The Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Asian Film Awards Academy to recognise the excellence of the film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinema.
History
On 29 January 2007, Wilfred Wong, the Chairman of Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, announced the launch of the Asian Film Awards (AFA). The 1st Asian Film Awards occurred on 20 March 2007, on the opening night of the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. It honoured the best film achievements of the Asian cinema in the year 2006. It was attended by about 4000 guests from around the world.
The AFA Presentation Ceremony takes place as part of the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong Opening Gala. Eminent filmmakers and superstars from around the world are invited to bestow awards upon the winner(s) of each category, making the ceremony a dazzling extravaganza as well as an influential cultural event.
Throughout its history and since its inauguration in 2007, Chinese-language films and professionals from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have dominated the awards.
The trophy
On 13 February 2007, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council hosted a celebration of Park Chan-wook's I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK announcement of being the opening film for the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival at a reception in Berlin. At the same event the AFA trophy, designed by award-winning production designer, William Chang, was also unveiled.
According to William Chang, his inspiration behind the artwork was his admiration to a combination of architectural drawings and his own collection of antique statues. Measuring 36 cm (14 in), the trophy symbolises the joy and the accomplishment of all the award winners.
The current trophy is gold as a whole but had changed significantly before. The first trophies that were handed in 2007 has its trophy in black with a white base. In the 2nd AFA, the current gold colour was used as whole but in 2009 for its 3rd AFA instead of a gold base, it has a black base. Then in 2010, the whole gold trophy had returned and now used nowadays.
Eligibility, nominations and voting
To be eligible, films must be feature length (more than 60 minutes); be in 35mm or 70mm film format or digital format suitable for exhibition in cinemas; and be fiction films from Asia. This encompasses all the cinemas of Asia: East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Asia. Additionally, the films must have English subtitles.
The films must have been released between 1 January and 31 December of the year preceding the awards ceremony, and have been exhibited through a domestic theatrical release and distribution to at least one other country; been premiered at an international film festival; or received national film awards.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society compile the preliminary nomination list with the participation of the two parties who can submit films for the consideration to be included in the nomination list which are: the Asian Film Awards Official Submission Organisations are composed of recognised film organizations from different Asian territories. Each Official Submission Organisation can submit up to three films to represent their territory. the Asian Film Awards Jury is composed of film professionals from around the world. Each Jury Member can recommend up to two additional nominations in each Category.
After the Society finalised the nomination list, the Jury and the Voting Members (composed of previous winners from past AFA) would then vote in an Online Balloting System where it would be counted, tallied and kept confidential until the day of the AFA by a reputable firm of certified public accountants.
Award categories Best Film Best Director Best Actor Best Actress Best Screenplay Best Supporting Actor: since 2008 Best Supporting Actress: since 2008 Best New Director: since 2018 Best Newcomer: since 2009 Best Cinematographer Best Production Designer Best Composer Best Editor Best Visual Effects Best Costume Designer : since 2010
Special awards These special awards are not always presented on a consistent annual basis. The Society chooses the special awards to be given for a certain year.
Asian Film Award for Excellence in Scholarship in Asian Cinema Asian Film Award for Outstanding Contribution to Asian Cinema Nielsen Box Office Star of Asia Award Lifetime Achievement Award: since 2008 The Edward Yang New Talent Award: since 2008 The Asian Film Award for Top-Grossing Film Director: since 2009 The Asian Film Award for Top-Grossing Asian Film: since 2011 Award for the Promotion of Asian Cinema: since 2011 Excellence in Asian Cinema Award: since 2013 The Next Generation Award: since 2016
People's Choice awards People's Choice for the Best Asian Film: 2009 (defunct) People's Choice for Best Actor : since 2010 People's Choice for Best Actress : since 2010
The asterisk indicates the awards that were renamed for a certain Asian Film Awards Presentation Ceremony. Their first and original names are used in this list.
