Singapore’s Yeo Yann Yann scores award at “The Oscars of Asia” – 8th Asian Film Awards

The 8th Asian Film Awards (AFA) award ceremony, dubbed the “Asian Oscars”, was held on 27 March 2014 at the House of Dancing Water Theatre in the City of Dreams, Macau. The 8th AFA was jointly organized by the AFA academy (AFAA) and its constituent partners – Busan Film Festival, Tokyo Film Festival and Hong Kong Film Festival.

Yeo Yann Yann (Ilo Ilo) won Best Supporting Actress at the 8th AFA

Actress Yeo Yann Yann and director Anthony Chen (Ilo Ilo) arrives together at the red carpet

Yeo Yann Yann won the Best Supporting Actress title for her role in the film Ilo Ilo against other strong contenders.Yeo’s success at the 8th AFA adds to her already outstanding number of illustrious awards she has won for her role in the film. “In modern life, when we encounter a lot of difficulties, our family members give us the biggest strength. So I hope you all can have this strength,” she said as she expressed her thanks, especially to her husband.

Singapore’s director Anthony Chen also scored a Best Director nomination with his story of a humble Singaporean family in his first feature film Ilo Ilo. This nomination bodes well for the future of Singaporean cinema in the international arena.

The Grandmaster walked away with the most awards this evening, bagging seven awards: Best Film, Best Director for Wong Kar Wai, Best Actress award for Zhang Ziyi, Best Production Designer and Costume Designer for William Chang Suk Ping, and Best Cinematographer for Phillipe Le Sourd.

In her speech, actress Zhang Ziyi spoke of one of the martial arts directors that was on the MH370, the missing Malaysian flight. Director Wong Kar Wai received the Best Film award on behalf of the crew and dedicated his speech to the missing director. He offered his deepest condolences and called on the Malaysian government for more transparency in clarifying the situation soon.

Amidst a standing ovation, Taiwanese actor Hou Hsiao Hsien received the top honour of Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Asian cinema throughout his 30 year career. “I’m receiving this award because I am an old man,” he joked. He expressed that he is motivated to continue making new films.

Irrfan Khan, lead actor of Indian romance film The Lunchbox, beat other nominees for the Best Actor award (including Tony Leung and Lee Kang Sheng) to win the award. “I'm honoured and delighted that I have been nominated with such great actors, actors which I've watched and which I'm in love with,” he said.

Isabelle Huppert, one of Europe’s top actresses, was named as the first honorary member of the AFAA. Top French fashion designer agnès b of her self-named label presented the Best Costume Designer and Best Production Designer Awards at the AFA award ceremony.

LIST OF WINNERS

Lifetime Achievement
Hou Hsiao-Hsien

Best Film
The Grandmaster

Best Director
Wong Kar-wai, The Grandmaster

Best Actor

Irrfan Khan, The Lunchbox

Best Actress
Zhang Ziyi, The Grandmaster

Best Newcomer
Jiang Shuying, So Young

Best Supporting Actor
Huang Bo, No Man’s Land

Best supporting actress
Yeo Yann Yann, Ilo Ilo

Best Screenwriter
Ritesh Batra, The Lunchbox

Best Cinematographer
Philippe Le Sourd, The Grandmaster

Best Production Designer
William Chang Suk Ping, Alfred Yau Wai Ming, The Grandmaster

Best Composer
Nathaniel Mechaly, Umebayashi Shigeru, The Grandmaster

Best Editor
Shin Min-kyung, Cold Eyes

Best Visual Effects
Jung Sung-jin, Mr Go

Best Costume designer
William Chang Suk Ping, The Grandmaster

ABOUT ASIAN FILM AWARDS

The annual Asian Film Awards was established in 2007 as the first awards to recognize cinematic talents across Asia. The only awards ceremony in the world that brings together the region’s cinematic elites, the AFA has garnered well-deserved attention from both industry professionals and movie fans alike.

This year's Asian Film Awards spanned 12 industry experts on the jury, 73 nominations, 26 films, and 14 award categories from 13 countries. The awards were jointly organised by the powerhouses of Asian cinema, comprising of the AFA Academy and its constituent partners – Busan International Film Festival, Hong Kong Film Festival Society and Tokyo International Film Festival.

The AFA strives to promote cultural exchange between film professionals from all across Asia with the ambition of propelling Asian films to greater heights.

Official website: http://www.asianfilmawards.asia/

8th Asian Film Awards on 27 March 2014

Celebrating excellence in Asian cinema

This year's AFA sees 26 nominated films and will be held in Macau

The 8th Asian Film Awards takes place on
 27th March, at City of Dreams, Macau

Now into its 8th year, the awards ceremony for the annual Asian Film Awards (AFA) will happen on Thursday, the 27th of March this year. It will take place at the magnificent Dancing Water Theatre within Macau's City of Dreams, which is a casino and tourist resort. The AFA - which is often regarded as the Asian equivalent of the Oscars - was first introduced in 2007, and recognises the cinematic achievements of filmmakers within Asia.

7th AFA last year, held at the Hong Kong
Convention and Exhibition Centre

Celebrity guests Andy Lau and Sylvia Chang at the 7th AFA

From more than a thousand films, 26 of them were successfully nominated for the 14 different award categories this year; these nominations come from 13 countries and regions. The categories celebrate and honour the achievements of various groups of people, such as actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and costume designers, among others. Six entries were nominated for this year's Best Film award: No Man's Land, The Grandmaster, The Great Passage, The Lunchbox, Snowpiercer, and Stray Dogs. The winners will be determined by a panel consisting of distinguished professionals in the film industry. Peter Ho-Sun Chan will head the panel, and his panel is joined alongside martial artist and filmmaker Donnie Yen, actress Carina Lau, and together with a number of judges from across the region. This includes Singapore film director Eric Khoo. Meanwhile, Jeon Do-yeon, who has won many awards including Best Actress at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, has been appointed as the ambassador for the 8th AFA.

The Grandmaster, released 10 Jan 2013
The film is nominated for 11 awards

Ilo Ilo, which premièred on 19 May 2013
The film is nominated for two awards

The Grandmaster, written and directed by Wong Kar-wai, is nominated in 11 out of the 14 categories, only missing out Best Newcomer as well as Best Supporting Actor and Actress. It is a martial arts-themed action drama film and staring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi. Positively received - both critically and commercially - it has won five Golden Horses and also received two nominations at the 86th Academy Awards.

Just as noteworthy, the Singaporean family film Ilo Ilo bagged two nominations - namely 29 year old Anthony Chen for Best Director, and Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann for Best Supporting Actress. Ilo Ilo was presented with the Camera d'Or award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and subsequently took home four awards at the 50th Golden Horse Awards.

This is the first time the AFA will be held in a city other than Hong Kong. The 8th Asian Film Awards is organised by the Asian Film Awards Academy. The official website is www.asianfilmawards.asia.

Official poster for the 8th Asian Film Awards
"Celebrating Excellence in Asian Cinema"