Wind and Fog, High Commendation, 2011 APSA Best Children's Feature Film

Cash grants of $80,000 are boosting the development of children’s films in Asia Pacific thanks to a prominent Filipino filmmaker and businessman.

Two $20,000 grants will be awarded in November to support children’s feature films that carry positive messages specifically for and about children in Asia Pacific.

The fund, established in 2011, is administered by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), a Queensland Government initiative, in conjunction with the Manila based production company 4 Boys Films, established by APSA Academy member Butch Jimenez.

All filmmakers are eligible for the grants provided the project involves an APSA Academy member in a key role.

As a further commitment to children’s cinema, APSA has appointed Professor Hou Keming to its international Jury. Dr Hou chairs the China Children’s Film Association and is president of the China International Children’s Film Festival. He sits on the board of the International Centre of Film for Children and Youth, and is Secretary-General of the National Coordination Committee of Primary and Secondary Education in Film and Television. He is also professor of directing at the Beijing Film Academy.

The APSA Children’s Feature Film category also receives promotional support worldwide from Bulgari.

Over the past three years, in five countries throughout Asia, over 148,000 children have benefited from Bulgari-supported programs through their work with Save the Children, 81 schools have been reconstructed or rehabilitated and 6,500 teachers have been trained.

“APSA, Dr. Hou, Butch Jimenez and Bulgari share the belief that education can build peace and break the cycle of poverty,” APSA’s artistic director Maxine Williamson said.

Applications for the 2012 Children’s Film Fund are now open.

Established in 2010, the fund is intended to stimulate film production in the Asia Pacific region and to encourage dialogue, collaboration and business opportunities for the region’s filmmakers particularly at the developmental phase. Among the 70 countries embraced by APSA, grants totalling $200,000 have already been awarded to projects from the Islamic Republic of Iran, India, Republic of Korea, and People’s Republic of China, Iraq and Kazakhstan.

The four $25,000 development grants are exclusive to members of the APSA Academy comprised of past APSA nominees, winners, Jury and Nominations Council members.In the past two years the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund rewarded eight deserving APSA Academy Members with $25,000 to assist them to realise their stories for the screen.

“A common theme for discussion at the 2nd Beijing International Film Festival this week has been the importance of recognising creative talent and supporting their screen ideas at an early stage,” said Mike Ellis, President and Managing Director Asia-Pacific MPA.

“Our MPA APSA Academy Film Fund does just that, and with astonishing results.

“We were the first to support Asghar Farhadi’s film, A Separation, allowing him to complete the film and take it to the screen. The rest is history. It went on to win a multitude of awards including Best Feature Film at the 2011 Asia Pacific Screen Awards and to our delight Best Foreign Language Film prize at this year’s Oscars.”

Applications for 2012 MPA APSA Film Fund are now open; commencing from April 25 to October 21. Projects will be assessed by a panel of highly qualified Film Practitioners. Successful applicants will be announced during the sixth annual APSAs ceremony on Friday November 23 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

This year, three Film Practitioners have been appointed to assess the projects from APSA Academy Members. APSA Artistic Director Maxine Williamson said in Beijing, “We are extremely excited to welcome back to Chair the Panel for a third year, founder and Managing Director of Ronin films Mr Andrew Pike, multi-awarded Hong Kong filmmaker and APSA Academy member Alex Law, and APSA 2009 winner for, Best Animated Feature Film for Mary and Max, Academy Award winning filmmaker Melanie Coombs.”

The MPA reception, held earlier this evening, forms part of the Beijing International Film Festival calendar of events, and was attended by a number of APSA Academy members including 2011 Jury President Nansun Shi and 2011 Jurors Cameron Bailey from the Toronto Film Festival and Ming Zhenjiang, Executive Chairman of the China Film Producers Association.

