Internationally Renowned Japanese Actor ABE Hiroshi to receive The Excellence in Asian Cinema Award

ABE Hiroshi will attend the 16th Asian Film Awards Presentation Ceremony in Hong Kong in March to receive the award.

06 February 2023

The Asian Film Awards Academy announced today that the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award at the 16th Asian Film Awards will be presented to renowned Japanese actor ABE Hiroshi (阿部寬, あべひろし). ABE Hiroshi will attend the 16th Asian Film Awards Presentation Ceremony in Hong Kong in March to receive the award.

ABE Hiroshi’s acting career has spanned more than 30 years. His first appearance was in Haikara-san ga Toru in 1987. Since then, ABE has taken on daring and challenging roles, from playing a bisexual Chief Detective officer in The Atami Murder Case to a dissolute husband grappling with family relationships in After the Storm, ABE has successfully integrated himself into each role, giving each character a unique charisma.

Since 1987, ABE has appeared in more than 90 films, both at home and abroad. In 1990, ABE starred in the Hong Kong film Saga of the Phoenix, and was a guest star in the Taiwanese TV series Spring of Miscanthus floridulus (1997). In 2000 he was featured with Hong Kong stars Tony LEUNG Chiu Wai and Ekin CHENG in the action movie Tokyo Raiders. He appears in the impressive Thai action film Chocolate and the Sino-Japanese co-production The Legend of the Demon Cat. As one of the first Japanese actors to develop his career outside Japan, ABE Hiroshi has become famous in the Greater China region and one of the most an influential talents in Asia.

ABE Hiroshi’s delicate and poetic performances in Still Walking and The Blue Bird won him the first Best Actor accolades in his career at the 2008 Mainichi Film Awards. He revealed his comedic talent with a breakthrough performance in Thermae Romae in 2012 which won him multiple nominations and the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Actor Awards. In 2015, Cape Nostalgia and Snow on the Blades won him the Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Award and the Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Award at the Japan Academy Film Prize respectively. ABE Hiroshi’s superlative acting skills and talent have been increasingly recognized by the international film industry and audiences.

“I am very honored to receive the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award,” said Abe. “I am truly surprised to receive such a big award like the AFA. When I heard about the honor, I was so happy and grateful to have my crew by my side, who have been with me all these years, so I could share it with everyone.”

Dr. Wilfred WONG Ying Wai, GBM, GBS, JP, Chairman of the Asian Film Awards Academy, said: “ABE Hiroshi’s position in the Japanese entertainment industry is one of a kind. ABE Hiroshi’s love of acting has brought freshness and vitality to Japanese film and television, and he is a major contributor to the development of Japanese entertainment.”

ANDO Hiroyasu, chairman of the Tokyo International Film Festival, also congratulated ABE Hiroshi: ” ABE Hiroshi has set a benchmark for dedication and openness for the younger generations in the Japanese film and television industry. I hope that he can continue being passionate about the film world, and make further breakthroughs in Asian film and television in the future.”

Asian Film Awards Academy

The Asian Film Awards Academy, a non-profit organization, was founded by Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo International Film Festivals to celebrate excellence in Asian cinema. Aiming to promote and recognize Asian films and their talents, AFAA highlights, strengthens and develops the Asian film industry through the annual Asian Film Awards and several year-round initiatives.

The Asian Film Awards was inaugurated in 2007, where members of AFAA are drawn from its past nominees and winners. The category of awards includes Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. Members vote for the Asian Film Awards and participate in various AFAA activities involving film professionals and audiences worldwide.

The 16th Asian Film Awards Ceremony

Date: 12 March 2023 (Sunday)

Location: Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium in the Hong Kong Palace Museum, West Kowloon

Address: 8 Museum Drive, West Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui

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