JAN | ASIAN FILM AWARDS
The 17th Asian Film Awards press conference unveiled the complete list of nominees across all categories, as well as the president and members of the jury for this edition. Present were Dr. Wilfred WONG, Chairman of the Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA) and the Hong Kong International Film Festival Association (HKIFF), Mr. Fred WANG, a board member of the Asian Film Awards Academy, and Josie LIN, Executive Director of the Asian Film Awards Academy. Emerging Hong Kong actors and actresses also attended, including Mr. Peter CHAN, Mr. MAK Pui Tung, Ms. Mandy TAM, Mr. Adam PAK, Ms. Jessica CHAN, and Mr. Kevin CHU. They were there to announce the list of nominees for the 17th Asian Film Awards. The event also introduced KUROSAWA Kiyoshi as the jury president, along with the fellow jury members, and this year’s four ‘Youth Ambassadors’ for the awards: LIU Kuan-ting from Taiwan, Mario MAURER from Thailand, MIYAZAWA Hio from Japan, and Will OR from Hong Kong.
MAR | ASIAN FILM AWARDS
The Asian Film Awards Academy held its first filmmaker dialogue event, inviting over twenty filmmakers from around the world who were nominees at the 17th Asian Film Awards. The event featured six thematic lectures with attendees to share their creative insights in different fields of film production and interact with the audience.
MAR | ASIAN CINERAMA
The “Asian Cinerama” organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy and co-organized by Broadway Cinematheque was successfully held on 7 – 11 March. Seven outstanding films nominated for the 17th Asian Film Awards, along with two selected films, were screened at three Hong Kong cinemas. Renowned Asian filmmakers were invited to attend post-screening talks where they interacted with audiences and shared their insights into the filmmaking process, including renowned director KORE-EDA Hirokazu, KUROSAWA Kiyoshi, screenwriter SAKAMOTO Yuji, and Eiko Ishibashi, who won the Best Original Music Award at AFA17 again for “Evil Does Not Exist.” The director of “Egoist,” MATSUNAGA Daisuke, along with the film’s actors and AFA17 Outstanding Asian Filmmaker Award winner SUZUKI Ryohei, as well as Youth Ambassador MIYAZAWA Hio, also appeared for a post-screening talk. South Korean film “12.12: The Day” director KIM Sung-soo and Best Supporting Actor Award winner at AFA17, PARK Hoon, attended the Hong Kong premiere. The director of “Dwelling by the West Lake” GU Xiaogang, Best Actress awardee JIANG Qinqin, co-star CHEN Jianbin, “Trouble Girl” actress Audrey LIN, and actor Terrance LAU, AFA17 Best New Actor winner Tergel BOLD-ERDENE, and Sri Lankan director Prasanna VITHANAGE also attended post-screening discussions, meeting and greeting the audience.
MAR | ASIAN FILM AWARDS
On the eve of the 17th Asian Film Awards Ceremony, four Youth Ambassadors, including Taiwanese actor LIU Kuan-Ting, Thai actor Mario MAURER, Japanese actor MIYAZAWA Hio, and Hong Kong actor Will OR attended a mall event together. They engaged closely with a large crowd of fans, later interacting and playing games with them, and giving away Asian Film Awards merch.
MAR | ASIAN FILM AWARDS
The Asian Film Awards Ceremony, marking its 17th edition, took place at the Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong on March 10, 2024. A total of sixteen awards were presented, along with six special awards. The ceremony concluded on a high note. Among them, four films tied with two awards each: Evil Does Not Exist, The Goldfinger, Godzilla Minus One and Snow Leopard. HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke’s Evil Does Not Exist won Best Film; YAKUSHO Koji won Best Actor for Perfect Days; JIANG Qinqin won Best Actress for Dwelling by the West Lake; and KORE-EDA Hirokazu won Best Director for Monster. Chinese director ZHANG Yimou was a double honouree, accepting the Highest-Grossing Asian Film Award for his period comedy-drama Full River Red and the Lifetime Achievement Award. South Korea’s LEE Young-ae and Japan’s SUZUKI Ryohei received the Excellence in Asian Cinema Awards; Thailand’s Win Metawin received the AFA Rising Star Award; and China’s ZHAO Liying won the AFA Next Generation Award.
MAR | ASIAN FILM AWARDS
Win Metawin (Metawin Opas-iamkajorn), the Rising Star Awardee of the 17th Asian Film Awards (AFA17), is the first Thai actor to receive this honour. He attended the premiere of “Under Parallel Skies” in Kwun Tong apm, Hong Kong on March 11, March alongside lead actress Janella SALVADOR, director Sigrid BERNARDO, and producer Richard JUAN. They met with local audiences, sharing their experiences from filming in Hong Kong last year, their impressions of the city, and the cross-cultural romance depicted in the film. This event marks the finale of AFA17. The premiere in Hong Kong provides an excellent opportunity for the film to gain global exposure.
APR | INTERNATIONAL FILM CAMP
The five-day “International Film Creation Camp” was held from April 9 to 13, 2024, at the integrated resorts operated by Sands China. Veteran directors, screenwriters, and producers served as mentors, providing individual guidance to 16 participants from all over Asia and sharing their expertise in filmmaking. The jury successfully selected 8 creative projects to receive funding of HK$300,000 (approximately US$38,000) each. This funding is to be used to produce short films themed “My Hometown,” which will be shown at the Academy’s annual Asian Cinerama. Furthermore, the Academy will also help the winning films enter film festivals, thereby increasing their exposure and development opportunities in the global film industry.
MAY | JOURNEY TO THE FEST
The Asian Film Awards Academy, with the Jeonju International Film Festival (JEONJU IFF), led a group of tertiary students from Hong Kong to Korea from May 1 to 8, 2024. This journey has created an unforgettable international film festival experience for Hong Kong students passionate for films and media culture.
MAY | MASTERCLASS
Sammo Hung traveled to Singapore to attend the “Masterclass Series” events organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy, including screenings of two of his self-written and directed films — “Warriors Two” and “The Bodyguard,” a press conference, and the highlight, a masterclass session. There, he met with local filmmakers, media, and cinephiles to exchange ideas and share his experiences from over sixty years in the film industry. He expressed his feelings about the current state of the Hong Kong film industry, and shared his perspectives on the future of Hong Kong martial arts cinema.
