Nominations Announced for the 18th Asian Film Awards.
Seven Japanese films will compete with outstanding films from around Asia
Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) Grand Prix Winner Teki Cometh receives 6 nominations, including Best Film and Best Director
©1998 Yasutaka Tsutsui / Shinchosha ©2023 TEKINOMIKATA
The Asian Film Awards Academy (AFA Academy or AFAA) announced the nominations for the 18th Asian Film Awards (AFA18) and the Jury President for this year in Hong Kong today.
©1998 Yasutaka Tsutsui / Shinchosha ©2023 TEKINOMIKATA
Thirty outstanding films from 25 countries and regions have been shortlisted to compete for 16 awards at AFA18, which celebrates artistic and technical achievements in Asian cinema. The prestigious lineup of nominees from around Asia includes seven Japanese films: Teki Cometh (Director: Yoshida Daihachi, winner of the top three prizes at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival – TIFF), Desert of Namibia (Yamanaka Yoko).
©1998 Yasutaka Tsutsui / Shinchosha ©2023 TEKINOMIKATA
All the Long Nights (Miyake Sho, recipient of the Kurosawa Akira Award at the 37th TIFF), My Sunshine (Okuyama Hiroshi, Official Selection for Un Certain Regard at Cannes), Happyend (Sora Neo), The Box Man (Ishii Gakuryu) and Black Ox (Tsuta Tetsuichiro, 37th TIFF Asian Future Official Selection).
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Black Ox©NIKO NIKO FILM / MOOLIN FILMS / CINEMA INUTILE / CINERIC CREATIVE / FOURIER FILMS
Korean auteur Jang Jae-hyun’s Exhuma received eleven nominations, making it the most nominated film this year. It will compete for Best Film with Yoshida Daihachi’s Teki Cometh, Cannes Grand Prix-winning film All We Imagine as Light (Payal Kapadia), China’s Black Dog (Guan Hu), which was screened in the 37th TIFF Gala Selection, and Hong Kong’s Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Soi Cheang), which earned nine AFA nominations and was also screened in the 37th TIFF Gala Selection. These five distinctive Asian films from different regions are in a tight race to win the highest honor of Best Film at AFA18.
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Japanese films and talents were nominated in 15 categories in total*, led by the TIFF standout (Grand Prix, Best Director and Best Actor) Teki Cometh, which received AFA nominations in six categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Nagatsuka Kyozo) and Best Supporting Actress (Takiuchi Kumi). Desert of Namibia, which won the FIPRESCI Prize in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, is nominated in two categories, including Best Actress (Kawai Yuumi) and Best New Director (Yamanaka Yoko). Additionally, Sora Neo was nominated for Best New Director and Kurihara Hayato for Best Newcomer for Happyend, an Official Selection in the Orizzonti section at the Venice International Film Festival, while Mitsuishi Ken (All the Long Nights) and Ikematsu Sosuke (My Sunshine) are nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Among the shortlisted films, many TIFF Competition films, such as My Friend An Delie (Dong Zijian, 37th TIFF Best Artistic Contribution), Papa (Philip Yung), Daughter’s Daughter (Huang Xi) and Cadet (Adilkhan Yerzhanov), received nominations.
My Friend An Delie ©Huace Pictures & Nineteen Pictures
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Daughter’s Daughter ©Sun Lok Productions Ltd.
The AFAA also announced that the internationally acclaimed film icon and director Sammo Hung will serve as the Jury President for AFA18. Hung expressed how honored he was to take the role, saying, “It is my pleasure to serve as the Jury President for the Asian Film Awards. It is a significant responsibility, and I hope to continue working with my peers to support the development of the Asian film industry.” He will lead the jury and collaborate with over 200 voting members to select this year’s award winners.
As the Academy recently announced, Dean Fujioka has been appointed as the AFA18 Ambassador, the first actor to be appointed, while Okada Masaki, who was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor for Drive My Car at the 16th AFA, has been appointed as one of the Youth Ambassadors along with three Asian stars. The five actors, representing different regions of Asia, have confirmed their participation in various activities and the awards ceremony. The AFAA will share the latest updates on its official website and social media platforms.
The AFA18, presented by the AFAA, will continue to be held in Hong Kong. With the support of Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency and the Film Development Fund, various exciting events will be held prior to the Awards Ceremony, including film screenings, masterclass sessions, and sharing, allowing audiences and fans to engage closely with Asian filmmakers. The AFA Ceremony will take place at the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District on March 16, 2025. The prestigious event will also be streamed live on the AFAA’s official YouTube Channel .
ROYAL ARTS VISIONS; Nominations Announced for the 18th Asian Film Awards. Seven Japanese films will compete with outstanding films from around Asia