‘Shoplifters,’ ‘Newton,’ ‘Youth’ in the Running for AACTA Asian Film Award

By Patrick Frater

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Three Indian, two Chinese and one Korean film are among the movies that will compete for the Best Asian Film Award, presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards.

The nine nominees include China’s two hit drama’s “Youth” and “Dying to Survive.” From India, the contenders include breakout “Newton,” as well as psychological drama “Gali Galeiyan,” and “Sanju,” a disarmingly candid exploration of the colorful life of veteran actor Sanjay Dutt.

The list also includes Japanese Cannes Palme d’Or-winner “Shoplifters,” South Korean hit “1987 When the Day Comes,” Taiwan’s “The Bold, The Corrupt, The Beautiful,” and Malaysia’s “Tombiruo.”

The jury for the award will be headed by Russell Crowe, Anupam Kher, Shabana Azmi and Margaret Pomeranz, who will this year be joined by Chinese screenwriter Liu Yi (“Wolf Warrior II”,) Australian director and producer Paul Currie (“Hacksaw Ridge,” “”Bleeding Steel”,) Beijing-based director, producer and screenwriter Renny Harlin (“Die Hard 11”,) South Korean director and cartoonist Woo-seok Yang (“The Attorney”,) and Japanese actress, director, producer and writer Kiki Sugino (“Yuki Onna”).

The AACTA Awards are a continuum of the AFI Awards, which have honored screen excellence in Australia since 1958. The main awards ceremonies take place in Sydney in early December. A second cycle of international awards are presented in Los Angeles in January.

In the last 12 months, Asian films have earned $26 million (A$36 million) at the Australian box office. “(This signals) the immense popularity of Asian cinema in Australia as the region’s film industries continue to boom and produce high-quality, internationally lauded titles,” AACTA said in a statement. “(The award) recognises the exceptional calibre of films from the Asian region as well as their growing popularity, not just with audiences domestically within Australasia but also globally.”