Hong Kong’s celebrated actor Sean Lau Ching-wan claimed the Best Actor award at the 18th Asian Film Awards on Sunday night for his powerful performance in the family drama Papa. The prestigious event, held in Hong Kong, recognized outstanding achievements in Asian cinema, with 30 films from 25 countries or regions competing for 16 awards.
Among the notable winners, Shahana Goswami from India took home the Best Actress trophy for her role in the crime drama Santosh. The film’s director, Sandhya Suri, was also honored with the Best New Director award, further solidifying the film’s success.
All We Imagine as Light, a drama film with six nominations, was awarded the Best Film honor, while Japan’s Daihachi Yoshida earned the Best Director award for his work on the drama Teki Cometh.
Hong Kong’s martial arts action film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, based on the novel City of Darkness and its comic adaptation, earned two awards, including Best Editing and Best Production Design. The film had been nominated for nine awards, making it one of the top contenders of the evening.
In the acting categories, Lee Kang-sheng won Best Supporting Actor for his role in the mystery thriller Stranger Eyes, while the Best Supporting Actress award went to Yang Kuei-mei for her performance in the drama Yen and Ai-Lee.
The political drama The Seed of the Sacred Fig claimed the Best Screenplay award, while Japanese actor Kurihara Hayato was honored with the Best Newcomer award for his lead role in Happyend, a Japanese-American co-production. Meanwhile, Chu Wan-pin, a composer from Hong Kong, was recognized with the Best Original Music award for his work on the film The Last Dance.
In a special tribute to their contributions to Asian cinema, Chinese mainland actress Tang Wei and South Korean actor Jang Dong-gun were presented with the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award. Japanese actor Koji Yakusho was also celebrated with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his four-decade-long career in film.
The Asian Film Awards, established in 2007, continue to spotlight the best of Asian cinema. Since 2014, the awards have been hosted by the Asian Film Awards Academy, a collaborative effort between the international film festivals of Hong Kong, Busan, and Tokyo.
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