[2015.02.26] THE 9TH ASIAN FILM AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE ANNOUNCED

Tang Wei (THE GOLDEN ERA)
courtesy of singtao.com

Tang Wei (THE GOLDEN AGE)

Gong Li (COMING HOME)

Vicki Zhao (DEAREST)

Rie Miyazawa (PALE MOON)

Kalik Koechlin (MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW)

Bae Doo-Na (A GIRL AT MY DOOR)

Sean Lau (OVERHEARD 3)

Ethan Ruan (PARADISE IN SERVICE)

Ryo Kase (HILL OF FREEDOM)

Choi Min-Sik (ROARING CURRENTS)

Takeru Satou (RUROUNI KENSHIN: THE LEGEND ENDS)

Liao Fan (BLACK COAL, THIN ICE)

Mabel Cheung says that making a movie is too expensive now
courtesy of mingpao.com

Ivana Wong is surprised to receive a Best Newcomer nomination for GOLDEN CHICKENSSS but also wants to win

Ivana Wong (second right) wants to work with Mabel Cheung (second left)
courtesy of on.cc

The 9th Asian Film Award will take place on March 25 at the Macau Venetian Theatre. The event yesterday held a press conference to announce its nominations. This year, 42 films from 8 countries and regions received 74 nominations. The jury president this year will be director Mabel Cheung Yuen Ting, who will lead 13 professional jury members from different regions to select excellent work of Asia. Best Actor Aaron Kwok Fu Sing will be the celebrity member.

Ivana Wong Yuen Chi earlier in the month received 5 Hong Kong Film Award nominations. Yesterday again with GOLDEN CHICKENSSS (GUM GAI SSS) she was nominated for Best Newcomer. As For Best Actor and Best Actress nominations, OVERHEARD 3 (SIT TING FUNG WON 3)'s Sean Lau Ching Wan, PARADISE IN SERVICE's Ethan Ruan and BLACK COAL, THIN ICE's Liao Fan were nominated for Best Actor while COMING HOME's Gong Li, DEAREST's Vicki Zhao Wei and THE GOLDEN ERA's Tang Wei as well as PALE MOON's Rie Miyazawa were nominated for Best Actress. The Lou Ye directed BLIND MASSAGE last year won the Berlin Film Festival Outstanding Artistic Contribution (Cinematography) Silver Bear prize and six Golden Horse Awards. Thus it became the Best Film and Best Director favorite.

Ivana said that she had to remind herself to learn to be a professional actress, not to disappoint anyone who supported her. "The nomination is already a great grace and blessing, winning or not is not important. It is already a great honor." She was nominated with GOLDEN CHICKENSSS but was very thankful for directors and actors who have worked with her in 2013 and 2014. Ivana said, "I just joined the film industry last year, and knew that I had a lot to learn from film productions. It was very professional and a lot of fun, it is a great art. (Who is your biggest competition this time?) I don't know because some of the nominated films haven't been released in Hong Kong yet. I haven't seen them." She also revealed that earlier when she watched the Oscars, some winners' speeches moved her. Did she copy any down for her own use? She said, "I tried, but I don't know if I will have a chance to speak on the stage. If not, I will talk about my experience on social networking sites." Did she know what she would wear? She admitted that she did not because she ate a lot during the New Spring. Her boyfriend told her to relax, if one did not fit she could try another one. Rising with comedy, she admitted that her new films will mainly be comedy. Yesterday she saw Cheung Yuen Ting and she would like to work on a drama with her.

Cheung Yuen Ting also hoped to work with Ivana and praised her potential like a girl next door. "She is a creator, I never expect her to be so convincing as a 'chicken'. She stole the show, truly deserving her Best Newcomer nomination."

The financial secretary yesterday announced the budget. The Hong Kong Film Development fund's Film Production Financing Scheme's production budget upper limit will be increased to HK$ 25 million. Cheung Yuen Ting who applied for the fund when she made ECHOES OF THE RAINBOW (SHUI YUET SUN TAU) said, "If it's true then I am rich! Now film productions are very expensive. Because Mainland productions are fighting over personnel, without reasonable budgets it will be hard to compete with others. (Will you consider apply again?) It will depend on the situation, (Sandra) Ng Kwan Yu and (Simon) Yam Tat Wa both got a friendly rate. I can't always make people discount their rate."