Major award winners YearBest FilmBest DirectorBest ActorBest ActressBest Supporting ActorBest Supporting ActressBest New Director20071st The Host Jia Zhangkefor Still Life Song Kang-hofor The Host Miki Nakatanifor Memories of Matsuko No award No awardNo award20082nd Secret Sunshine Lee Chang-dongfor Secret Sunshine Tony Leungfor Lust, Caution Jeon Do-yeonfor Secret Sunshine Sun Hongleifor Mongol Joan Chenfor The Sun Also Rises 20093rd Tokyo Sonata Hirokazu Kore-edafor Still Walking Masahiro Motokifor Departures Zhou Xunfor The Equation of Love and Death Jung Woo-sungfor The Good, the Bad, the Weird Gina Pareñofor Service20104th Mother Lu Chuanfor City of Life and Death Wang Xueqifor Bodyguards and Assassins Kim Hye-jafor Mother Nicholas Tsefor Bodyguards and Assassins Kara Huifor At the End of Daybreak20115th Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Lee Chang-dongfor Poetry Ha Jung-woofor The Yellow Sea Xu Fanfor Aftershock Sammo Hungfor Ip Man 2 Youn Yuh-jungfor The Housemaid20126th A Separation Asghar Farhadifor A Separation Donny Damarafor Lovely Man Deanie Ipfor A Simple Life Lawrence Kofor Jump Ashin! Shamaine Buencaminofor Niño20137th Mystery Takeshi Kitanofor Outrage Beyond Eddie Garciafor Bwakaw Nora Aunorfor Thy Womb Nawazuddin Siddiquifor Talaash: The Answer Lies Within Makiko Watanabefor Capturing Dad20148th The Grandmaster Wong Kar-waifor The Grandmaster Irrfan Khanfor The Lunchbox Zhang Ziyifor The Grandmaster Huang BoNo Man's Land Yeo Yann Yannfor Ilo Ilo20159th Blind Massage Ann Huifor The Golden Era Liao Fanfor Black Coal, Thin Ice Bae Doonafor A Girl at My Door Wang ZhiwenThe Golden Era Ikewaki Chizurufor The Light Shines Only There201610th The Assassin Hou Hsiao-hsienfor The Assassin Lee Byung-hunfor Inside Men Shu Qifor The Assassin Asano TadanobuforJourney to the Shore Zhou Yunfor The Assassin201711th I Am Not Madame Bovary Na Hong-jinfor The Wailing Asano Tadanobufor Harmonium Fan Bingbingfor I Am Not Madame Bovary Lam Suetfor Trivisa Moon So-rifor The Handmaiden201812th Youth Yuya Ishii for The Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue Louis Koofor Paradox Sylvia Changfor Love Education Yang Ik-junefor Wilderness Zhang Yuqifor Legend of the Demon Cat Dong Yue for The Looming Storm201913th Shoplifters Lee Chang-dong for Burning Kōji Yakushofor The Blood of Wolves Samal Yeslyamova for Ayka Zhang Yufor Dying to Survive Kara Huifor Tracey Oliver Chan for Still Human202014th Parasite Wang Xiaoshuaifor So Long, My Son Lee Byung-hunfor The Man Standing Next Zhou Dongyufor Better Days Ryo Kasefor To the Ends of the Earth Ko Shu-chinfor A Sun Hikari for 37 Seconds202115th Wife of a Spy Zhang Yimoufor One Second Yoo Ah-infor Voice of Silence Yū Aoifor Wife of a Spy Kim Hyun-binfor The Silent Forest Aju Makitafor True Mothers Hong Eui-jeong for Voice of Silence 202216th Drive My Car Hirokazu Kore-edafor Broker Tony Leung Chiu-waifor Where the Wind Blows Tang Weifor Decision to Leave Hio Miyazawafor Egoist Kim So-jinfor Emergency Declaration Jigme Trinley for One and Four 202317th Evil Does Not Exist Hirokazu Kore-edafor Monster Koji Yakushofor Perfect Days Jiang Qinqinfor Dwelling by the West Lake Park Hoonfor 12.12: The Day Rachel Leungfor In Broad Daylight Nick Cheuk for Time Still Turns the Pages 202418th All We Imagine as Light Daihachi Yoshidafor Teki Cometh Sean Laufor Papa Shahana Goswamifor Santosh Lee Kang-shengfor Stranger Eyes Yang Kuei-meifor Yen and Ai-Lee Sandhya Suri for Santosh
Presentation ceremonies 2021: The 15th edition of the awards presentation hosted by actress Kim Gyu-ri and broadcaster Lee Seung-guk was held on 8 October 2021 in Busan at Haeundae. 36 films from 8 Asian regions competed for 16 awards. Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Wife of a Spy (2020) won the best picture award at the ceremony streamed live on YouTube and Naver. 2023: The 16th edition of the awards presentation hosted by Hong Kong-born Canadian actress Grace Chan and actor Sammy Leung was held on 12 March 2023 at Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium in Hong Kong Palace Museum. 30 films from 22 regions and countries have been shortlisted for 81 nominations. Drive My Car by Ryusuke Hamaguchi won the best film award and best direction was awarded to Hirokazu Kore-eda for Broker, whereas Tang Wei's performance in Decision to Leave got her the best actress award. Tony Leung Chiu-wai, a Hong Kong actor and singer, was presented with Asian Film Contribution Award for his contribution to the Asian cinema and the best actor award for his performance in Where the Wind Blows.
See also Hong Kong International Film Festival 17th Asian Film Awards
References
External links
Asian Film Awards at IMDb