Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s latest feature, It Was Just an Accident, is among the leading nominees for this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) with two nods, including the gong for Best Film.
It Was Just an Accident is in the leading pack with Lav Diaz’s latest Magellan, which also landed two noms, and Garin Nugroho’s Samsara, which clocked the most noms with three. Scroll down for the full list of nominations.
The 18th Asia Pacific Screen Awards take place on 27th November at The Langham, Gold Coast. The 7th Asia Pacific Screen Forum from 24th to 27th November.
This year’s forum will open with Post Code Doesn’t Matter, a national regional initiative led by Women in Film & Television Australia that dismantles geographical barriers for screen creatives and champions equitable access to opportunity regardless of location. Day Two will focus on what organizers have described as international success, with sessions on Development, Audience, The New Deal, and strategies for Breaking Into New Markets, equipping filmmakers with the tools to think globally from the outset. Day Three begins with the interactive workshop Bridging Cultures, Building Teams, a practical exploration of how cultural intelligence shapes collaboration, before concluding with Country-specific Roundtables designed to foster direct dialogue, partnerships, and pathways between filmmakers across the region.
Nominees:
BEST FILM
It Was Just an Accident (Un simple accident)
Islamic Republic of Iran, France, Luxembourg
Directed by Jafar Panahi
Produced by Jafar Panahi, Philippe Martin
Magellan
Portugal, Spain, France, Philippines, Taiwan
Directed by Lav Diaz
Produced by Joaquim Sapinho, Marta Alves, Albert Serra, Montse Triola, Paul Soriano, Mark
Victor
Samsara
Indonesia
Directed by Garin Nugroho
Produced by Gita Fara
The Sun Rises on Us All (Ri gua zhong tian)
People’s Republic of China
Directed by Cai Shangjun
Produced by Ma Shuang, Huang Titi, Justine O.
Two Seasons, Two Strangers (Tabi to Hibi)
Japan
Directed by Sho Miyake
Produced by Masayoshi Johnai
BEST YOUTH FILM
Amoeba
Singapore, Netherlands, France, Spain, Republic of Korea
Directed by Tan Siyou
Produced by Fran Borgia
Before the Bright Day
Taiwan
Directed by Tsao Shih-Han
Produced by Lin Shih-Ken
The President’s Cake
Iraq, United States of America, Qatar
Directed by Hasan Hadi
Produced by Leah Chen Baker
Village Rockstars 2
India, Singapore, People’s Republic of China
Directed by Rima Das
Produced by Rima Das
The World of Love
Republic of Korea
Directed by Yoon Ga-eun
Produced by Kim Se-hun, Jenna Ku
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Another World
Hong Kong
Directed by Tommy Ng Kai Chung
Produced by Polly Yeung, Chan Gin Kai
ChaO
Japan
Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki
Produced by Eiko Tanaka
The Lost Tiger
Australia
Directed by Chantelle Murray
Produced by Kristen Souvlis, Nadine Bates, Chantelle Murray
The Square
Republic of Korea
Directed by Kim Bo-sol
Produced by Park So-hye, Kim Bo-sol
A Story About Fire (Ran Bi Wa)
People’s Republic of China
Directed by Wenyu Li
Produced by Chen Bo, Wang Anyi
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
10s Across the Borders
Philippines, Singapore, Germany
Directed by Chan Sze-Wei
Produced by Alemberg Ang, Chan Sze-Wei, Tan Si En, Yasmin C. Rams, Sophia Sim
Always
United States of America, France, People’s Republic of China, Taiwan
Directed by Deming Chen
Produced by Hansen Lin
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
France, Palestine
Directed by Sepideh Farsi
Produced by Javad Djavahery
We Live Here
Kazakhstan
Directed by Zhanana Kurmasheva
Produced by Banu Ramazanova
Writing Hawa
France, Netherlands, Qatar, Afghanistan
Directed by Najiba Noori
Produced by Christian Popp
BEST DIRECTOR
Amir Azizi for Inside Amir (Daroon-e Amir)
Islamic Republic of Iran
Jafar Panahi for It Was Just an Accident (Un simple accident)
Islamic Republic of Iran, France, Luxembourg
Akio Fujimoto for Lost Land (Harà Watan)
Japan, France, Malaysia, Germany
Garin Nugroho for Samsara
Indonesia
Sengedorj Janchivdorj for Silent City Driver
Mongolia
BEST SCREENPLAY
Shu Qi for Girl (Nühai)
Taiwan
Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit for Human Resource
Thailand
Annemarie Jacir for Palestine 36
Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan
Chie Hayakawa for Renoir
Japan, France, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Qatar
Kaouther Ben Hania for The Voice of Hind Rajab
Tunisia, France
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Artur Tort, Lav Diaz for Magellan
Portugal, Spain, France, Philippines, Taiwan
Prabhath Roshan for Riverstone
Sri Lanka
Batara Goempar for Samsara
Indonesia
Yuta Tsukinaga for Two Seasons, Two Strangers (Tabi to Hibi)
Japan
Ronald Plante for Yunan
Germany, Canada, Italy, Palestine, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia
BEST PERFORMANCE
Khairiah Nathmy for Hijra
Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, United Kingdom
Sean Lau for Papa
Hong Kong
Xin Zhilei for The Sun Rises on Us All (Ri gua zhong tian)
People’s Republic of China
Ariel Bronz for Yes (Ken)
France, Israel, Cyprus, Germany
Georges Khabbaz for Yunan
Germany, Canada, Italy, Palestine, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia
