Two Indian films are among the many films from the Asia Pacific region which will make up this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA).
Young director Anmol Sidhu’s Jaggi is in the running for the Best Youth Film award. It tells the story of a young schoolboy in rural Punjab and is amongst an array of nominations that depict Asian-Pacific narratives for the coming-of-age genre.
The second Indian film nomination is in the Best Documentary Film category. All That Breathes, directed by Shaunak Sen, is a documentary of two brothers in New Delhi on a mission to save the city’s black kite birds.
Alongside these nominees, another Indian representation is well-known Indian producer Guneet Monga, who has been announced as a member of the International Jury.
Known for producing films such as Gangs of Wasseypur and The Lunchbox, Monga is headlining the committee that determines the winners of Best Film, Director, Performance, Cinematography, Screenplay and awarding the Jury Grand Prize.
In its 15th iteration this year, the APSA continues to serve as a prestigious celebration of global cinema with 78 countries and areas from the region featured throughout the awards’ history.
Since the APSA was first hosted in 2007, Indian films have been strong contenders each year with several wins in various categories.
The most recent APSA win for India was in 2019 with Manoj Bajpayee taking home the award for Best Performance by an Actor for his role in Bhonsle.
Consequently, India created a record of its own with the award for Best Performance by an Actor given to Indian actors the previous 3 years. These awards were received by Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Manto in 2018, Rajkumar Rao for Newton in 2017 and Bajpayee’s first award for Aligarh in 2016.
Other notable recognitions for Indian filmmaking at the APSA include Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and The Luncbox (2013) both receiving the Jury Grand Prize in their respective years.
This year’s APSA nominees have already made an impact for the region as 19 of the 26 films are composed by first- or second-time directors, hinting at a future of incredible filmmakers who are yet to showcase their full potential.
Amongst other nominations from the South Asia, a Pakistani film is one of two winners already announced.
Film-maker Saim Sadiq’s debut feature Joyland (Pakistan) is this recipient for the Young Cinema Award, an award presented in in partnership with NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) and Griffith Film School (GFS), which recognises the abundant emerging talent of the Asia Pacific
The APSA ceremony is set to be held on Friday November 11 at Home of the Arts (HOTA) on Australia’s Gold Coast.
READ MORE: Manoj Bajpayee wins Best Actor Award at APSA 2019
