| Asian Film Awards | |
|---|---|
| Current:18th Asian Film Awards | |
| Awarded for | Excellence incinematic achievements |
| Location |
|
| Country | Asia |
| Presented by | Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (2007–2012) Asian Film Awards Academy (2013–present) |
| First award | 2007 |
| Final award | 2025 |
| Website | www |
TheAsian Film Awards are presented annually by the Asian Film Awards Academy to recognise the excellence of the film professionals in thefilm industries ofAsian cinema.
On January 29, 2007, Wilfred Wong, the Chairman of Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, announced the launch of the Asian Film Awards (AFA).[1] The 1st Asian Film Awards occurred on March 20, 2007, on the opening night of the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) inHong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. It honoured the best film achievements of the Asian cinema in the year 2006. It was attended by about 4000 guests from around the world.[2]
The AFA Presentation Ceremony takes place as part of the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong Opening Gala. Eminent filmmakers and superstars from around the world are invited to bestow awards upon the winner(s) of each category, making the ceremony a dazzling extravaganza as well as an influential cultural event.[3]
Throughout its history and since its inauguration in 2007, Chinese-language films and professionals from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have dominated the awards.[4][5][6][7]
On February 13, 2007, theHong Kong Trade Development Council hosted a celebration ofPark Chan-wook'sI'm a Cyborg, But That's OK announcement of being the opening film for the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival at a reception inBerlin. At the same event the AFA trophy, designed by award-winning production designer,William Chang, was also unveiled.[8]
According to William Chang, his inspiration behind the artwork was his admiration to a combination ofarchitectural drawings and his own collection of antiquestatues. Measuring 36 cm (14 in), the trophy symbolises the joy and the accomplishment of all the award winners.[9]
The current trophy is gold as a whole but had changed significantly before. The first trophies that were handed in 2007 has its trophy in black with a white base. In the 2nd AFA, the current gold colour was used as whole but in 2009 for its 3rd AFA instead of a gold base, it has a black base. Then in 2010, the whole gold trophy had returned and now used nowadays.
To be eligible, films must be feature length (more than 60 minutes); be in 35mm or 70mm film format or digital format suitable for exhibition in cinemas; and be fiction films fromAsia. This encompasses all thecinemas of Asia:East Asia,Central Asia,South Asia,Southeast Asia andWest Asia. Additionally, the films must haveEnglish subtitles.
The films must have been released between January 1 and December 31 of the year preceding the awards ceremony, and have been exhibited through a domestic theatrical release and distribution to at least one other country; been premiered at an internationalfilm festival; or received national film awards.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society compile the preliminary nomination list with the participation of the two parties who can submit films for the consideration to be included in the nomination list which are:
After the Society finalised the nomination list, the Jury and the Voting Members (composed of previous winners from past AFA) would then vote in an Online Balloting System where it would be counted, tallied and kept confidential until the day of the AFA by a reputable firm of certified public accountants.
These special awards are not always presented on a consistent annual basis. The Society chooses the special awards to be given for a certain year.
^* The asterisk indicates the awards that were renamed for a certain Asian Film Awards Presentation Ceremony. Their first and original names are used in this list.
