Martial arts legend Sammo Hung has been tapped as jury president for the 18th Asian Film Awards, while South Korean supernatural thriller “Exhuma” and Hong Kong action pic “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” dominate the nominations.
South Korean supernatural thriller “Exhuma,” helmed by director Jang Jae-hyun and marking the return of veteran actor Choi Min-sik, leads with 11 nods including best film, director, actor and actress. The film weaves elements of feng shui and traditional shamanism in its story of an ominous grave investigation.
Hong Kong action film “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” follows with nine nominations. Based on Yuyi’s “City of Darkness” novel and set in the 1980s Kowloon Walled City, the film is competing for best film, supporting actor and multiple technical awards.
Soi Cheang’s Hong Kong action film “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” follows with nine nominations. Based on Yuyi’s “City of Darkness” novel and set in the 1980s Kowloon Walled City, the film is competing for best film, supporting actor and multiple technical awards.
Japanese director Yoshida Daihachi’s black-and-white drama “Teki Cometh,” adapted from Tsutsui Yasutaka’s 1998 novel, secured six nominations. The film about a retired professor’s struggles shares the count with “All We Imagine As Light,” directed by Cannes Grand Prix winner Payal Kapadia. The French-Indian-Dutch-Luxembourg co-production explores the lives of three women in Mumbai.
The best film category features five contenders: Indian-French-Dutch-Luxembourg co-production “All We Imagine as Light,” mainland Chinese film “Black Dog,” South Korea’s “Exhuma,” Japan’s “Teki Cometh,” and Hong Kong’s “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.”
The best director race includes Payal Kapadia (“All We Imagine as Light”), Guan Hu (“Black Dog”), Jang Jae-hyun (“Exhuma”), Rithy Panh (“Meeting with Pol Pot”), and Yoshida Daihachi (“Teki Cometh”).
In the acting categories, best actor nominees are Eddie Peng (“Black Dog”), Choi Min-sik (“Exhuma”), Sean Lau (“Papa”), Nagatsuka Kyozo (“Teki Cometh”), and Michael Hui (“The Last Dance”). Best actress contenders include Kani Kusruti (“All We Imagine as Light”), Sylvia Chang (“Daughter’s Daughter”), Kawai Yuumi (“Desert of Namibia”), Kim Go-eun (“Exhuma”), and Shahana Goswami (“Santosh”).
As previously announced, Japanese actor Dean Fujioka (“Fullmetal Alchemist,” “Hit Me Anyone One More Time”) will serve as ambassador alongside youth ambassadors Thai actress Aokbab Chutimon (“Bad Genius,” “Hunger”), Taiwanese actor Austin Lin (“Marry My Dead Body”), Hong Kong’s Lo Chun Yip (“Time Still Turns the Pages”), and Japan’s Okada Masaki (“Drive My Car”).
The ceremony, set for March 16 at Hong Kong’s Xiqu Centre, will showcase 30 films from 25 countries competing across 16 categories. The event will broadcast live via the Asian Film Awards Academy’s official channels.
The Asian Film Awards Academy was established by the Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo International Film Festivals to promote Asian cinema and foster industry connections throughout the region.
COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINATIONS
BEST FILM
“All We Imagine as Light” (India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
“Black Dog” (Mainland China)
“Exhuma” (South Korea)
“Teki Cometh” (Japan)
“Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” (Hong Kong)
BEST DIRECTOR
Payal Kapadia (“All We Imagine as Light”)
Guan Hu (“Black Dog”)
Jang Jae-hyun (“Exhuma”)
Rithy Panh (“Meeting with Pol Pot”)
Yoshida Daihachi (“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”)
Sora Neo (“Happyend”)
Dong Zijian (“My Friend An Delie”)
Sandhya Suri (“Santosh”)
Truong Minh Quy (“Viet and Nam”)
BEST NEWCOMER
Lee Do-hyun (“Exhuma”)
Kurihara Hayato (“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 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, Butterfly”)
Seo Sung-kyung (“Exhuma”)
Hayashida Yuji (“The Box Man”)
Kenneth Mak, Chau Sai Hung Ambrose (“Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In”)
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”)
Katsumoto Michiaki (“The Box Man”)
Chu Wan Pin (“The Last Dance”)
Kawai Kenji (“Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In”)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Danny Yin (“Black Dog”)
Sato Fumiro, Kobari 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”)