Hong Kong/Tokyo (January 6, 2023) — The Asian Film Awards Academy (AFA Academy or AFAA) announced the nominations for the 16th Asian Film Awards (AFA16) in Hong Kong today.
Thirty films from 22 regions and countries have received 81 nominations and will compete for 16 awards at the AFA16, which recognizes artistic and technical achievements in Asian cinema. The prestigious lineup of nominees from around Asia includes five Japanese films: Drive My Car (Director: HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke), Egoist (Director: MATSUNAGA Daishi, 35th Tokyo International Film Festival/TIFF Official Selection), Plan 75 (Director: HAYAKAWA Chie), A Man (Director: ISHIKAWA Kei) and Shin Ultraman (Director: HIGUCHI Shinji).
Korean auteur PARK Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave received ten nominations, making it the most nominated film in this year’s competition. It will compete for Best Film with Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car, Kazakhstan film Poet (Darezhan Omirbaev) which won the 34th TIFF’s Best Director Award, India’s Ponniyin Selvan: I (Mani Ratnam) and the Philippines’ When the Waves Are Gone (Lav Diaz), which was screened in the 35th TIFF’s World Focus section. These five distinctive Asian films from different regions are in the tight race for winning the highest honor of Best Film in the AFA16.
Japanese films and talents were nominated in 14 categories in total*, led by the Oscar-winning (Best International Film) Drive My Car, which received nominations in eight categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (NISHIJIMA Hidetoshi) and Best Supporting Actor (OKADA Masaki). Plan 75, which picked up a special mention for the Cannes Caméra d’Or, is nominated in four categories, including Best New Director and Best Actress (BAISHO Chieko). Additionally, ANDO Sakura, who was an Actress in Focus at the 30th TIFF, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for A Man, along with KAWAI Yumi (Plan 75), while SUZUKI Ryohei and MIYAZAWA Hio from Egoist are nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Also, director KORE-EDA Hirokazu is nominated for Best Director for Korean Film Broker.
The AFAA also announced that it is deeply honored to appoint the internationally acclaimed director ZHANG Yimou as president of this year’s jury. He won the Asian Film Awards’ Best Director prize in 2021, and has also received the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival twice, Golden Bear at Berlin International Film Festival, as well as the Grand Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival. Zhang will lead a panel of seven professional judges from around the world to decide on the winners of this year’s awards.
After relocating to Busan, South Korea for the past two sessions, AFA returns to Hong Kong this year. With the support of CreateHK and the Film Development Fund, the ceremony will be held for the first time at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium in the Hong Kong Palace Museum, a new landmark for arts and cultural facilities in the West Kowloon Cultural District. The AFA16 ceremony will take place on March 12, 2023.