Brisbane: Actors, actresses, filmmakers and special guests are set to gather in Brisbane, Australia, for the sixth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSAs), to be presented on Friday November 23, 2012 at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
Thirty-four films from 18 countries and areas have been nominated in this year’s APSAs, the region’s highest accolade in film. The ceremony will be attended by more than 700 film industry luminaries from the Asia Pacific region and beyond.
Nominees confirmed so far include:
- Korean star, actress Cho Min-soo, star of Kim Ki-duk’s Venice winner Pieta
- Star of Pakistan’s highest grossing box office hit ever, actress Humaima Malick
- Russian actress Darya Ekamasova, this year’s Best Actress winner of Russia’s NIKA Awards
- Four of the five Best Performance by an Actor nominees:
- Israeli star Lior Ashkenazi – multi-award winning actor
- Indian Manoj Bajpayee, Filmfare and National Award winner
- Renowned Turkish actor and theatre director Tamer Levent
- Acclaimed director / actor from People’s Republic of China, Wu Tianming.
- Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, recipient of the 2012 APSA FIAPF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film in the Asia Pacific region. APSA is honoured to confirm that Sakamoto, an Oscar®, Grammy® and two-time Golden Globe® winner, will also perform two pieces during the ceremony.
- Four nominated directors – India’s Anurag Kashyap, Iran’s Khosro Masoumi and directors also nominated for their screenplays Cheng Er (People’s Republic of China) and Reis Çelik (Turkey)
- The fifth directing nominee, Filipino Brillante Ma. Mendoza, is in Brisbane and available for interviews until Wednesday 21 November.
- Nominees representing the Best Feature Film category include Beyond the Hill producers Enis Köstepen and Emin Alper (also nominated for his screenplay) and producer of Bear Javad Norouzbeigi
- Best Feature Film nominee Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time sees producer Han Jae-duk joined by director Yoon Jong-bin
- Writer of Philippines box office hit The Woman in The Septic Tank Christopher Martinez
- Director Ami Drozd, whose childhood dream of coming to Australia was the inspiration for his Best Children’s Feature Film nominated My Australia (Poland, Israel)
- Producers of Japanese film I Wish, Kentaro Koike and Hijiri Taguchi
- Indonesian director Kamila Andinisari, whose Best Children’s Feature Film nominated The Mirror Never Lies was produced by APSA Academy member Garin Nugroho and Nadine Chandrawinata
- Director of Gattu, Rajan Khosa, and co-producer of Off White Lies, Janja Kralj
- Best Animated Feature Film nominees attending include Atsutoshi Umezawa (Rainbow Fireflies) and Yuichiro Saito (Wolf Children)
- Four nominated cinematographers are confirmed to attend – Thai DOP Charin “Tong” Pengpanich, APSA Academy member Jake Pollock, Iranian Touraj Aslani and Russian Yury Raysky
- Producers of Best Documentary Feature Film attending include Janne Niskala, Shalahuddin Siregar and Atia Jabarah Al-Daradji
- Nominees and representatives from all nine award categories are confirmed to attend. Full list of guests attending to be announced.
Nominees will be joined on the Red Carpet by:
- Jack Thompson AM PhD, Australian screen legend and APSA Academy President.
- APSA International Jury members – Jury President and award-winning Australian Producer Jan Chapman AO, Georgian filmmaker George Ovashvili, renowned Israeli actor Sasson Gabay, Indian filmmaker Leena Yadav, APSA winning producer Zeynep Özbatur Atakan and President of China International Children’s Film Festival, Professor Hou Keming
- Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AC, Governor of Queensland
- Indira Naidoo, APSA Ceremony Host
- Maroochy Barambah, Songwoman & Law-woman of the Turrbal People, the Traditional Owners of Brisbane
- Sharyn Ghidella, Channel 7 Newsreader
- Melissa Downes, Channel 9 Newsreader
- Liz Cantor, Australian TV Presenter
- Jessica Kahawaty, Miss World Australia 2012
- Aaron Fa’aoso, Actor (Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms, The Straits)
- Conrad Coleby, Actor (Underbelly, Sea Patrol, All Saints)
- Maxine Williamson, Artistic Director, Asia Pacific Screen Awards
- Other VIP guests to be announced
Queensland entertainment reporter Damien Anthony Rossi will host the International Red Carpet with arrivals commencing from 5.30pm on November 23 at the South Bank Cultural Forecourt at QPAC.
Red Carpet will commence at 5.30pm. APSA welcomes applications for accreditation from national and international media before November 19, 2012. Media Accreditation for the Red Carpet and Awards Ceremony on November 23, and for the three days of activities in the lead up to the Ceremony is available by applying to the APSA Publicity Department via media@apscreenawards.com
