APSA and AFA Triumphers
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards and the Asian Film Awards are two of the most prestigious award giving bodies in the World; they are called the continental award, for they are giving recognition to excellent films in the region. The Asian Film Awards was the first to be established, inaugurated in 2007 for the sole purpose of celebrating the excellence in Asian cinema through annual presentation of awards to the many diverse talents and films that make up the dynamic film industries of the region. The Asia Pacific Screen Award, on the other hand was inaugurated the following year, it was established in 2008 to encourage dialogue and collaboration for the region’s filmmakers. The Academy also strives to further nurture the talents from the region. The APSA has a wider scope though because it does not only recognize the films from the Asian region but also the countries in the Pacific like Australia where it is based. Being nominated on this prestigious award giving body is already an honor for the country and for any individual. Just imagine being chosen among the thousands of entries around the region. APSA in particular has more than 70 countries and areas engaged in it and AFA has all the countries in Asia being part of it. To be a nominee is already an achievement but winning is a victory to the highest order, but how much more if you won both? That is not only a victory; it is a triumph, triumph to win over excellent individuals around the region. Only few people achieved this feat in the history of APSA and AFA; 1 director, 5 actors and 2 movies (producers). However, we will focus more on the actors who both won the APSA and the AFA for the same movie for they are what we call the aesthetics or the face of the movie industry. Before we go on the victors let’s take a look first to those who almost got it. Honorable Mentions: 1. Vidya Balan ( India) She is a multi-awarded Indian actress who was nominated in both APSA and AFA for her portrayal as an Indian sexy actress Silk Smitha. Balan was so good that she won multiple best actress awards in India. However, she lost to Deanie Ip of Hongkong in AFA and Nora Aunor of the Philippines in APSA. Never the less, her very convincing performance is worthy of these nominations. 2. Choi Min SIk ( South Korea) This critically acclaimed South Korean actor is noted for his roles in Old Boy (2003) and The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014). Choi is considered both domestically and on the global scene as among the very top echelon of South Korean actors in terms of presence and talent. He was both nominated in APSA and AFA for the movie, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time (2012). He won the APSA, but, he lost to Eddie Garcia of the Philippines in AFA. 3. Lee Byung-hun ( South Korea) Another Korean superstar wo won both The APSA and the AFA. However, he his award 2 years apart and from 2 different movies. Never the less its still a feat to be considered. Double Victory: Here are the few actors who achieved the double victory of APSA and AFA. 1. Jeon Do-yeon ( South Korea) Jeon Do-yeon is a multi awarded South Korean Actress. Although not as broadly popular with audiences as some other stars, Jeon is widely respected for her acting abilities, and many young actresses cite her as a role model. She is the first Korean to win best actress in Cannes Film Festival for her portrayal as a broken woman who lost everything including her son in the movie “Secret Sunshine” which won both the APSA and AFA too. The juries was so moved with her performance that she became the first winner of APSA for best actress and was awarded by AFA, the following year. 2. Masahiro Motoki ( Japan) Masahiro Motoki became the second actor to win the continental awards for the movie “Departures” which won the Oscar for best foreign language film. He played the role of Daigo a young man who returns to his hometown after a failed career as a cellist and stumbles across work as a nōkanshi—a traditional Japanese ritual mortician. Masahiro performance gained him 6 acting awards including the APSA and the AFA. 3. Kim Hye-ja ( South Korea) Kim Hye-ja became the third actor and the second South Korean to achieve this feat. She is widely popular in South Korea who often plays the role of an archetypal mother figure in popular television series where she starred for four decades. Kim is also a multi awarded actress that holds the record of having won the Daesang ("Grand Prize," or highest award) at the MBC Drama Awards the most times (3): in 1988, 1992, and 1999. Kim holds the same record of Daesang wins at the Baeksang Arts Awards: in 1979, 1989, 2009. Kim surprises the audience with her intense performance in her intense performance as a middle-aged single mother who obsessively loves her mentally handicapped son and sets out to prove his innocence when he's accused of murder in “Mother” with which earned her multiple best actress awards including the APSA, AFA and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. 4. Nora Aunor (Philippines) Nora Aunor is arguably the Philippines greatest actor. She is also the most nominated and awarded actor of the Philippine cinema both local and international. After 8 years of hiatus in the United States, Aunor came back to the Philippines and shoot the film “Thy Womb” directed by Brillante Mendoza. Nora perfectly portrayed the role of Shaleha, a Badjao midwife who can never have a child. It was practically a wordless performance, her face alone registering a tidal wave of emotions — sadness and joy, resentment and resignation, pain and ecstasy, defeat and triumph, often all at once, thus giving her multiple local awards and 4 international awards, including APSA, AFA and Venice. Aunor became the fourth actor to win the back to back victory.
4. Zhang Ziyi (China)
Zhang Ziyi is a Chinese actress and one of the few Asian actresses who successfully penetrated Hollywood. She has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe Award and won multiple awards too in her native country, but it’s her performance in “The Grandmaster” that she won more awards. In fact, she is the only Asian actress to win The Asia Pacific Film Festival, Asia Pacific Screen Awards and Asian Film awards best actress, a feat yet to be equaled. Zhang Ziyi became the fifth actor and the latest member of the elite and exclusive circle of winners. The award season is fast approaching, APSA will first give it’s winners in November 2015 and AFA will do it in March 2016. This year we saw great Asian films and performances that was raved and praised by critics and audiences around the world. The three big film festivals (Berlin, Cannes, Venice) also has a lot of Asian Films on its main competition and out of competition categories that are also worthy for any nominations in the coming award season. I am particularly very excited to know which films and which performances will emerge as the winner. Are we going to see a new name to be part of the elite group? Or are we going to see the same faces being nominated again. Whatever happens, I am very happy that Asian cinema is growing and thriving and we can go toe to toe with other countries.
