South Korean box office hit Exhuma and Hong Kong action blockbuster Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In lead the nominations for the 18th Asian Film Awards, with a jury led by martial arts icon Sammo Hung.
Supernatural thriller Exhuma, directed by Jang Jae-hyun, leads the pack with 11 nods followed by Soi Cheang’s action thriller Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In, which received nine nominations.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
Both titles were named in the best film category alongside Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine As Light; Guan Hu’s Chinese drama Black Dog, which scooped the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes; and Teki Cometh from Japan’s Daihachi Yoshida’s, which won a hat-trick of prizes including best film at Tokyo.
The winners will be announced during a ceremony at Hong Kong’s Xiqu Centre on March 16, decided by a jury led by acclaimed Hong Kong star and director Hung, who also stars in Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In.
This year, 30 films from 25 countries and regions have been shortlisted to compete across 16 award categories.
Exhuma, a supernatural horror in which a demon is unleashed after a grave is exhumed, was South Korea’s highest-grossing film of 2024, earning $78m following its release after premiering at the Berlinale. As well as best film, its 11 nods include best director, best screenplay, best actor for Choi Min-sik and best actress for Kim Go-eun.
Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In also proved a box office sensation after premiering at Cannes last year, ranking second at the Hong Kong box office for 2024 with takings of $18.3m. Set in Hong Kong’s infamous Kowloon Walled City during the 1980s, a prequel and sequel are in the works.
Japan’s Teki Cometh and Mumbai-set All We Imagine As Light each received six nominations.
As previously announced, the Asian Film Awards Academy has appointed Dean Fujioka, the Japanese star of Fullmetal Alcemist, as ambassador of this year’s awards alongside emerging Asian stars as youth representatives that comprise Thailand’s Aokbab Chutimon (Bad Genius), Taiwan’s Austin Lin (Marry My Dead Body), Hong Kong’s Lo Chun Yip (Time Still Turns The Pages), and Japan’s Masaki Okada (Drive My Car).
The AFAs will precede the launch of Hong Kong Filmart, the biggest film market in Asia, which takes place from March 17-20.
Asian Film Awards 2025 Nominations
Best Film
All We Imagine As Light (India-Fr-Neth-Lux)
Black Dog (China)
Exhuma (S-Kor)
Teki Cometh (Japan)
Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In (HK)
Best Director
Payal Kapadia, All We Imagine As Light
Guan Hu, Black Dog
Jang Jae-hyun, Exhuma
Rithy Panh, Meeting With Pol Pot
Daihachi Yoshida, Teki Cometh
Best Actor
Eddie Peng, Black Dog
Choi Min-sik, Exhuma
Sean Lau, Papa
Nagatsuka Kyozo, Teki Cometh
Michael Hui, The Last Dance
Best Actress
Kani Kusruti, All We Imagine As Light
Sylvia Chang, Daughter’s Daughter
Kawai Yuumi, Desert Of Namibia
Kim Go-eun, Exhuma
Shahana Goswami, Santosh
Best Supporting Actor
Mitsuishi Ken, All The Long Nights
Ikematsu Sosuke, My Sunshine
Lee Kang-Sheng, Stranger Eyes
Chu Pak Hong, The Last Dance
Philip Ng, Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Best Supporting Actress
Maggie Li Lin Lin, All Shall Be Well
Divya Prabha, All We Imagine As Light
Lim Ji-yeon, Revolver
Takiuchi Kumi, Teki Cometh
Yang Kuei-Mei, Yen And Ai-Lee
Best New Director
Yamanaka Yoko, Desert Of Namibia
Neo Sora, Happyend
Dong Zijian, My Friend An Delie
Sandhya Suri, Santosh
Truong Minh Quý, Viet And Nam
Best Newcomer
Lee Do-hyun, Exhuma
Hayato Kurihara, Happyend
Putthipong Assaratanakul, How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
Dylan So, Papa
Duy Bao Dinh Dao, Viet And Nam
Best Screenplay
Wada Kiyoto, Miyake Sho, All The Long Nights
Payal Kapadia, All We Imagine As Light
Jang Jae-hyun, Exhuma
Pierre Erwan Guillaume, Rithy Panh, Meeting With Pol Pot
Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed Of The Sacred Fig
Best Editing
Clément Pinteaux, All We Imagine As Light
Rithy Panh, Matthieu Laclau, Meeting With Pol Pot
William Chang Suk Ping, My Friend An Delie
Jojo Shek, Papa
Cheung Ka Fai, Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Best Cinematography
Hong Kyeong-pyo, Harbin
LV Songye, My Friend An Delie
Aziz Zhambakiyev, Shambhala
Shinomiya Hidetoshi, Teki Cometh
Cheng Siu Keung, Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Best Original Music
Hi’Spec, All The Long Nights
Kim Tae-sung, Exhuma
Michiaki Katsumoto, The Box Man
Chu Wan Pin, The Last Dance
Kawai Kenji, Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Best Costume Design
Yang Donglin, A Tapestry Of A Legendary Land
Choi Yoon-sun, Exhuma
Dorjee Dradhul Gurung, Shambhala
Miyamoto Mari, Teki Cometh
Bruce Yu, Karen Yip, Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Best Production Design
Huo Tingxiao, Li Chang, Black Dog
Pham Phong Lan, Don’t Cry
Seo Sung-kyung, Exhuma
Hayashida Yuji, The Box Man
Kenneth Mak, Chau Sai Hung Ambrose, Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Best Visual Effects
Danny Yin, Black Dog
Sato Fumio, Kobri Yasuhiro, Black Ox
Tomi Kuo, Chiu Chun-yi, Dead Talents Society
Kim Shin-chul, Daniel Son, Exhuma
Lin Chun Yue Jules, Ma Siu Fu, Garrett K Lam, Yee Kwok Leung, Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Best Sound
Zurab Kurmanbayev, Cadet
Kim Byung-in, Exhuma
Tu Duu-Chih, Tu Tse-Kang, Stranger Eyes
Yiu Chun Hin, Cheung Man Hoi, To Burnard Davy, Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Vincent Villa, Viet and Nam
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