HONG KONG – Renowned Hong Kong actor Sean Lau Ching-wan took home the Best Actor award at the 18th Asian Film Awards on Sunday evening for his role in the family drama Papa.
The 18th edition of the prestigious event highlighted the diversity of Asian cinema, with 30 exceptional films from 25 countries and regions vying for 16 awards. The competition was fierce, as the nominated works spanned various genres.
Shahana Goswami received the Best Actress award for her compelling performance in the crime drama Santosh, while the film’s director, Sandhya Suri, was honored with the Best New Director award.
The Best Film accolade went to All We Imagine as Light, a drama that earned six nominations, while Daihachi Yoshida of Japan claimed the Best Director award for his work on the drama Teki Cometh.
In the action genre, Hong Kong’s Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In—which garnered nine nominations—secured two awards, including Best Editing and Best Production Design. Based on the novel City of Darkness and its corresponding comic series, the film explores the iconic Kowloon Walled City. It has also inspired nostalgic exhibitions across the city, showcasing replicas of the movie set.
The Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards were presented to Lee Kang-sheng of the mystery thriller Stranger Eyes and Yang Kuei-mei of the drama Yen and Ai-Lee, respectively.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig, a political drama, won the Best Screenplay award, while Kurihara Hayato received the Best Newcomer honor for his leading role in the Japanese-American film Happyend.
In the music category, Chu Wan-pin, a composer from Hong Kong, earned the Best Original Music award for his work on the drama The Last Dance.
Chinese actress Tang Wei and South Korean star Jang Dong-gun were honored with the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, recognizing their significant contributions to the industry. Meanwhile, Japanese actor Koji Yakusho was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his four-decade-long career and immense influence on cinema.
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