The Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society

Hong Kong International Film Festival

The Hong Kong International Film Festival is a platform for filmmakers, film professionals and filmgoers from all over the world to launch and experience new film work. There are seminars, conferences, exhibitions, and parties celebrating the festival community...

 to recognize excellence of film professionals in the film industries

Film industry

The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...

 of Asian cinema

Asian cinema

Asian cinema refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Asia, and is also sometimes known as Eastern cinema. More commonly however, it is used to refer to the cinema of Eastern, Southeastern and Southern Asia. West Asian cinema is sometimes classified as part of Middle...

.

History

Launched in 2007, the Asian Film Awards (AFA) is a pioneering programme honouring filmmakers with outstanding achievements in the field of Asian cinema. The AFA is the only platform in the world that brings together the best cinematic talents of Asia, drawing film fans and professionals from all across the globe.

The AFA Presentation Ceremony takes place as part of the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong Opening Gala. Eminent filmmakers and superstars from around the world are invited to bestow awards upon the winner(s) of each category, making the ceremony a dazzling extravaganza as well as an influential cultural event.

Eligibility and nominees

In the inaugural year, awards were given in 10 categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenwriter, Best Cinematographer, Best Production Designer, Best Composer, Best Editor and Best Visual Effects. In 2008, the categories for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress were added. Up to six nominees are honored in each category.

To be eligible, films must be feature length (more than 60 minutes); be in 35mm or 70mm film format or digital format suitable for exhibition in cinemas; and be fiction films from Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

. This encompasses all the cinemas of Asia

Asian cinema

Asian cinema refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Asia, and is also sometimes known as Eastern cinema. More commonly however, it is used to refer to the cinema of Eastern, Southeastern and Southern Asia. West Asian cinema is sometimes classified as part of Middle...

: East Asia

East Asian cinema

East Asian cinema is a term used to refer to the film industry and films produced in and/or by natives of East Asia. It can be seen as a sub-section of Asian cinema, which in turn is a sub-section of world cinema, a catchall term used in the English-speaking world to refer to all foreign language...

, South Asia

South Asian cinema

South Asian cinema refers to the cinema of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.The terms Asian cinema, Eastern cinema and Oriental cinema in common usage often encompass South Asia as well as East Asia and South East Asia...

, Southeast Asia

Southeast Asian cinema

Southeast Asian cinema refers to the film industry and films produced in, and/or by natives of, Southeast Asia. By definition, it describes any films produced in Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.Southeast Asian cinema...

 and West Asia. Additionally, the films must have English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 subtitles.

The films must have been released between January 1 and December 31 of the year preceding the awards ceremony, and have been exhibited through a domestic theatrical release and distribution to at least one other country; been premiered at an international film festival

Film festival

A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...

; or received national film awards.

Nominees are selected from a list drawn up by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society and the Asian Film Awards jury, which is composed of various filmmakers, producers, critics, academics and other film professionals.