Several past APSA winners and nominees’ films are being screened at the Beijing festival. “This year we were again honoured to have worked with the international panorama section in presenting APSA nominated films and see five APSA films screening in the program.” said Maxine Williamson “The BJIFF is an important platform that offers members of our 500-strong Academy the opportunity to Premiere their films in China.”

For more on the 2012 MPA APSA Film Fund Panellists – Click Here

To view the 2012 MPA APSA Film Fund Trailer – Click Here

A Separation posted a strong result for its opening weekend, scoring the best per screen average in its Australian domestic debut this week.

The film’s totals are another triumph in what has been a very successful campaign following numerous awards wins including Best Feature Film at the 2011 APSAs and Best Foreign Language Film at both the 2012 Golden Globes and at the 84^thAcademy Awards.

An MPA APSA Academy Film Fund grant in 2010 allowed Asghar Farhadi to fast track completion of his film A Separation in time for it to premiere at the 61^st Berlin International Film Festival in 2011. The cash grant was provided by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The film, originally titled Jodaeiye Nader az Simin, is the first completed project funded under the MPA APSA Film Fund, established in 2010 to stimulate filmmaking in the Asia Pacific region.

A grant from Queensland has led to the completion of an Iranian film that today won an Academy Award.

The cash grant was provided by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Screen Awards – a Queensland initiative.

Iranian writer/director Asghar Farhadi’s film, A Separation, took out the Best Foreign Language Film prize at this year’s Oscars.

Farhadi received a US$25,000 grant in 2010 through the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, allowing him to complete the film. It went on to win Golden Bear for Best Film at last year’s Berlin International Film Festival as well as awards for Best Actor and Best Actress.

The film then picked up a multitude of international prizes, including the Sydney Film Prize, Most Popular Feature Film at the Melbourne International Film Festival and Best Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. It won Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Golden Globes.

The film, originally titled Jodaeiye Nader az Simin, is the first completed project funded under the MPA APSA Film Fund, established in 2010 to stimulate filmmaking in the Asia Pacific region. Seven other films have been similarly supported and are in various stages of development and production.

“This is tremendously exciting news for Asghar Farhadi, who is undoubtedly one of Iran’s finest filmmakers and I am particularly pleased that APSA contributed to the development of this wonderful film,” said APSA Chairman Des Power.

“European films have been the main winners in the foreign language category at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards since that category was initiated. It’s our hope that many more films from the highly creative Asia Pacific region, which includes China and India, will take out future honours. This is precisely what APSA and the MPA fund encourage.”

Mike Ellis, President and Managing Director of the Motion Picture Association-Asia Pacific said, “Congratulations to Asghar Farhadi and the creative team behind A Separation on this outstanding achievement. This recognition by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is richly deserved.

“When the members of our selection panel first assessed A Separation in 2010, they recognised a truly beautiful and unique study of the human condition. We are immensely honoured to have had the opportunity to contribute to the completion of this film, and to see such an accomplished work of cinema attain such critical distinction and move audiences all over the world.”

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards are an initiative of the Queensland Government and are held in November each year. Seventy countries compete for the annual award, now regarded as the region’s highest accolade for film.

The multi-award winning A Separation opens in cinemas across Australia on 1 March.

Further information on the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is available at

http://www.asiapacificscreenacademy.com/the-academy/mpa-apsa-academy-film-fund/

We are also delighted to announce that Peng Tao’s (People’s Republic of China) project, Dao Cao Ren (Straw Man), another recipient of a 2010 inaugural MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, is near completion. Dao Cao Ren (Straw Man) is currently in post-production and we are looking forward to the completion of the project.

Click here to view the photo gallery.

Other inaugural recipients are Sergey Dvortsevoy and Lee Chang-dong. Sergey Dvortsevoy’s Ayka (My Little One – working title) is in final stage of funding. His second fiction feature project is being planned as a co-production between Igor Tolstunov’s Profit Kino and APSA Academy member Karl Baumgartner’s Pallas Film, based in Halle, Germany.

