Five up for best film at Asia-Pacific festival
JAKARTA (JP): The panel of judges at the 40th Asia-Pacific Film Festival nominated five films in the Best Film category yesterday.
They surprised observers by postponing the announcement of the nominations for 11 other categories until the night of award presentation ceremony slated for July 26.
The spokesman for the panel, Pancacharam Nalliah of Malaysia, said that the five film nominees are The Last Tattoo of New Zealand, Turning Point of Japan, The Lovers of Hong Kong, Hsiao Yu of Taiwan and Bulan Tertusuk Ilalang (And the Moon Dances) of Indonesia.
Suspending the announcement of the other nominees is meant, he said, "to keep a good spirit" among the festival's participants, who come from 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
"If we announce the other categories now, those who are not nominated may get upset. Therefore, to keep the spirit and in order for everyone to look forward to the award night with enthusiasm, we have decided to save it for the closing night of the festival," Nalliah said.
He said winners of best team and best director in the documentary film category also will be announced on Wednesday.
Some 30 feature films and 10 documentary films are participating in the festival. Only nine of the 14 participating countries (Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia) submitted films for competition. Kuwait, Vietnam, Singapore, India and the Philippines sent their films to be screened only.
Some expressed their surprise both with the five nominees and the 'save-it-for-closing-night' decision.
"It is not customary," commented Jane Freebury of Australia, a another member of the jury, on the postponement.
However, Freebury, who is also lecturer in film studies at the University of Wollongong, said she supported her fellow judges' decision.
Taiwan's Yang Kuei Mei, the leading actress of Vive l'Amour, which last year won the Golden Lion award for best picture at the Venice Film festival, also expressed her surprise to find out that her film was not nominated for best film.
"The film is made by a good team and a good director. I did expect it to be nominated for best film," Yang told The Jakarta Post.
Indonesia's young director Garin Nugroho, whose film Bulan Tertusuk Ilalang is among the nominees, was also astonished to hear that Vive l'amour, which is a favorite among the delegations, was not listed as a nominee.
"I saw the film, it is so powerful. It's a very good film," said Garin, adding that he did not expect to win the best film prize.
New Zealand's Once Were Warriors, which has won some 20 international awards including Best Film at the Montreal Film Festival, was not listed as a nominee either.
The festival's delegations are scheduled to pay a courtesy call on President Soeharto this morning. A film exchange forum will also be held at Jakarta Hilton Hotel International to accommodate those who want to buy and sell non-competing films. (als)