50th Semaine de la Critique: Since its creation in 1990, the Grand Prize for La Semaine de la Critique has been awarded to one of the seven feature films in Competition and has been selected by journalists who were invited to vote following each screening. For its anniversary, La Semaine has decided to honor film critics and has formed a jury. It is comprised of international journalists and the President is Korean director Lee Chang-dong. ...

BANGKOK ~ Four script development grants totalling $US100,000 to filmmakers from the Asia Pacific region were announced at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Australia on Thursday. (02 December 2010) The grants are the first to be offered by the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, a new initiative of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA) which is available exclusively to APSA Academy members. Four filmmakers will each receive $US25,0...

China, Korea, Turkey, Israel, Australia, Iran and India win awards BANGKOK ~ Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock), from the People’s Republic of China, has won the Best Feature Film Award at the fourth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), announced on Thursday (02 December) evening at a stunning ceremony on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Chinese actor Chen Daoming received the Best Performance by an Actor award for the same film, which is the highest grossing domestic ...

Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock), from the People’s Republic of China, has won the Best Feature Film Award at the 4th annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), announced this evening at a stunning ceremony on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Chinese actor Chen Daoming received the Best Performance by an Actor award for the same film, which is the highest grossing domestic film of all time at the Chinese box office. President of the International Jury for APSA 2010, Academy-Award winning p...

Lee Chang-Dong discussed his film Poetry at a press conference following the In Competition film's screening Wednesday morning. The conference's general theme revolved around the meaning of "poetry," in the film's context as well as in Chang-Dong's personal point of view."Poetry is not just like a bouquet of flowers that is beautiful in itself," Chang-Dong expressed. "It is life. No matter the ugliness of the world, there's always something beautiful inside. That's what ...

  The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) today announced members of the 2010 APSA Nominations Council, comprising international film industry experts from eight countries drawn from high profile academic institutions, film festivals and film organisations across Asia-Pacific. The 2010 Council chaired by Professor Hong-Joon Kim (Republic of Korea) includes two new members: producer/ director Nan Achnas (Indonesia) and producer/author Peggy Chiao (Taiwan). Entries open toda...

Eminent Chinese director, screenwriter and producer, Huang Jianxin, will head the International Jury for the third annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA). He will be joined by Australian playwright and screenwriter David Williamson, Iranian filmmaker Tahmineh Milāni, Indian playwright, screenwriter and director Feroz Abbas Khan and Korean writer/director Gina Kim. The International Jury will determine winners in the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards to be announced in a ceremony on Australia'...

Eminent Chinese director, screenwriter and producer, Huang Jianxin, will head the International Jury for the third annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA). He will be joined by Australian playwright and screenwriter David Williamson, Iranian filmmaker Tahmineh Milāni, Indian playwright, screenwriter and director Feroz Abbas Khan and Korean writer/director Gina Kim. The International Jury will determine winners in the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards to be announced in a ceremony on Australi...

The Jury: Isabelle HUPPERT, President (Actress - France)   Asia ARGENTO (Actress, Director, Screenwriter- Italy) Nuri BILGE CEYLAN (Director, Screenwriter, Actor - Turkey) Lee CHANG-DONG (Director, Writer, Screenwriter - Korea) James GRAY (Director, Screenwriter – United States) Hanif KUREISHI (Writer, Screenwriter – United Kingdom) Shu QI (Actress - Taiwan) Robin WRIGHT PENN (Actress - United States ...

Wednesday, July 18-------The New York Film Festival, one of the pre-eminent film events in North America, celebrates its 45th anniversary this year. The event, which will run from September 28 to October 14, has begun to announce some of its programming and special events, tantalizing New York film lovers with some gems to look forward to. The Film Society of Lincoln Center, which presents the Festival along with its yearlong programming at the flagship Walter Reade Theater, has announced that...

One of Korea’s leading filmmakers, Lee Chang-dong, is presenting his latest work in Competition, entitled Secret Sunshine. The film mixes comedy and despair, darkness and light and is an ode to how we cope in everyday life. Featuring one of Korea’s biggest stars, Song Kang-ho and also Jeon Do-yeon, Secret Sunshine follows the couple who re-locate to Miryang and their difficulties in adapting. Lee Chang-dong relates his intentions: “My original idea for the movie was for it to be more rea...

This year’s Dragons and Tigers Award at VIFF went to the Philippine director John Torres for TODO TODO TEROS. This award is one of the most prestigious for Asian films. Many of today’s most renowned directors from the region, considered among the most significant figures of world cinema, were awarded this prize early in their career. Winners have included Kore-eda Hirokazu (Maborosi, 1995), Hong Sang-Soo (The Day the Pig Fell Into the Well, 1996), Zhang Ming (Rainclouds Over Wushan, 1996), L...