Chinese epic Aftershock has taken out top honours in the 4th annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards, which were held on Queensland's Gold Coast overnight.
Feng Xiaoping's disaster epic took home awards for best picture and best actor (Chen Daoming), for its dramatisation of the Tangshan earthquake, and its astounding human cost.
APSA jury president David Puttnam was forthright in his assessment of what got Aftershock ove the line: "Ultimately, Aftershock won best film because, in my own view, it has everything," he said. "It is as good a 'big movie' as any I've seen from Hollywood in years. It doesn't disappoint at any level. It has already attracted a huge audience and it has every chance of going on to capture a bigger international audience."
Aftershock was nominated in a record six categories but lost out to Korea's Poetry for director and actress honours. Poetry producer Lee Jun-dong accepted the awards on behalf of director – and now three time APSA recipient – Lee Chang-Dong and lead actress Yun Jung-Hee, who emerged from 15 years hiatus for her role as an elderly woman who discovers the means to self-expression through poetry.
The full list of APSA winners is as follows:
BEST FEATURE FILM
Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock)
People's Republic of China (Mainland China / Hong Kong)
Produced by Guo Yanhong, Han Sanping, Wang Zhonjun, Peter Lam Kin Ngok, Wang Tonguan and Albert Yeung.
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL JURY GRAND PRIZE
Actress Shinobu Terajima for Caterpillar
Japan
Israel / France / Germany
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
Lee Chang-dong for Shi (Poetry)
Republic of Korea
BEST PERFORMANCE BY ACTRESS
Yun Jung-hee for Shi (Poetry)
Republic of Korea
BEST PERFORMANCE BY ACTOR
Chen Daoming for Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock)
People's Republic of China (Mainland China / Hong Kong)
BEST SCREENPLAY
Samuel Maoz for Levanon (Lebanon)
Israel / France / Germany
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sudhir Palsane for Vihir (The Well)
India
BEST CHILDREN'S FEATURE FILM
Digari (The Other)
Islamic Republic of Iran
Produced by Mohammad Ali Najafi
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Piercing I
People's Republic of China
Produced by Lynne Wang
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Last Train Home
People's Republic of China / Canada
Produced by Mila Aung-Thwin and Daniel Cross.
Co-Produced by Bob Moore
FIAPF AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM
Christine Hakim
UNESCO AWARD
Turkey / Germany
Written and directed by Semih Kaplanoğlu
HIGH COMMENDATION
High Commendation for Best Performance by an Actor
High Commendation for Outstanding Technology and Special Effects
