The 17th annual Asian Film Awards (AFA) announced the winners and special award recipients at a ceremony held at the West Kowloon Cultural District’s Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong on March 10, 2024. Sixteen competitive prizes and six honorary prizes were given out.
 
A total of thirty-five films from 24 countries and regions were nominated for 16 prizes at the 17th AFA. From Japan, Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s Evil Does Not Exist received the Best Film Award and Best Original Music (Ishibashi Eiko), marking the second year in a row that Hamaguchi and Ishibashi have received AFA Awards; and Kore-eda Hirokazu won the Best Director Award with Monster, following last year’s wins with his Korean film Broker. Yakusho Koji won the Best Actor Award for Perfect Days, his second such AFA Award following his win at the 13th AFA in 2019 for The Blood of Wolves. Perfect Days won the Best Director Award at the Japan Academy Film Prizes just days ago, and was the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival’s (TIFF) Opening Film. Godzilla Minus One — which was the 36th TIFF’s Closing Film and won Best Film and many other awards at the Japan Academy Film Prizes, as well as being nominated for the American Academy Award for Best Visual Effects — won the Best Visual Effects Award (Yamazaki Takashi, Shibuya Kiyoko, Takahashi Masaki, Nojima Tatsuji) and the Best Sound Award (Inoue Natsuko). In addition, as previously announced, actor Suzuki Ryohei was presented with the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award for his achievements and contributions to the Asian film industry.
 
The AFA ceremony was held with a glamorous Red Carpet and Award Ceremony attracting participants from all over Asia and was a great success. Many nominees from Japan were on hand for the event and intermingled with the other guests, including the 17th AFA’s Jury President Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Suzuki Ryohei, who received the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award along with Korean actress Lee Young-ae, AFA Youth Ambassador Miyazawa Hio and director Matsunaga Daishi, who will attend the Egoist screening event with his two stars, the Evil Does Not Exist team (Yamazaki Azusa, Kitagawa Yoshio, Ishibashi Eiko), the Monster team (director Kore-eda Hirokazu, Sakamoto Yuji, Mitsumatsu Keiko), Kikuchi Rinko from Yoko, Nakamura Shido from Kubi along with his two children, and Shirata Mihaya from Last Shadow at First Light.
 
The Award Ceremony video archive can be viewed at: youtube.com/asianfilmawardsacademy
*Nominations list: 2024.tiff-jp.net/news/en/?p=18698#list-en
 

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[Award winners’ comments]
Suzuki Ryohei’s speech:
“Hello everyone (in Chinese). I’m really happy to be here. It’s great honor to be standing here, especially with wonderful Ms. Lee Young-ae. I feel really privileged to be standing here in front of you, all of you, great film directors, great film producers, filmmakers, great actors, legendary actors all over Asia. But to be honest, this year, I’m standing here very relaxed because I’m not nominated for anything this year. Well, it is good to be nominated, of course, but it is also good not to be nominated because I don’t have to worry about anything. By the way, last year, Tony Leung stole my award, Best Actor Awrad from me. But it is nice to see him again this year. Of course, getting awards are very important and exciting, but the best thing about this event, this big event, AFA is, in my opinion, is meeting you guys, meeting new people, meeting new filmmakers from all over Asia, talking to them, learning each other. And hopefully now we can start the new project together. Today, or tonight could be the start of the new project in the future. And I really hope we can make film together someday. Because ‘Together we tell story.’ Thank you very much.”
* ”Together We Tell Stories” is the theme of the 17th AFA.
 
Evil Does Not Exist team’s speech: (Originally in Japanese)
*Producer Takata Satoshi and musician Ishibashi Eiko delivered comments on behalf of director Hamaguchi Ryusuke.
Takata: “On behalf of all of us, I would first like to thank you for this very prestigious and important award for our film. Congratulations to Kitagawa Yoshio, who was also nominated for the Best Cinematography Award, Yamazaki Azusa, who was nominated for the Best Editing Award, and to everyone who was involved in this film. And congratulations to director Hamaguchi Ryusuke, who unfortunately could not be here, and to Ishibashi Eiko, who brought this project to director Hamaguchi and co-produced it with wonderful music.”
 
Ishibashi: “It really is a pity that director Hamaguchi could not come. But we could not have done it like this without the help of cinematographer Kitagawa Yoshio, editor Yamazaki Azusa, Omika Hitoshi, the lead actor who may be watching this in Japan right now, all of the cast and crew members. And of course, the musicians and Jim O’Rourke, who mixed. It is really thanks to everyone that we are here now and having a good time. Thank you very much.”
 