THE 9TH ASIAN FILM AWARDS
http://www.asianfilmawards.asia/nominees-and-winners/9th-afa-nominees-and-winners/

BEST FILM
BLACK COAL, THIN ICE
BLIND MASSAGE
HAIDER
HILL OF FREEDOM
ODE TO MY FATHER
THE LIGHT SHINES ONLY THERE

BEST DIRECTOR
Lou Ye (BLIND MASSAGE)
Shinya Tsukamoto (FIRES ON THE PLAIN)
Lav Diaz (FROM WHAT IS BFORE)
Vishal BHARDWAJ (HAIDER)
Hong Sang-Soo (HILL OF FREEDOM)
Ann Hui On Wa (THE GOLDEN ERA)

BEST ACTOR
Liao Fan (BLACK COAL, THIN ICE)
Ryo Kase (HILL OF FREEDOM)
Sean Lau Ching Wan (OVERHEARD 3)
Ethan Ruan (PARADISE IN SERVICE)
Choi Min-Sik (ROARING CURRENTS)
Takeru Satoh (RUROUNI KENSHIN: THE LEGEND ENDS)

BEST ACTRESS
Bae Doo-Na (A GIRL AT MY DOOR)
Gong Li (COMING HOME)
Vicki Zhao wei (DEAREST)
Kalki Koechlin (MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW)
Rie Miyazawa (PALE MOON)
Tang Wei (THE GOLDEN ERA)

BEST NEWCOMER
Doh Kyung-Soo (CART)
Zhang Huiwen (COMING HOME)
Ivana Wong Yuen Chi (GOLDEN CHICKENSSS)
Hiroomi Tosaka (HOT ROAD)
Zhan Huaiyun (MEETING DR. SUN)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Cho Jin-Woong (A HARD WAY)
Hao Qin (BLIND MASSAGE)
Chen Jianbin (PARADISE IN SERVICE)
Wang Zhiwen (THE GOLDEN ERA)
Hideaki Ito (WOOD JOB!)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Han Ye-Ri (HAEMOO)
Tabassum Hashmi (HAIDER)
Wan Qian (PARADISE IN SERVICE)
Chizuru Ikewaki (THE LIGHT SHINES ONLY THERE)
Haru Kuroki (THE LITTLE HOUSE)

BEST SCREENWRITER
Kim Seong-Hun (A HARD DAY)
Diao Yinan (BLACK COAL, THIN ICE)
Chaitanya Tamhane (COURT)
Li Qiang (THE GOLDEN ERA)
Ryo Takada (THE LIGHT SHINES ONLY THERE)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER
Dong Jinsong (BLACK COAL, THIN ICE)
Zeng Jian (BLIND MASSAGE)
Choi Chan-Min (KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT)
Ryuto Kondo (MY MAN)
Matt Flannery, Dimas Imam Subhono (THE RAID 2: BERANDAL)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Liu Qing (GONE WITH THE BULLETS)
Subrata Chakraborty, Amit Ray (HAIDER)
Park Il-Hyun (KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT)
Yuji Hayashida, Eri Sakushima (OVER YOUR DEAD BODY)
Yi Zhenzhou (THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN)

BEST COMPOSER
Cui Jian, Liu Yan (BLUE SKY BONES)
Zhang Yilin, Joe Hisaishi,Dou Peng, George Acogny, Shu Nan (GONE WITH THE BULLETS)
Mikey McCleary (MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW)
MOWG (THE FATAL ENCOUNTER)
BCDMG (TOKYO TRIBE)

BEST EDITOR
Kim Chang-Ju (A HARDDAY)
Hiroshi Sunaga (ONE THIRD)
Patrick Tam, Curran Pang (THAT DEMON WITHIN)
Kwong Chi-Leung, Manda Wai (THE GOLDEN ERA)
Gareth Evans (THE RAID 2: BERANDAL)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Rick Sander, Christoph Zollinger (GONE WITH THE BULLETS)
Takashi Yamazaki (PARASYTE)
Tong Ka-Wai, Ken Law, Randy Tse, Lucky Tracy Hannah (THE MIDNIGHT AFTER)
Kang Jong-Ik (THE PIRATES)
Kim Wook (THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN)

BEST COSTUME DESIGNER
Liang Tingting (BROTHERHOOD OF BLADES)
William Chang Suk Ping (GONE WITH THE BULLETS)
Isao Tsuge (OVRE YOUR DEAD BODY)
Chong Kyong-Hee (THE FATAL ENCOUNTER)
Kwon Yoo-Jin (THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN)