3rd Asian Film Awards Nominations

Still in its infancy, the Asian Film Awards has yet to cause too many waves. Although the Asian Film Awards gives in to the inevitable lumping of "Asian film," it is also a show of regional camaraderie against the Holywoodization of all these markets. Much like any award program, AFA has a mix of the money-makers, the mediocre and the exceptional. I haven't seen enough of these to differentiate which is which, but two have played here in the Twin Cities (Singh is Kinng and Chandni Chowk to China at the best kept secret in town, the Brookdale 8), one is playing next week (24 City at the Walker), and one is available domestically on DVD (Stephen Chow's CJ7.) At the very least, most will see a DVD release sometime in the next five years state side.

Kim Jee-woon's The Good, the Bad, the Weird led the pack with eight nominations. I'm glad to see that Brillante Mendoza's Service (dogged at Cannes) is up for a few awards. In my opinion, this list is full of interesting stuff, with lots of films I am looking forward to. For those interested here is the complete list:

Best film

Tokyo Sonata - Japan/the Netherlands/Hong Kong
Forever Enthralled - China
The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Japan
The Rainbow Troops - Indonesia
Red Cliff - China


Director

Brillante Mendoza, Service - the Philippines
Feng Xiaogang, If You Are the One - China
Kim Jee-woon, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Koreeda Hirokazu, Still Walking - Japan
Miyazaki Hayao/Frank Marshall, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Japan
John Woo, Red Cliff - China

Actor

Song Kang-ho, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Ge You, If You Are the One - China
Ha Jung-woo, The Chaser - South Korea
Akshay Kumar, Singh Is Kinng - India
Matsuyama Kenich, Detroit Metal City - Japan
Motoki Masahiro, Departures - Japan

Actress

Zhou Xun, The Equation of Love and Death - China
Fukatsu Eri, The Magic Hour - Japan
Jiang Wenli, And the Spring Comes - China
Deepika Padukone, Chandni Chowk To China - India
Yoshinaga Sayuri, Kabei -- Our Mother - Japan
Zhou Wei, Painted Skin - China/Hong Kong

Best newcomer

JeeJa Yanin, Chocolate - Thailand
Matsuda Shota, Boys Over Flowers: the Movie - Japan
Sandrine Pinna, Miao Miao - Taiwan/Hong Kong
So Ji-sub, Rough Cut - South Korea
Xu Jiao, CJ7 - Hong Kong
Yu Shaoqun, Forever Enthralled - China

Supporting actor

Nick Cheung (left), Beast Stalker - Hong Kong
Jung Woo-sung, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Lee Byung-hun, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Tsutsumi Shinichi, Suspect X - Japan
Wang Xueqi, Forever Enthralled - China

Supporting actress

Kiki Kirin, Still Walking - Japan
Aoi Yu, Sex Is No Laughing Matter - Japan
Jaclyn Jose, Service - the Philippines
Kim Ji-yeong, Forever the Moment - South Korea
Gina Pareno, Service - the Philippines

Screenwriter
Na Hong-jin, The Chaser - South Korea
Li Qiang, And the Spring Comes - China
Tom Lin/Henry Tsai, Winds of September - Taiwan/Hong Kong
Kurosawa Kiyoshi/Max Mannix/Tanaka Sachiko, Tokyo Sonata - Japan/the Netherlands/Hong Kong
Mitani Koki, The Magic Hour - Japan

Cinematographer
Ato Shoichi, Paco and the Magical Book - Japan
Cheng Siu-keung (HKSC), Sparrow - Hong Kong
Lee Mo-gae, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Jola Dylewska, Tulpan - Germany/Kazakhstan/Poland/Russia/Switzerland
Wang Yu/Nelson Lik-wai YU, 24 City - China

Production designer
Nitin Chandrakant DESAI, Jodhaa Akbar - India
Kuwajima Towako, Paco and the Magical Book - Japan
Daniel Yan-kong Lee, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon - Hong Kong/South Korea/China
Bill Lui, Painted Skin - China/ Hong Kong
Taneda Yohei, The Magic Hour - Japan

Composer
Dalpalan/Jang Young-gyu, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Hanno Yoshihiro/ LIM Giong, 24 City - China
Hisaishi Joe, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea - Japan
Henry Wan-man Lai, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon - Hong Kong/South Korea/China
A.R. Rahman, Jodhaa Akbar - India

Editor
Chan Ki-hop, Beast Stalker - Hong Kong
William Suk-ping Chang, Miao Miao - Taiwan/Hong Kong
Darya Daniolva, Native Dancer - Kazakhstan/Russia/France/Germany
Waluyo Ichwandiardono, The Rainbow Troops - Indonesia
Kim Sun-min, The Chaser - South Korea

Visual effects
Craig Hayes, Red Cliff - China
Kim Wook, The Good, the Bad, the Weird - South Korea
Yanagawase Masahide, Paco and the Magical Book - Japan