AdityaDhar'sdebut"Uri:TheSurgicalStrike",RimaDas's"VillageRockstars"andVasanBala-directedaction-comedy"TheManWhoFeelsNoPain"("MardKoDardNahinHota")havebeenpickedupbytheAustralianAcademyofCinemaandTelevisionArts(AACTA)tocompeteforthefinalnominationlistfortheBestAsianFilmAward2019.
ThenominationswereannouncedatagaladinnerinShanghairecently,whereAACTAwasalsohostingaChinaAustraliafilmforumandpaneldiscussionaspartofitsongoingAsiaInternationalEngagementProgram.
TheAACTABestAsianFilmawardhasbeendesignedtohonourthefinestfilmsofthepastyearfrom19Asianregions,reflectingthepopularityandimportanceofAsianfilmsinAustralia.
''It'sagreatthrilltobepickedupbyAustralia'shighestscreenaccolade,theAACTAAwardswhichisliketheAustralianequivalentoftheOscars.Iamsohonouredanddelightedtoseemyfilminthiscompetition,''Dharsaid.
Over300guestsattendedthegaladinneratWandaReignontheBundwhereAACTAannouncedthelistoffilmscompetingforthisyear'sAACTAAwardforBestAsianFilmpresentedbyEurekaInternationalGroup(EIG).
FilmsfromChina,JapanandKoreaalsomadeittothelist.
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AmongtheChinese-languagefilmsincompetitionisAustralian-Chineseco-production"TheWhistleblower",whichwasshotinVictorialatelastyear.
Itwillgoupagainstthesecondhighest-grossingfilmofalltimeinChina,FrantGwosci-fi"TheWanderingEarth";HanHancomedy"Pegasus";StephenChow'scomedy-drama"TheNewKingofComedy";andJiZhaoandJiakangHuang'sanimatedfantasy"WhiteSnake".
OtherfilmsfromtheChinaregioncompetingforanominationareChina'sBestForeignLanguageFilmOscarentry,action-comedy"HiddenMan";ZhangYimou'speriodfilm"Shadow";DiaoYinan'scrimedrama"TheWildGooseLake";actionfilm"ProjectGutenberg";darkcomedy"ACoolFish";mysterydrama"Headlines"andRennyHarlin'scrimethriller"BodiesatRest".
AlsoincompetitionisthePalmed'Orwinner,darkcomedy"Parasite"fromKoreandirectorBongJoon-ho;SouthKorea'sBestForeignLanguageFilmOscarentry,LeeChang-dong'spsychologicaldramamystery"Burning";Byung-heonLeeactioncomedy"ExtremeJob";SundanceandBerlinaleAward-winningJapanesedrama"WeAreLittleZombies"fromMakotoNagahisaandJapaneseanimation"WeatheringWithYou"fromfilmmakerMakotoShinkai.
FivenominationswillbeannouncedinearlyOctoberthisyearwhichwillbedeterminedbypreliminaryselectioncommittees.
ThewinneroftheBestAsianFilmAwardwillbeannouncedonDecember4thisyearbythe2019BestAsianFilmGrandJury,ledbyactorRussellCrowe,andactressChloeMaayanandShawBrothersexecutivedirectorVirginiaLok.
Inthepast,Indianfilmslike"Dangal","Pink","Kaasav:Turtle","GaliGuleiyan","Newton"and"Sanju"havemadeittothenominationlistoftheAACTA'sBestAsianFilmcategorywhileamongthejurorsfromIndiahavebeentheprolificIndianactorAnupamKherandShabanaAzmi.