Organised by Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo International Film Festivals, and supported by Create Hong Kong and the Film Development Fund, the Asian Film Awards Academy has spearheaded efforts to promote Asian cinema around the world year-round. As part of the Asian Film Awards, its flagship event and the largest celebration of Asian cinema in the world, the Academy appoints an emerging Asian star every year as Youth Ambassador to act as the face of the awards and to take part in outreach activities. For the first time in its history, the Academy has appointed not one, but four celebrated Asian stars as the Youth Ambassadors of the 17th Asian Film Awards: (in alphabetical order) LIU Kuan-Ting, Mario MAURER, MIYAZAWA Hio and Will OR.

Embodying numerous countries and cultures, Asia is a region that is rich in diversity, and that diversity has always been reflected in its films, as seen in past AFA winners and nominees. As a way to honour and celebrate this diversity, this year’s Asian Film Awards has enlisted four acclaimed actors from across the region, each with very different career paths and acting styles. Not only will the Youth Ambassadors take the stage together at the Asian Film Awards ceremony, they will also participate in a number of AFA outreach events, meeting fans and cinephiles in conversation about their craft and their love of Asian cinema.