A RECORD number of film entries in the third annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) reflects the growing prestige and audiences of one the Gold Coast’s biggest international events.
With 212 film entries from 43 countries entering in this year’s event, APSA chairman Des Power says the awards are becoming recognised as a major screen decoration for filmmakers worldwide.
“The number and calibre of entries in our third year is confirmation that APSA has been embraced by the film practitioners of Asia-Pacific,” he says.
“We needed an award for the region’s filmmakers, to acclaim their work and take it to a global audience.
“We do more than the Academy Awards and we do more than the Golden Globes, winning an APSA means a hell of a lot to filmmakers.”
A total of 126 feature films, 51 documentaries, 18 animated feature films and 17 children’s feature films will be considered for nominations in nine award categories.
Power says the growing popularity of the awards is not only attributed to the high quality of films, but the ‘essentially unique’ structure of the event.
A four-part documentary series Scene by Scene-Films of Asia Pacific is airing globally on CNN International in the lead up to the awards which Power says provides invaluable worldwide exposure for both the awards and the films themselves.
“More people are becoming aware that there are some damn good films coming out of the Asia-Pacific region,” he says.
“Hollywood has an incredible marketing prowess but what we are trying to achieve is to level the playing field and you will see that there is an increasing attraction for films made right around the world.
“Audiences are surprised and quite often amazed at the prowess of some of the films coming out of this region.”
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards ceremony will ight up the night on November 26.
More info at: www.asiapacificscreenawards.com
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