Lee Chang-dong’s Memories of Chung-gu Hoe (Memories of Blue Hill Club) is in script development.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh congratulated Golden Globe award winner Asghar Farhadi whose film A Separation took out the Best Foreign Language Film prize for 2012.

The film is a strong contender to win the same prize at this year’s Oscars.

A $25,000 grant from the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) helped the Iranian filmmaker complete his multi-award winning film.

The film is the first completed project funded under the MPA APSA Film Fund, established to stimulate filmmaking in the Asia Pacific region.

The film, originally titled Jodaeiye Nader az Simin, won the top prize at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival and picked up the Sydney Film Prize later in the year.

In November, on the Gold Coast, the film won Best Feature Film, director Asghar Farhadi’s second consecutive win at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh commented on the far-reaching benefits of supporting events that form closer ties between the state and other countries in Asia Pacific.

“When the Queensland Government established APSA five years ago we always hoped it would have far reaching benefits for the region’s filmmakers, including our own.

“I wholeheartedly congratulate Asghar Farhadi who has been to Queensland on four occasions. A Golden Globe from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is a wonderful tribute not just to an Iranian artist but to the cinematic talent resident in Asia Pacific,” she said.

The MPA APSA Film Fund was established in 2010 and provides four $25,000 film development grants each year. Seven other films have been similarly supported and are in various stages of development and production.

Mike Ellis, President and Managing Director Asia Pacific, Motion Picture Association (MPA) said, “Congratulations to Asghar Farhadi and the creative team behind A Separation on this outstanding achievement. When the members of our Selection Panel first assessed A Separation in 2010, they recognised a truly beautiful and unique study of the human condition. We are immensely honoured to have had the opportunity to contribute to the completion of this film, and to see such an accomplished work of cinema move audiences all over the world.

APSA Chairman Des Power said, “European films have been the main winners in the foreign language category at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards since that category was initiated. It’s our hope that many more films from the highly creative Asia Pacific region, which includes China and India, will take out future honours. This is precisely what APSA and the MPA fund encourage.”

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards are an initiative of the Queensland Government and are held in November each year. Seventy countries compete for the annual award, now regarded as the highest accolade for film in the region.

Further information is available at www.asiapacificscreenacademy.com

MPA APSA ACADEMY FILM FUND

The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is supported by the Motion Picture Association, representing the interests of major motion picture companies in the global marketplace. The MPA promotes and protects its member companies’ intellectual property rights and conducts education outreach programs to highlight to movie fans around the world about the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entire markets benefiting everyone in the film industry, both foreign and local filmmakers. Its member companies include Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLLP; The Walt Disney Studios; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. For more information about the MPA, please visit www.mpa-i.org

Six script development grants totalling more than $140,000 were announced last night at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

The grants are offered to filmmakers from the Asia Pacific region under two funds – the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, an initiative of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA), and the new APSA Children’s Film Fund, a partnership with Manila based 4 Boys Films. Both funds are available exclusively to APSA Academy members.

Four filmmakers will each receive $US25,000 from the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, to be allocated to the script development of new feature film projects.

The recipients of the 2011 MPA APSA Academy Film Fund are:

• Shawkat Amin Korki (Iraq/Kurdistan) for his project Memories on Stone.  Shawkat Amin Korki was inducted into the Academy in 2007 for Crossing the Dust, for which he received an Achievement in Directing nomination in 2007.
• Payman Maadi, from the Islamic Republic of Iran for his film Those Days. Payman was nominated this year for Best Performance by an Actor for A Separation, which was the first film to be completed with funding from the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund. A Separation won Best Feature Film at last night’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
• Maryam Ebrahimi, Iranian-born Swedish filmmaker, for the documentary No Burqas Behind Bars. Maryam was also inducted into the Academy this year, winning the Best Documentary Feature Film Award for I Was Worth 50 Sheep.
• Pryas Gupta (India) for The Cricket Tree. A former member of the APSA International Jury, Pryas was inducted into the Academy in 2008. His film The Prisoner won the Jury Grand Prize that year.

