(January 11, 2018; Hong Kong/Tokyo) The Asian 
 Film Awards Academy announced the nominations
 for the 12th Asian Film Awards (AFA) in Hong Kong
 today. For this edition, AFA received submissions 
 from 26 countries and regions. Eighty-nine
 nominations were made for 17 awards, including
 the newly added Best New Director and Best Action 
 Film. The nominations represent 32 films from 10
 countries and regions. Japanese films and talents
 were nominated in 14 categories*, including a Best
 Film Award nomination for The Third Murder
 (Director: KORE-EDA Hirokazu), a Best Director Award nomination for Yuya ISHII for The Tokyo Night
 Sky is Always the Densest Shade of Blue, and a Best Actress Award nomination for Yu AOI for Birds
 Without Names.　
 *Click the link at the bottom of this page for the full press release and list of nominations.

　
 Photo from left; Roger GARCIA (The Executive Director of the AFA Academy), LEE Jung-Jin (The Student Ambassador of the
 AFA Academy), CHING Siu-Tung (The 12th AFA Jury President), Dr. Wilfred WONG Ying-wai (GBS, JP, Chairman of the Asian
 Film Awards Academy and the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society), Kara WAI Ying-Hung, Cherry NGAN Cheuk-Ling
 (The Student Ambassador of the AFA Academy), Josie LIN (General Manager of the AFA Academy), Fred WANG Cheung-yue
 (Board Member of the AFA Academy)

 World-renowned Hong Kong director CHING Siu-Tung will serve as this year’s Jury President and
 lead a jury comprising respected film industry professionals, festival programmers and critics. Hong
 Kong actress Carina LAU will join the jury as a Celebrity Juror.

 The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), together with the Hong Kong International Film Festival 
 and the Busan International Film Festival, created the Asian Film Awards Academy (AFA Academy), a
 nonprofit organization, in 2013 to promote and develop Asian cinema and its talents. Organized by the
 AFA Academy, the Asian Film Awards (AFA) will celebrate its 12th anniversary this year.

 The 12th Asian Film Awards will take place at one of the world’s leading integrated resorts and must-
 see destinations, The Venetian Macao, on March 17, 2018 (Saturday).

 Dr. Wilfred WONG Ying-wai, GBS, JP, Chairman of the AFA Academy and the Hong Kong International 
 Film Festival Society said, "This year, we will celebrate the excellence of martial arts in Asian cinema,
 by recognizing many outstanding Asian filmmakers and providing a platform for new faces and up-and-
 coming artists. In addition to the annual AFA, the Academy has further developed various professional
 programs such as masterclasses, film festival visits for students, young film professionals overseas
 training programs and film roadshows around the globe. Through these efforts we hope to strengthen
 the ties between film talents, audiences and the region’s industries."