“In Conversation with Asian Filmmakers” シリーズ (交流活動)
第 17 回アジア・フィルム・アワード
The 17th Asian Film Awards — “In Conversation with Asian Filmmakers” Series
Date: 2024年3月8日 至9日
Location: Hong Kong
Guest: Rachel LEUNG, Wan Fang, KITAGAWA Yoshio, CHENGMA Zhiyuan, Lkhagvadulam PUREV-OCHIR, Dominic SANGMA, Nick CHEUK, YAMAZAKI Azusa, Matthieu LACLAU, Keith CHAN Hiu Chun, Tim YIP, MITSUMATSU Keiko, ZHANG Menglun, Elaine NG, Eric LAM, MAN Lim Chung, Tergel BOLD-ERDENE, Awat RATANAPINTHA, Yoyo TSE, SHIRATA Mihaya
Kicking off the “In Conversation with Asian Filmmakers” series with a bang was the inspiring discussion titled “The Multifaceted Lives of Women Filmmakers”, featuring AFA17 Best Supporting Actress winner and nominee – Hong Kong promising actress Rachel LEUNG and the versatile Taiwanese diva WAN Fang. Moderated by Hong Kong femaledirector stage performer Kearen PANG, the duo shared their experiences working in the film industry, unanimously agreeing on the importance of staying true to oneself and cultivating a deep understanding of life and the world, regardless of the challenges or diversity of their roles.
Transitioning from the women on screen to “The Man Behind the Camera”, the nominees for Best Cinematography at this year’s AFA, KITAGAWA Yoshio and CHENGMA Zhiyuan, shared insights into their unique approaches to their works in filmmaking. KITAGAWA Yoshio underscored the crucial role of lighting, as it significantly influences the overall atmosphere of a film, while CHENGMA Zhiyuan revealed that his visual designs often draw inspiration from the film’s soundtrack.
In the session “Becoming a Director” which took place in eslite spectrum Tsim Sha Tsui Store, Hong Kong director Nick CHEUK, who won Best New Director at AFA for Time Still Turns The Pages, admitted that he had never considered himself capable of becoming a director, after a decade of working in the industry as a scriptwriter. It was his sheer passion for the cinematic medium that inspired him to create his first feature based on his own stories. Mongolian director Lkhagvadulam PUREV-OCHIR of City of Wind highlighted her penchant for incorporating foreign elements into her work, while Dominic SANGMA, the director of Rapture, described cinema as an extension of himself—a bridge connecting him with the world and evoking resonance in others.
Taking place afterwards is the session “Editing: The Invisible Hand in Films”. YAMAZAKI Azusa, editor of Evil Does Not Exist, spoke about her close bond with director and former classmate HAMAGUCHI Ryosuke, which fostered a sense of familiarity during their collaborative process. French editor Matthieu LACLAU of Only the River Flows amusingly shared that he received the script only in Chinese and had to piece together the story independently while reviewing the footage, jokingly mentioning spending two months to solve the murder case in the film. Nick CHEUK, director and editor of Time Still Turns The Pages, alongside editor Keith CHAN Hiu Chun, discussed the desensitisation they experienced during the prolonged and exhausting editing process, which led them to seek second opinions from other team members.
The session titled “Enchantment of Film Aesthetics” brought together six nominees for AFA Best Costume Design and Best Production Design at Kino@Eaton HK to discuss the transformative power of aesthetics in film. Eric LAM and MAN Lim Chung, respective winner of the two awards forThe Goldfinger, pointed out that their goal was never to construct anauthentic recreation of 1980s Hong Kong, but rather to capture the essence of that era and evoke a sense of opulence and glamour. MITSUMATSU Keiko, art director of Monster, highlighted the role of production design in building the film’s atmosphere and assisting actors in embodying their characters, while Tim YIP, from Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, emphasised how good production design allows audiences to immerse themselves in the film’s world, transporting them to different spaces and in different lives. Elaine NG from Snow in Midsummer revealed that she finds inspiration by reading scripts while drinking, while ZHANG Menglun from Only the River Flows often embarks on journeys across the country in search of shooting locations.
“The Birth of an Actor” marked the end of the “In Conversation with Asian Filmmakers” series, bringing together four Best Newcomer nominees, including Hong Kong actress Yoyo TSE, who won the Golden Horse Award for Best New Performer for her debut on the silver screen. She candidly admitted that she never imagined herself becoming an actress before being discovered by the director on the streets of Mong Kok. Awat RATANAPINTHA from Thailand shared that his biggest challenge as an actor is portraying characters vastly different from his real self, while Japanese actress SHIRATA Mihaya revealed her struggles with speaking in a foreign language and the efforts she made to practice her Singaporean accent by watching clips of Singaporean YouTubers. When asked about the type of actor he aspires to be in the future, Tergel BOLD-ERDENE, winner of Best Newcomer at this year’s Asian Film Awards, expressed his desire to become a comedic actor, as many people had remarked that his face lacks seriousness.
Please contact us if any questions,
Email: info@afa-academy.com
Tel: +852 3195 0609
Website: www.afa-academy.com