Two filmmakers will each receive $AUD20,000 from the APSA Children’s Film Fund.

The recipients of the 2011 APSA Children’s Film Fund are:

• Renowned Indonesian filmmaker Garin Nugroho for The Seen and The Unseen. Garin Nugroho was inducted into the Academy in 2007 for Opera Jawa, which was nominated for Best Feature Film.
• Songtaijia (People’s Republic of China/Tibet) for The Stone with Nine Eyes. Songtaijia was inducted into the Academy this year when he was nominated for Achievement in Cinematography for Old Dog.

More than 70 filmmakers from 25 countries submitted entries to the 2011 MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, now in its second year, and the new APSA Children’s Film Fund. The two funds offer script development grants to stimulate the development of feature film projects originated by APSA Academy members and their colleagues across Asia-Pacific.

The three panel members for the 2011 MPA APSA Academy Film Fund were Australian/Chinese filmmaker Tony Ayres, Australian producer, film historian and distributor Andrew Pike and Chinese scriptwriter and director Xue Xiaolu.

Of the four projects to receive grants in 2010, Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation has already achieved significant worldwide success, including last night’s APSA Best Feature Film Award.  It premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year where it won the Golden Bear for Best Film as well as the Silver Bears for Best Actress and Actor.

The three panellists who determined the APSA Children’s Film Fund were China-based French producer and APSA 2011 Best Children’s Feature Film nominee for 11 Flowers, Isabelle Glachant, APSA Nominations Council founding member and co-Director of the Iranian Film Festival Australia Anne Démy-Geroe and New Zealand director of the critically acclaimed Strength of Water, Armagan Ballantyne.

The APSA Academy includes almost 500 of Asia Pacific’s most influential filmmakers. All Winners, Nominees, Jury and Nominations Council members are inducted into the Academy.  Since its formation in 2008, the APSA Academy has become a vital industry network. Co-production opportunities are fostered.  Ideas and development opportunities are shared.

The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is supported by the Motion Picture Association.

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Motion Picture Association International (MPA-I) represent the interests of the six international producers and distributors of filmed entertainment. To do so, they promote and protect the intellectual property rights of these companies and conduct public awareness programs to highlight to movie fans around the world the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entire markets, benefiting film and television industries in each country, including foreign and local filmmakers alike.

The organizations act on behalf of the members of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc (MPAA), which includes; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. The MPA and the MPA-I have worldwide operations which are directed from their head offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. and overseen in the Asia-Pacific by a team based in Singapore.

Submissions are now open for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ (APSA) Children’s Film Fund – AUD$40,000 of development funding established by APSA and Manila based APSA Academy member Butch Jimenez, to support new films that carry positive, life affirming messages specifically for and about children in Asia Pacific.

Two AUD$20,000 grants will be given for the script development of new projects, exclusively available to members of the APSA Academy, a group of the region’s leading filmmakers comprised of past nominees, winners, council members and International Jury of APSA.

The submission period is from July 5 – October 21. Projects will be assessed by an independent panel of three ahead of the fifth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards and announced at the Awards Ceremony on November 24, 2011 on Australia’s Gold Coast.

In addition to the film fund, APSA also acclaims Children’s films each year through its Best Children’s Feature Film award category. Past winners are Digari (The Other, 2010, Islamic Republic of Iran); Ye Haeng Ja (A Brand New Life, 2009, Republic of Korea / France), The Black Balloon (2008, Australia), Denias, Senandung di Atas Awan (Denias, Singing on the Cloud, 2007, Indonesia).

The APSA Academy was formed in 2008 to encourage dialogue and collaboration between the filmmakers of the vast Asia-Pacific region which is responsible for half the world’s film output. Its Patron is legendary Australian actor Jack Thompson and there are currently some 400 members, increasing by 100 each year as new nominees and judging panels are inducted.

