Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist heads the nominations for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, with nods in four categories including best film, best director, best screenplay and best cinematography.
The Japanese feature premiered at Venice where it picked up both the jury and Fipresci prize, and centres on a father and daughter in a rural village, whose peaceful lives are disrupted by proposals to build a camping site in their area.
Hamaguchi’s latest film, following Oscar-winner Drive My Car, was just ahead of China’s Snow Leopard by the late Tibetan director Pema Tseden, which secured three nominations including best film, best screenplay and best performance for actor Jinpa.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
A total of 32 films from 17 Asia Pacific countries are up for the awards, which will be presented during a ceremony on November 3 at Home of the Arts (HOTA) on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Films from Japan received 11 nominations and films from the People’s Republic of China received nine nods.
The nominees for best film are Evil Does Not Exist, Snow Leopard, Georgia’s Citizen Saint by Tinatin Kajrishvili, Japan’s Perfect Days by German filmmaker Wim Wenders and Kazakhstan’s Qas by Aisultan Seit.
As previously announced, Hong Kong filmmaker Clara Law will head the international jury for the 16th edition of the awards.
Ahead of the ceremony, the winner of the APSA Cultural Diversity Award has been named as Rapture (aka Rimdogittanga), directed by Dominic Megam Sangma. A rare co-production between India and China, this Garo-language story explores the politics of fear in a north-east Indian village, where the community fears kidnapping and the church prophesises a period of apocalyptic darkness. The film premiered at Locarno.
In addition, the APSA Young Cinema Award has gone to director Phạm Thien An for his feature debut Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, who won the Camera d’Or with the film at this year’s Cannes. The story follows a man who returns to his hometown, where he is haunted by past memories and desires. The award is given in partnership with Netpac (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) and Griffith Film School to recognise emerging talent from Asia Pacific region.
16th Asia Pacific Screen Awards nominations
Best Film
Citizen Saint (Geo-Fr-Bul)
Dir Tinatin Kajrishvili
Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Dir Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Perfect Days (Japan)
Dir Wim Wenders
Qas (Kazak)
Dir Aisultan Seit
Snow Leopard (China)
Dir Pema Tseden
Best Youth Film
Bauryna Salu (Kazak)
Dir Askhat Kuchinchirekov
Blueback (Australia)
Dir Robert Connolly
A House in Jerusalem (Pal-UK-Qatar-Neth-Ger)
Dir Muayad Alayan
Monster (Japan)
Dir Kore-eda Hirokazu
Tiger Stripes (Malay-Tai-Sing-Fr-Ger-Neth-Indo-Qatar)
Dir Amanda Nell Eu
Best Animated Film
Deep Sea (China)
Dir Tian Xiaopeng
The First Slam Dunk (Japan)
Dir Takehiko Inoue
Scarygirl (Australia)
Dir Ricard Cussó
Co-Dir Tania Vincent
The Siren (Fr-Ger-Lux-Bel)
Dir Sepideh Farsi
Suzume (Japan)
Dir Makoto Shinkai
Best Documentary Film
Against The Tide (India-Fr)
Dir Sarvnik Kaur
Beyond Utopia (US)
Dir Madeleine Gavin
Man In Black (Fr-US-UK)
Dir Wang Bing
Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV (US-Kor)
Dir Amanda Kim
To Kill A Tiger (Can)
Dir Nisha Pahuja
Best Director
- Celine Song, Past Lives (Kor-US)
- Darkhan Tulegenov, Brothers (Kazak)
- Liang Ming, Carefree Days (China)
- Rima Das, Tora’s Husband (India)
- Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Best Screenplay
- Anthony Shim, Riceboy Sleeps (Can-Kor)
- Liang Ming, Carefree Days (China)
- Nicole Midori Woodford, Last Shadow At First Light (Sing-Jap-Slov-Phil-Indo)
- Pema Tseden, Snow Leopard (China)
- Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Best Cinematography
- Azamat Dulatov, Qas (Kazak)
- Hao Jiayue, A Song Sung Blue (China)
- Kenneth Cyrus, Whispers of Fire & Water (India)
- Krum Rodriguez, Citizen Saint (Geo-Fr-Bul)
- Yoshio Kitagawa, Evil Does Not Exist (Japan))
Best Performance
- Koji Yakusho, Perfect Days (Japan)
- Jinpa, Snow Leopard (China)
- Mihaya Shirata, Last Shadow At First Light (Sing-Japan-Slov-Phil-Indo)
- Mouna Hawa, Inshallah A Boy (Jor-Fr-Saudi-Qatar)
- Zhou Dongyu, The Breaking Ice (China)
Winners
Cultural Diversity Award
Rapture (India-China-Qatar-Switz-Neth)
Dir Dominic Megam Sangma
Young Cinema Award
Phạm Thiên Ân for Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (Viet-Sing-Fr-Sp)
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