Asia Film Awards: Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s ‘Evil Does Not Exist’ Wins Best Film
On a big night for Japan, Hirokazu Kore-eda won best director, Koji Yakusho won best actor and 'Godzilla Minus One' claimed both best visual effects and best sound.
Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s formalist arthouse dramaEvil Does Not Existwon the best film prize Sunday night at theAsia FilmAwards in Hong Kong.
The Japanese film industry had a big night overall at the 17th edition of the awards ceremony, which was hosted this year in Hong Kong’s gleaming new Xiqu Centre, part of the city’s $2.7 billion West Kowloon Cultural District development. Japanese festival favorite Hirokazu Kore-eda won best director for his mystery dramaMonster, while the great Koji Yakusho took best actor for Wim Wender’s moving minimalist dramaPerfect Days.Hamaguchi’s chief collaborator onEvil Does Not Exist, Eiko Ishibashi, won best music and the Kaiju critical and commercial sensationGodzilla Minus One claimed both best visual effects and best sound.
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In many ways, it was Zhang Yimou’s night, however. The venerated Chinese director took the stage twice, once to accept an overdue lifetime achievement honor and again to pick up the trophy for the highest-grossing Asian film for his blockbusterFull River Red, which earned $634 million last year.
Other key notable winners included Jiang Qinqin with best actress for her powerful turn in the rural dramaDwelling by the West Lakeand the late Tibetan auteur Pema Tseden with best screenplay for his final film,Snow Leopard.
The AFAs were held on the eve of Filmart, Asia’s largest content market, which runs March 11-14. The Hong KongInternational Film Festival kicks off in the city on March 28.
ASIAN FILM AWARDS 2024– FULL WINNERS’ LIST
Best Film
12.12: The Day(South Korea)
Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Paradise (Sri Lanka, India)
Perfect Days (Japan)
Snow Leopard(China)
Best Director
KIM Sung-soo for12.12: The Day (South Korea)
GU Xiaogang forDwelling by the West Lake (China)
HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke forEvil Does Not Exist (Japan)
KORE-EDA Hirokazu forMonster (Japan)
Prasanna VITHANAGE forParadise (Sri Lanka, India)
Best New Director
Khagvadulam PUREV-OCHIR forCity of Wind (France, Mongolia, Portugal, Netherlands, Qatar, Germany)
PHAM THIEN An forInside the Yellow Cocoon Shell(Vietnam, Singapore, France, Spain)
Dominic SANGMA forRapture (India, China, Switzerland, Qatar, Netherlands)
Amanda Nell EU for Tiger Stripes (Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, France, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia, Qatar)
Nick CHEUK forTime Still Turns the Pages (Hong Kong)
Best Actor
HWANG Jung-min in12.12: The Day(South Korea)
WU Kang-Ren inAbang Adik (Malaysia)
SHEN Teng inFull River Red(China)
YAKUSHO Koji inPerfect Days (Japan)
Tony LEUNG Chiu Wai inThe Goldfinger(Hong Kong, China)
Best Actress
JIANG Qinqin inDwelling by the West Lake(China)
JUNG Yu-mi inSleep (South Korea)
ZHOU Dongyu inThe Breaking Ice (China, Singapore)
Audrey LIN inTrouble Girl(Taiwan)
KIKUCHI Rinko in658km Yoko(Japan)
Best Supporting Actor
PARK Hoon in12.12: The Day(South Korea)
Jack TAN inAbang Adik (Malaysia)
NAKAMURA Shido inKubi (Japan)
PARK Jung-min inSmugglers (South Korea)
Sean WONG inTime Still Turns the Pages(Hong Kong)
Best Supporting Actress
