Singapore’s Yeo Yann Yann scores award at “The Oscars of Asia” – 8th Asian Film Awards

The 8th Asian Film Awards (AFA) award ceremony, dubbed the “Asian Oscars”, was held on 27 March 2014 at the House of Dancing Water Theatre in the City of Dreams, Macau. The 8th AFA was jointly organized by the AFA academy (AFAA) and its constituent partners – Busan Film Festival, Tokyo Film Festival and Hong Kong Film Festival.

Yeo Yann Yann (Ilo Ilo) won Best Supporting Actress at the 8th AFA

Actress Yeo Yann Yann and director Anthony Chen (Ilo Ilo) arrives together at the red carpet

Yeo Yann Yann won the Best Supporting Actress title for her role in the film Ilo Ilo against other strong contenders.Yeo’s success at the 8th AFA adds to her already outstanding number of illustrious awards she has won for her role in the film. “In modern life, when we encounter a lot of difficulties, our family members give us the biggest strength. So I hope you all can have this strength,” she said as she expressed her thanks, especially to her husband.

Singapore’s director Anthony Chen also scored a Best Director nomination with his story of a humble Singaporean family in his first feature film Ilo Ilo. This nomination bodes well for the future of Singaporean cinema in the international arena.

The Grandmaster walked away with the most awards this evening, bagging seven awards: Best Film, Best Director for Wong Kar Wai, Best Actress award for Zhang Ziyi, Best Production Designer and Costume Designer for William Chang Suk Ping, and Best Cinematographer for Phillipe Le Sourd.

In her speech, actress Zhang Ziyi spoke of one of the martial arts directors that was on the MH370, the missing Malaysian flight. Director Wong Kar Wai received the Best Film award on behalf of the crew and dedicated his speech to the missing director. He offered his deepest condolences and called on the Malaysian government for more transparency in clarifying the situation soon.

Amidst a standing ovation, Taiwanese actor Hou Hsiao Hsien received the top honour of Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Asian cinema throughout his 30 year career. “I’m receiving this award because I am an old man,” he joked. He expressed that he is motivated to continue making new films.

Irrfan Khan, lead actor of Indian romance film The Lunchbox, beat other nominees for the Best Actor award (including Tony Leung and Lee Kang Sheng) to win the award. “I'm honoured and delighted that I have been nominated with such great actors, actors which I've watched and which I'm in love with,” he said.

Isabelle Huppert, one of Europe’s top actresses, was named as the first honorary member of the AFAA. Top French fashion designer agnès b of her self-named label presented the Best Costume Designer and Best Production Designer Awards at the AFA award ceremony.

LIST OF WINNERS

Lifetime Achievement
Hou Hsiao-Hsien

Best Film
The Grandmaster

Best Director
Wong Kar-wai, The Grandmaster

Best Actor

Irrfan Khan, The Lunchbox

Best Actress
Zhang Ziyi, The Grandmaster

Best Newcomer
Jiang Shuying, So Young

Best Supporting Actor
Huang Bo, No Man’s Land

Best supporting actress
Yeo Yann Yann, Ilo Ilo

Best Screenwriter
Ritesh Batra, The Lunchbox

Best Cinematographer
Philippe Le Sourd, The Grandmaster

Best Production Designer
William Chang Suk Ping, Alfred Yau Wai Ming, The Grandmaster

Best Composer
Nathaniel Mechaly, Umebayashi Shigeru, The Grandmaster

Best Editor
Shin Min-kyung, Cold Eyes

Best Visual Effects
Jung Sung-jin, Mr Go

Best Costume designer
William Chang Suk Ping, The Grandmaster

ABOUT ASIAN FILM AWARDS

The annual Asian Film Awards was established in 2007 as the first awards to recognize cinematic talents across Asia. The only awards ceremony in the world that brings together the region’s cinematic elites, the AFA has garnered well-deserved attention from both industry professionals and movie fans alike.

This year's Asian Film Awards spanned 12 industry experts on the jury, 73 nominations, 26 films, and 14 award categories from 13 countries. The awards were jointly organised by the powerhouses of Asian cinema, comprising of the AFA Academy and its constituent partners – Busan International Film Festival, Hong Kong Film Festival Society and Tokyo International Film Festival.

The AFA strives to promote cultural exchange between film professionals from all across Asia with the ambition of propelling Asian films to greater heights.

Official website: http://www.asianfilmawards.asia/