The introduction of the Children’s Film Fund builds on the success of APSA’s existing funding platform through its partnership with the Asia Pacific arm of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) launched in 2010.

The first completed project from the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is Asghar Farhadi’s Nader and Simin: A Separation, which is currently experiencing significant worldwide success. In February, it became the first Iranian film to win the Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear and it recently won the Sydney Film Festival’s Sydney Film Prize. It is currently in release in several European territories and has been hailed as a ‘breakout auteur hit’ in France by industry trade publication Screen International for drawing close to 400,000 admissions in its first three weeks in release and maintaining a place in the box-office top ten alongside Transformers 3, Kung Fu Panda and X-men: First Class. The film’s sales agent, Memento, are anticipating 1 million admissions in France alone. The 2011 funding round for the MPA grants commenced last month.

APSA’s funding initiatives are among several developments which reflect the growing breadth of the organisation and the increasing focus on its Academy. In Cannes earlier this year, APSA’s Artistic Director Maxine Williamson announced the introduction of voting rights for selected categories in the awards, a milestone for APSA’s fifth year. The Academy voting process for the Children’s, Animation and Documentary categories will commence next month.

The APSA definition of a Children’s Film is defined as projects for and about young people, or told partly or entirely from a child’s point of view and, or a film that at its heart is made for children.

An eligible Children’s film under the APSA Charter of Rules and Regulations is a film defined as being suitable for viewing by children both with and or without parental guidance. Using the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is considered to be any human being below the age of 18. The definition therefore includes babies, small children, older children and young people.

Feature length narrative films, documentaries and animated feature films will be eligible to apply and projects will be judged on the same criteria that apply to films in the APSA competition – films that best reflect their cultural origins, demonstrate cinematic excellence and are deemed Asia-Pacific as determined by the APSA applied test in the Charter Rules and Regulations.

Academy members can access the Rules and Regulations here and can contact APSA to obtain a login for the online submission form.

The list of APSA’s Academy members can be viewed here.

4 Boys Films

The APSA Children’s Film Fund is supported wholly by Butch Jimenez’ foundation 4 Boys Films. He was inducted into the APSA Academy as the Producer of 2007 Best Children’s Feature Film Nominee, The Bicycle. He is the father of four boys, Miguel, Benjamin, Joaquin and Mateo. The advocacy for children’s films through the establishment of the fund is in their honour.

Asia Pacific Screen Awards

An international cultural initiative of the Queensland Government, Australia, APSA honours the works of filmmakers across a region covering 70 countries, one third of the earth and half the world’s film output. Films are judged on cinematic excellence and the way in which they attest to their cultural origins. It is a unique collaboration with Paris-based UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations.

The first completed project funded by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ inaugural MPA APSA Academy Film Fund won the top prize at the Sydney Film Festival last night. Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation, was one of twelve films in contention for the AUD$60,000 Sydney Film Prize.

The official competition Jury was headed by legendary Chinese helmer Chen Kaige, who is also a member of APSA’s Academy which is made up of some 400 of Asia Pacific’s leading filmmakers.

The Sydney Film Prize adds to A Separation’s growing collection of accolades which began in February at the Berlin International Film Festival where it won five awards including the Golden Bear for Best Film and the Silver Bears for Best Actor and Actress awarded to the ensemble cast. It is in Official Competition for the fifth annual APSA’s to be held on Australia’s Gold Coast on November 24.

The fund was launched in 2010 through a partnership with the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and is made up of four $25,000 development grants. It is available exclusively to members of the Academy of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Farhadi’s A Separation was one of the four inaugural recipients of the fund and the grant allowed him to complete the film in time to compete in Berlin. Farhadi was inducted into the Academy when his film Darbareye Elly (About Elly) received four nominations in the 2009 APSA’s and went on to win the APSA for Best Screenplay and Jury Grand Prize.

The 2011 submission round for the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund opened last month and will close in October with four successful projects to be announced at the fifth annual APSA Ceremony.