Major award winners

Year	Best Film	Best Director	Best Actor	Best Actress	Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
2007 1st 1st Asian Film Awards The 1st Asian Film Awards were given on 20 March 2007 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, on the opening night of the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival....	The Host The Host (film) The Host is a 2006 South Korean monster film, which also contains elements of comedy and drama films. The film was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the screenplay, along with Baek Chul-hyun....	Jia Zhangke Jia Zhangke Jia Zhangke is a Chinese film director. He is generally regarded as a leading figure of the "Sixth Generation" movement of Chinese cinema, a group that also includes such figures as Wang Xiaoshuai and Zhang Yuan.... for Still Life	Song Kang-ho Song Kang-ho Song Kang-ho is a leading South Korean film actor.- Career:Song Kang-ho never professionally trained as an actor, beginning his career in social theater groups after graduating from Kimhae High School... for The Host The Host (film) The Host is a 2006 South Korean monster film, which also contains elements of comedy and drama films. The film was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the screenplay, along with Baek Chul-hyun....	Miki Nakatani for Memories of Matsuko Memories of Matsuko is a 2006 Japanese film written and directed by Tetsuya Nakashima. It is based on a Japanese novel by Muneki Yamada.It has not yet received North American distribution, though in its North American premiere at the 2007 New York Asian Film Festival, the film received the Audience Award with an...
2008 2nd 2nd Asian Film Awards The 2nd Asian Film Awards were given in a ceremony on 17 March 2008 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival....	Secret Sunshine Secret Sunshine Secret Sunshine is a 2007 South Korean film directed by acclaimed South Korean director, novelist, and former Minister of Culture Lee Chang-dong. The story focuses on a woman as she wrestles with the questions of grief, madness, and faith. The Korean title, 밀양 is given after the city that served...	Lee Chang-dong Lee Chang-dong Lee Chang-dong is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and novelist. He won the 2008 Special Director's Prize at the Asian Film Awards and has been nominated for the Golden Lion and Palme d'Or. Lee served as South Korea's Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2003 to 2004.-Life and career:Lee... for Secret Sunshine Secret Sunshine Secret Sunshine is a 2007 South Korean film directed by acclaimed South Korean director, novelist, and former Minister of Culture Lee Chang-dong. The story focuses on a woman as she wrestles with the questions of grief, madness, and faith. The Korean title, 밀양 is given after the city that served...	Tony Leung for Lust, Caution	Jeon Do-yeon Jeon Do-yeon Jeon Do-yeon is a highly-acclaimed South Korean actress who has won many awards including best actress at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival... for Secret Sunshine Secret Sunshine Secret Sunshine is a 2007 South Korean film directed by acclaimed South Korean director, novelist, and former Minister of Culture Lee Chang-dong. The story focuses on a woman as she wrestles with the questions of grief, madness, and faith. The Korean title, 밀양 is given after the city that served...	Sun Honglei Sun Honglei Sun Honglei, born 16 August 1970 in Harbin, China is a Chinese actor.-Background:Sun developed an interest in acting and performances at a young age. He often skipped school to learn breakdancing on the streets and eventually gave up his studies entirely to pursue dancing as a career, eventually... for Mongol Mongol (film) Mongol is a 2007 semi-historical film directed by Sergei Bodrov. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Bodrov and Arif Aliev. Producers for the film comprised Bodrov, Sergei Selyanov and Anton Melnik. The film is based on the early life of Temüjin, who later came to be known as...	Joan Chen Joan Chen Joan Chong Chen is a Chinese American actress, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor... for The Sun Also Rises
2009 3rd 3rd Asian Film Awards The 3rd Asian Film Awards was given in a ceremony on 23 March 2009 as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival.-Best Film:*Winner: Tokyo Sonata **Forever Enthralled...	Tokyo Sonata Tokyo Sonata is a 2008 film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. It won the award for Best Film at the 3rd Asian Film Awards and received 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards nominations for Achievement in Directing and Best Screenplay...	Koreeda Hirokazu for Still Walking Still Walking (2008 film) is a 2008 Japanese film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. The film is a portrait of a family over roughly 24 hours as they commemorate the death of one member.-Plot:...	Masahiro Motoki Masahiro Motoki Masahiro Motoki is a Japanese actor. He portrayed protagonist Daigo Kobayashi in Departures, which won the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film... for Departures Departures (film) All compositions by Joe Hisaishi.#"Shine of Snow I" 1:12#"Nohkan" 3:10#"Kaisan" 0:53#"Good-Bye Cello" 2:16#"New Road" 1:15#"Model" 0:47#"First Contact" 1:51#"Washing" 0:34#"Kizuna I" 1:57#"Beautiful Dead I" 3:12#"Okuribito " 1:51...	Zhou Xun Zhou Xun Zhou Xun is a Chinese actress and singer. She is regarded as one of the "Four Young Dan actresses" in China in the early 2000s, along with Zhang Ziyi, Xu Jinglei and Zhao Wei.-Early life:... for The Equation of Love and Death The Equation of Love and Death The Equation of Love and Death is a 2008 Chinese dramatic film written and directed by Cao Baoping and starring Zhou Xun. The film is a Chinese and Hong Kong co-production...	Jung Woo-sung Jung Woo-sung - Career :Jung Woo-sung was born in Seoul on March 20, 1973. After first finding work as a model, he made his film debut in the 1994 movie The Fox with Nine Tails, together with Ko So-young... for The Good, the Bad, the Weird The Good, the Bad, the Weird The Good, the Bad, the Weird is a 2008 South Korean western film directed by Kim Ji-woon, starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, and Jung Woo-sung...	Gina Pareño Gina Pareno Gina Pareño is an actress in the Philippines born to a Filipina mother and German- American father. She first worked as an extra in some films and then later on became one of the artists of Sampaguita Films. She has worked in television and film in the Philippines since the 1960s... for Serbis
