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APSA 08

Aditya Monday December 29, 2008

In 2007 an initiative was launched to give Asian cinema a space parallel to the European Film Awards on the international scene. And one day this will hopefully dislodge the Oscars as the most talked about film award ceremony ever. The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is the brainchild of four partners – UNESCO, FIAPF (the august Paris-based International Federation of Film Producers Association), CNN and the Government of Queensland, Australia, where the selection and awards ceremonies are held. “I am convinced that the Asia Pacific Screen awards will contribute not only to promoting cultural diversity in the media but also to providing new opportunities for dialogue among cultures and people”, said UNESCO’s Director General Koiichiro Matsuura.

An independent Nominations Council of ten members from the region, was named to watch the films submitted and nominate five films each in nine categories to be judged subsequently by a five-member jury to present the awards. In addition two awards are given separately for outstanding achievement by FIAPF and for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through film by UNESCO. By the second year it transpired that the eight members of Nominations Council present were all members of NETPAC and the idea was mooted that NETPAC as the single pan-Asian film organization should become one of the collaborators of the APSA awards and present an award to the most outstanding independent feature film. This will be announced early next year.

Thirty two (32) films representing 17 countries were finalists in the Awards held on Nov 11th, with winners coming from Kazakhstan (Tulpan, Best Feature), Israel (Waltz with Bashir, Best Animation, and Lemon Tree, Best Screenplay and Best Actress), Republic of Korea (63 Years On, Best Documentary), and The Good, The Bad and The Weird for Best Cinematography), Australia (The Black Balloon, Best Children’s Feature), Turkey (Three Monkeys, Best Director), Iran (The Song of Sparrows, Best Actor, and Tinar, UNESCO Award), People’s Republic of China (The Red Awn, Jury Grand Prize) and India (The Prisoner, Jury Grand Prize, and Yash Chopra, FIAPF Award) received Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Philippines weighed in with Ishmael Bernal's 1982 classic, Himala for the CNN APSA Viewers Choice Award for Best Asia-Pacific Film of all Time, voted for by thousands of film fans around the world. It was indeed the miracle.

by NETPAC Bureau

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Supriya Suri's Interview with Muhiddin Muzaffar

Director Muhiddin Muzaffar (1) 2 Min

1. I entered the cinema through the theatre. I was an actor in our local theatre called Kanibadam, named after Tuhfa Fozilova. After working for five years, I decided to do a theatre director course. I graduated with honors and became a director. We successfully staged performances at international festivals.

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