HAMABE Minami inGodzilla Minus One(Japan)
Rachel LEUNG inIn Broad Daylight(Hong Kong)
TSUTSUI Mariko inLast Shadow at First Light(Singapore, Japan, Slovenia, The Philippines, Indonesia)
GO Min-si inSmugglers (South Korea)
WAN Fang inSnow in Midsummer(Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore)
Best Newcomer
Tergel Bold-Erdene inCity of Wind (Mongolia, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Qatar, Germany)
Awat RATANAPINTHA inDoi Boy(Thailand, Cambodia)
Yoyo TSE inFly Me to the Moon (Hong Kong)
WANG Yibo in Hidden Blade (China)
SHIRATA Mihaya inLast Shadow at First Light(Singapore, Japan, Slovenia, The Philippines, Indonesia)
Best Screenplay
HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke forEvil Does Not Exist (Japan)
SAKAMOTO Yuji forMonster
Prasanna VITHANAGE and Anushka SENANAYAKE forParadise (Sri Lanka, India)
Jason YU forSleep (South Korea)
Pema Tseden forSnow Leopard (China)
Best Editing
KIM Sang-bum for12.12: The Day (South Korea)
HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, and YAMAZAKI Azusa forEvil Does Not Exist(Japan)
Matthieu LACLAU forOnly the River Flows (China)
A. Sreekar PRASAD forParadise (Sri Lanka, India)
Nick CHEUK, Keith CHAN Hiu Chun forTime Still Turns the Pages(Hong Kong)
Best Cinematography
LEE Mo-gae for12.12: The Day (South Korea)
KITAGAWA Yoshio forEvil Does Not Exist (Japan)
CHENGMA Zhiyuan forOnly the River Flows(China)
Azamat DULATOV forQas (Kazakhstan)
Matthias DELVAUX forSnow Leopard (China)
Best Original Music
UMEBAYASHI Shigeru forDwelling by the West Lake(China)
ISHIBASHI Eiko forEvil Does Not Exist(Japan)
Akmaral MERGEN forQas (Kazakhstan)
Anon Ch Momin forRapture (India, China, Switzerland, Qatar, Netherlands)
LEE Dong-june for1947 Road to Boston (South Korea)
Best Costume Design
Tim YIP forCreation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (China)
KUROSAWA Kazuko forKubi (Japan)
YOON Jung-hee forSmugglers (South Korea)
Elaine NG forSnow in Midsummer(Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore)
MAN Lim Chung forThe Goldfinger (Hong Kong, China)
Best Production Design
CHO Hwa-sung forConcrete Utopia(South Korea)
MITSUMATSU Keiko forMonster (Japan)
ZHANG Menglun forOnly the River Flows (China)
Daktse Drundrup forSnow Leopard (China)
Eric LAM forThe Goldfinger(Hong Kong, China)
Best Visual Effects
EUN Jae-hyun forConcrete Utopia(South Korea)
Douglas Hans SMITH forCreation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (China)
YAMAZAKI Takashi, SHIBUYA Kiyoko, TAKAHASHI Masaki, NOJIMA Tatsuji forGodzilla Minus One(Japan)
JIN Jong-Hyun for “The Moon” (South Korea)
Allen WEI, Ahdee CHIU, DING Yanlai, Eric XU for “The Wandering Earth II” (China)
Best Sound
KIM Hyun-sang forConcrete Utopia (South Korea)
YANG Jiang, ZHAO Nan forCreation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms(China)
INOUE Natsuko forGodzilla Minus One (Japan)
Vuong Gia Bao, Xander TOH forInside the Yellow Cocoon Shell(Vietnam, Singapore, France, Spain)
TU Duu-Chih, WU Shu-Yao forSnow in Midsummer (Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore).
AFA Next Generation Award
ZHAO Liying, actor (China)
Excellence in Asian Cinema
LEE Young-ae, actor (Korea) and SUZUKI Ryuhei, actor (Japan)
Asia Rising Star Award
Win Metawin, actor (Thailand)
Highest-Grossing Asian Film
Full River Red dir. ZHANG Yimou (China)
Lifetime Achievement Award
ZHANG Yimou, director (China)
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