kang-ho – Thirst (South Korea)

Wang Xueqi - Bodyguards And Assassins (Hong Kong / China)

Best Actress

Bae Doo-na - Air Doll (Japan)

Kim Hye-ja – Mother (South Korea)

Li Bingbing - The Message (China)

Matsu Takako - Villon’s Wife (Japan)

Sandrine Pinna - Yang Yang (Taiwan)

Best Newcomer

Sonam Kapoor - Delhi 6 (India)

Kim Sae-ron – A Brand New Life (South Korea)

Li Yuchun - Bodyguards And Assassins (Hong Kong / China)

Ng Meng Hui - At The End of Daybreak (Malaysia / Hong Kong / South Korea)

Zhu Xuan - Prince Of Tears (Hong Kong / Taiwan)

Best Supporting Actor

Eita - Dear Doctor (Japan)

Huang Xiaoming - The Message (China)

Tou Chung-Hua - The Warrior And The Wolf(China)

Nicholas Tse - Bodyguards And Assassins (Hong Kong / China)

Won Bin – Mother (South Korea)

Best Supporting Actress

Anso Sakura - A Crowd Of Three (Japan)

Hirosue Ryoko - Villon’s Wife (Japan)

Kim Kkob-bi – Breathless (South Korea)

Wai Ying-hung - At The End Of Daybreak (Malaysia / Hong Kong / South Korea)

Yan Ni – Cow (China)

Best Screenwriter

Asghar Farhadi - About Elly (Iran)

Hong Sang-soo - Like You Know It All (South Korea)

Park Eun-kyo, Bong Joon-ho – Mother (South Korea)

Phan Dang Di – Adrift (Vietnam)

Wai Ka-fai, Au Kin-yee - Written By (Hong Kong)

Best Cinematographer

CaoYu - City Of Life And Death (China)

Cheng Siu-keung – Vengeance (Hong Kong)

Chung Chung-hoon – Thirst (South Korea)

Ly Thai Dzung – Adrift (Vietnam)

Jake Pollcok - Yang Yang (Taiwan)