Wife Of A Spy

Source: (c) 2020 NHK, NEP, Incline, C&I

‘Wife Of A Spy’

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Wife Of A Spy picked up best film at the 15th Asian Film Awards (AFA), held at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) tonight (October 8).

The Japanese wartime romance, which won a Silver Lion in Venice last year, also picked up awards for best actress (Aoi Yu) and costume design (Koketsu Haruki).

Zhang Yimou was named best director for his Cultural Revolution drama One Second, which recently opened the San Sebastian film festival. Zhang’s other nominated feature, spy thriller Cliff Walkers, won in the editing category (Li Yongyi).

Korean writer-director Lee Chang-dong (Burning) was jury president for this year’s AFA and on hand at the ceremony, which was held at the Paradise Hotel in Busan with both in-person and online participation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The AFA is run by the Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA), jointly established in 2013 by the international film festivals of Hong Kong, Busan and Tokyo. This is Busan’s second year hosting the awards, which have previously been held in Hong Kong and Macau.

Full list of winners:

Best film
Wife Of A Spy

Best director
Zhang Yimou – One Second 

Best actor
Yoo Ah-in – Voice Of Silence

Best actress
Aoi Yu – Wife Of A Spy

Best screenplay
Chaitanya Tamhane – The Disciple

Best editing
Li Yongyi – Cliff Walkers

Best visual effects
Tim Crosbie, Joy Wu – The Eight Hundred

Best cinematography
Masoud Amini Tirani – The Wasteland

Best original music
Day Tai – The Way We Keep Dancing

Best supporting actress
Makita Aju – True Mothers

Best supporting actor
Kim Hyun-bin – The Silent Forest

Best production design
Kenneth Mak – Limbo 

Best costume design
Koketsu Haruki – Wife Of A Spy

Best sound
Nopawat Likitwong – Limbo

Best new director
Hong Eui-jeong – Voice Of Silence

Best newcomer
Liu Haocun – One Second 

Excellence in Asian Cinema award
Lee Byung-hun

2020 highest-grossing Asian film
Demon Slayer: Mugen Train

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