APSA Chairman Des Power said: “We are very happy to see the ongoing success of A Separation and I am very proud that, through our partnership with the MPA, APSA has played a key part in helping this film come to fruition. Development is a critical phase and this fund undoubtedly helps the process by bringing funds to it. A Separation is ‘proof positive’.”

“The MPA’s continued commitment to the filmmakers of our region is to be commended and I have no doubt that that this year’s funding round will foster the progress of equally exciting projects from our Academy members. Each year our Academy grows and so too do the opportunities we can provide to them. I would also like to congratulate Clare Stewart and her team on a very successful Sydney Film Festival in Clare’s final edition as Artistic Director.”

Mike Ellis, President and Managing Director MPA Asia Pacific, said: “We are delighted for Asghar Farhadi and his filmmaking team on this tremendous achievement, and we hope that with this continued recognition, A Separation goes on to be seen and enjoyed by audiences across the globe.”

Hopscotch Films will release A Separation theatrically in Australia and it will also screen as the opening night film for the 1st Iranian Film Festival Australia, established by APSA Nominations Council member Anne Demy-Geroe. The festival opens in Brisbane on August 4 and Asghar Farhadi will be in attendance to present his film on this very special occasion.

Memento Films is handling international sales for the film which has been picked up widely for international distribution across multiple territories including North American distribution through Sony Pictures Classics. It opened widely in France earlier this month and will open in Germany on July 14.

APSA announced a new addition to its funding initiatives from the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year – a development fund specifically for films for children with uplifting, life-affirming messages supported by Academy member, Butch Jimenez who established the fund, named ‘4 Boys Films’ in honour of his four sons. Submissions for the Children’s Film Fund will open on June 30.

APSA is an international cultural initiative of the Queensland Government, Australia and a unique collaboration with UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations. APSA acclaims films from more than 70 countries and areas; one third of the earth; and half the world’s film output.

The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is supported by the Motion Picture Association, representing the interests of major motion picture companies in the global marketplace. The MPA promotes and protects its member companies’ intellectual property rights and conducts education outreach programs to highlight to movie fans around the world about the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entire markets benefiting everyone in the film industry, both foreign and local filmmakers. It’s member companies include: Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLLP; The Walt Disney Studios; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. For more information about the MPA, please visit www.mpa-i.org

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) announced in Cannes today a new script development fund specifically for children’s films.

The fund is a partnership between APSA and Manila based 4 Boys Films, established by APSA Academy member Butch Jimenez.

Two AUD$20,000 grants will be given to support new children’s feature films at creative inception that carry positive, life affirming messages specifically for and about children in Asia Pacific.

It will be exclusively available to members of the APSA Academy, a group of the region’s leading filmmakers comprised of past nominees, winners, council members and International Jury of APSA.

Butch Jimenez was inducted into the Academy as the Producer of 2007 Best Children’s Feature Film Nominee, The Bicycle.

He is the father of four boys, Miguel, Benjamin, Joaquin and Mateo. The advocacy for children’s films through the establishment of the fund is in their honour.

“I’ve always believed that children’s films have a unique power to influence young hearts and minds. My hope is that the partnership with APSA will encourage Asia Pacific filmmakers to make more children’s movies to bridge cultural divides and leave a positive mark to the next generation,” Mr Jimenez said.

Aside from The Bicycle, he has produced some of Philippine cinema’s highest profile films such as Muro Ami, Jose Rizal and In the Navel of the Sea which have competed in various international festivals. His last project was Happyland, a true story of juvenile delinquents living in the garbage dumps of Tondo whose lives were changed through soccer.

APSA Chairman Des Power said: “Our Academy is made up of an extraordinary group of filmmakers who are extremely influential in the global marketplace. One of them is Mr Jimenez. It is therefore very pleasing that through his foundation we are able to offer Academy members a fund of this calibre for the development of children’s films. When we formed the Academy, this is precisely the kind of collaboration and support that we hoped it would facilitate.”