2010 4th 4th Asian Film Awards The 4th Asian Film Awards was given in a ceremony on 22 March 2010 as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival.-Best Film:*Winner: Mother **City of Life and Death **Lola **Parade...	Mother Mother (2009 film) Mother is a 2009 South Korean drama film directed by Bong Joon-ho, starring Kim Hye-ja and Won Bin.-Plot:Kim Hye-ja, a veteran Korean actress, plays an unnamed widow living alone with her only son, selling medicinal herbs in a small town in southern South Korea while doing unlicensed acupuncture...	Lu Chuan Lu Chuan Lu Chuan is a Chinese filmmaker and screenwriter. He is the son of the novelist, Lu Tianming.-Education:Educated at the People's Liberation Army International Relations University in Nanjing, Lu spent two years serving in the Army as a secretary to a general. After his time in the army, Lu... for City of Life and Death	Wang Xueqi Wang Xueqi Wang Xueqi is a Chinese film actor whose career has spanned over 25 years. He was often cast in early Fifth Generation films, such as Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth and The Big Parade , Huang Jianxin's Samsara, and Zhang Yimou's Codename Cougar... for Bodyguards and Assassins Bodyguards and Assassins Bodyguards and Assassins is a 2009 Hong Kong film directed by Teddy Chan, featuring an all-star cast, including Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Leon Lai, Wang Xueqi, Simon Yam, Hu Jun, Eric Tsang and Fan Bingbing.-Plot:...	Kim Hye-ja Kim Hye-ja Kim Hye-ja is an South Korean actress who starred in Bong Joon-ho film Mother in which she won best actress for the 4th Asian Film Awards.-Career:... for Mother Mother (2009 film) Mother is a 2009 South Korean drama film directed by Bong Joon-ho, starring Kim Hye-ja and Won Bin.-Plot:Kim Hye-ja, a veteran Korean actress, plays an unnamed widow living alone with her only son, selling medicinal herbs in a small town in southern South Korea while doing unlicensed acupuncture...	Nicholas Tse Nicholas Tse Nicholas Tse is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, actor and musician, and son of actor Patrick Tse. He is a member of the Emperor Entertainment Group... for Bodyguards and Assassins Bodyguards and Assassins Bodyguards and Assassins is a 2009 Hong Kong film directed by Teddy Chan, featuring an all-star cast, including Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Leon Lai, Wang Xueqi, Simon Yam, Hu Jun, Eric Tsang and Fan Bingbing.-Plot:...	Kara Hui Kara Hui Kara Hui Ying-Hung is a Hong Kong actress of Manchu ancestry.-Biography and career:Hui's family moved to Hong Kong in 1966 and she started working at night clubs at fourteen. In her interview on Be My Guest, Hui revealed her family lost their savings from her father's business acquaintances... for At the End of Daybreak
2011 5th 5th Asian Film Awards The 5th Asian Film Awards was given in a ceremony on 21 March 2011 as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival.-Best Film:*Winner: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives **Aftershock...	Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a 2010 Thai film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:The film centers on the last days in the life of its title character...	Lee Chang-dong Lee Chang-dong Lee Chang-dong is a South Korean film director, screenwriter and novelist. He won the 2008 Special Director's Prize at the Asian Film Awards and has been nominated for the Golden Lion and Palme d'Or. Lee served as South Korea's Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2003 to 2004.-Life and career:Lee... for Poetry Poetry (film) Poetry is a 2010 South Korean drama film written and directed by Lee Chang-dong. It tells the story of a suburban woman in her 60s who begins to grow an interest for poetry while struggling with Alzheimer's disease and her irresponsible grandson. Yoon Jeong-hee stars in the leading role, which was...	Ha Jeong-woo Ha Jeong-woo Ha Jeong-woo is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his role in The Chaser, the 2008 film loosely based on serial killer Yoo Young-chul.-Career:Born as Kim Seong-hun, Ha Jeong-woo comes from an acting family... for The Yellow Sea	Xu Fan for Aftershock Aftershock (film) Aftershock or Aftershocks, named in Chinese as the "Tangshan Great Earthquake" is a 2010 Chinese drama film depicting the aftermath of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake directed by Feng Xiaogang. The film stars Xu Fan and Zhang Jingchu, with a supporting cast including Li Chen...	Sammo Hung Sammo Hung Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema... for Ip Man 2 Ip Man 2 Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, the film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role...	Yoon Yeo-jeong Yoon Yeo-jeong -Biography:When Yoon was a freshman at Hanyang University majoring in Korean literature, she was chosen as a TV actress in a public recruit by TBC TV. Yoon was cast in the lead role in Mister Bear one year after her debut, and gained popularity... for The Housemaid The Housemaid The Housemaid is a 1960 black-and-white Korean film. It was directed by Kim Ki-young and starred Lee Eun-shim, Ju Jeung-nyeo and Kim Jin Kyu. It has been described in Koreanfilm.org as a "consensus pick as one of the top three Korean films of all time". This was the first film in Kim's Housemaid...

External links

• IMDb: Asian Film Awards
• 2007 Asian Film Awards