Kore-eda Hirokazu’s speech: (Originally in Japanese)
“It is truly an honor to receive such a trophy from esteemed director Kurosawa Kiyoshi (the Jury President of 17th AFA). In terms of my ability to encounter talent, this time I was blessed with a wonderful script by the respected screenwriter Sakamoto Yuji. Also, Mitsumatsu Keiko, the production designer whom I have been working with for almost 20 years, is here today with me representing the crew. I believe that being able to assemble such cast and crew members is perhaps the greatest talent I have, and that has enabled me to receive this award. I am truly delighted to be standing on this stage again, following last year. I don’t have any films coming up for next year. But even if I’m not nominated, I would still be happy to be here again to share this time with all of you who love movies. Thank you very much.”
 
Ishibashi Eiko’s speech: (Originally in Japanese)
“Thank you so much. I wasn’t expecting this at all, so I wasn’t thinking about a speech. First of all, I would like to thank everyone at the Asian Film Awards and the jury members. Director Hamaguchi, it has been a long road, but it was like a miracle that we walked this road together without knowing what we were going to make. I would also like to thank everyone for the efforts you all made together in the filming and subsequent editing. Thank you so much, cinematographer Kitagawa Yoshio and editor Yamazaki Azusa. Without everyone’s work, I would not have been able to create this kind of music. I would like to thank all the cast and crew. Thank you so much.”
 

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17th Asian Film Awards winners (2024):
Best Film: Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Best Director: KORE-EDA Hirokazu for Monster (Japan)
Best New Director: Nick CHEUK for Time Still Turns the Pages (Hong Kong)
Best Actor: YAKUSHO Koji for Perfect Days (Japan)
Best Actress: JIANG Qinqin for Dwelling by the West Lake (Mainland China)
Best Supporting Actor: PARK Hoon for 12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel LEUNG for In Broad Daylight (Hong Kong)
Best Newcomer: Tergel Bold-Erdene for City of Wind (France, Mongolia, Portugal, Netherlands, Qatar, Germany)
Best Screenplay: Pema Tseden for Snow Leopard (Mainland China)
Best Editing: KIM Sang-bum for 12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Best Cinematography: Matthias DELVAUX for Snow Leopard (Mainland China)
Best Original Music: ISHIBASHI Eiko for Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Best Costume Design: MAN Lim Chung for The Goldfinger (Hong Kong, Mainland China)
Best Production Design: Eric LAM for The Goldfinger (Hong Kong, Mainland China)
Best Visual Effects: YAMAZAKI Takashi, SHIBUYA Kiyoko, TAKAHASHI Masaki, NOJIMA Tatsuji for Godzilla Minus One (Japan)
Best Sound: INOUE Natsuko for Godzilla Minus One (Japan)
Excellence in Asian Cinema: SUZUKI Ryohei (Japan), LEE Young-ae (South Korea)
Lifetime Achievement Award: ZHANG Yimou (China)
AFA Next Generation Award: ZHAO Liying (China)
AFA Rising Star Award: Win Metawin (Metawin Opas-iamkajorn, Thailand)
2023 Highest-Grossing Asian Film Award: Full River Red directed by ZHANG Yimou (China)
 
Nominees from Japan:
Best Film: Evil Does Not Exist directed by HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, Perfect Days by Wim Wenders
Best Director: HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke (Evil Does Not Exist), KORE-EDA Hirokazu (Monster)
Best Actor: YAKUSHO Koji (Perfect Days)
Best Actress: KIKUCHI Rinko (YOKO)
Best Supporting Actor: NAKAMURA Shido (Kubi)
Best Supporting Actress: HAMABE Minami (Godzilla Minus One), TSUTSUI Mariko (Last Shadow at First Light)
Best Newcomer: SHIRATA Mihaya (Last Shadow at First Light)
Best Screenplay: HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke (Evil Does Not Exist), SAKAMOTO Yuji (Monster)
Best Editing: HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, YAMAZAKI Azusa (Evil Does Not Exist)
Best Cinematography: KITAGAWA Yoshio (Evil Does Not Exist)
Best Original Music: ISHIBASHI Eiko (Evil Does Not Exist)
*UMEBAYASHI Shigeru is nominated for Chinese film Dwelling by the West Lake.
Best Costume Design: KUROSAWA Kazuko (KUBI)
Best Production Design: MITSUMATSU Keiko (Monster)
Best Visual Effects: YAMAZAKI Takashi, SHIBUYA Kiyoko, TAKAHASHI Masaki,NOJIMA Tatsuji (Godzilla Minus One)
Best Sound: INOUE Natsuko (Godzilla Minus One)
 

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Asian Film Awards (AFA)
The Asian Film Awards was inaugurated in 2007, where members of AFAA are drawn from its past nominees and winners. The category of awards includes Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. Members vote for the Asian Film Awards and participate in various AFAA activities involving film professionals and audiences in Asia and around the world.
More details: afa-academy.com
 
Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA)
The Asian Films Awards Academy, a non-profit organization, was founded by Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo International Film Festivals with the shared goal of celebrating excellence in Asian cinema. Aiming to promote and recognize Asian films and its talents, AFAA highlights, strengthens and develops Asian film industry through the annual Asian Film Awards and several year-round initiatives.