“Funds at the early stage of script development are of immense value to our Academy members. I thank Mr Jimenez for his commitment and passion for this important category of films.”

The announcement was made from APSA’s International Launch in Cannes where several other key developments for 2011 were revealed including the introduction of Academy voting rights for selected categories, reflecting the growing role of the Academy.

The APSA definition of a Children’s Film is defined as projects for and about young people, or told partly or entirely from a child’s point of view and, or a film that at its heart is made for children.

An eligible Children’s film under the APSA Charter of Rules and Regulations is a film defined as being suitable for viewing by children both with and or without parental guidance. Using the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is considered to be any human being below the age of 18. The definition therefore includes babies, small children, older children and young people.

Feature length narrative films, documentaries and animated feature films will be eligible to apply and projects will be judged on the same criteria that apply to films in the APSA competition – films that best reflect their cultural origins, demonstrate cinematic excellence and are deemed Asia-Pacific as determined by the APSA applied test in the Charter Rules and Regulations.

The inaugural grant recipients will be determined by a panel of industry experts and will be announced at the fifth annual APSA Ceremony on Australia’s Gold Coast on November 24.

More information about the APSA Children’s Film Fund, founded by 4 Boys Films, and the Rules and Regulations will be made available to Academy members in the coming months ahead of the submissions open date.

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) is an international initiative of the Queensland State Government, Australia, in unique collaboration with Paris-based UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations.

It promotes, supports and acclaims the cinematic excellence and cultural diversity of the vast Asia Pacific region through its annual Awards Ceremony, film funding initiatives, television production, and a growing membership body of the most accomplished filmmakers in the world’s fastest growing film region.

APSA and MPA Announce Renewal of Film Fund in Support of Asia Pacific Filmmakers. 2011 Film Fund Panellists Announced: Xue Xiaolu, Tony Ayres and Andrew Pike

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) and Motion Picture Association (MPA) have announced the continuation of the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund to support new films from Asia Pacific and the panellists who will assess the entries for 2011.

Xue Xiaolu and Tony Ayres will join the assessment panel for 2011 which will once again be Chaired by Ronin Films’ Managing Director and member of APSA’s 2009 International Jury, Andrew Pike.

President and Managing Director MPA Asia-Pacific, Mike Ellis made the announcement at a reception this evening during the inaugural Beijing International Film Festival: “I am delighted to continue our fruitful partnership with the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in providing support to filmmakers during the vital development stage of their projects. We were overwhelmed by the success of the inaugural Film Fund and anticipate that the standard of submissions for this year will be very high indeed.”

The reception was attended by many of APSA’s Academy members and a number of the festival’s special guests including Academy Award nominee Darren Aronofsky, the director of Black Swan. Several past APSA Winners and Nominees are screening at the first instalment of the Beijing festival.

In welcoming the announcement, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said: “When I announced the formation of APSA’s Academy in 2008 with Patron Jack Thompson, our goal was to encourage dialogue, collaboration and business opportunities for the region’s filmmakers. I thank the MPA for their ongoing commitment in helping us to achieve this goal. In just one year the film fund has made a tremendous impact and it is with great anticipation that I look forward to seeing more new projects nurtured under this initiative.”

Award-winning Chinese screenwriter-turned-director, Xue Xiaolu is an Associate Professor at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy and screenwriter for nine feature films including Chen Kaige’s Together and numerous television series. In 2010, her critically acclaimed directorial debut Ocean Heaven starring Jet Li opened the Shanghai International Film Festival and she was honoured with the ‘Emerging Talent of the Year’ award at CineAsia in December.

Tony Ayres is one of Australia’s leading writer/directors well known for his multi award-winning 2007 feature film The Home Song Stories starring Joan Chen. Tony’s first feature Walking on Water won the Teddy Award at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival, five AFI awards and two Australian Film Critics Circle Awards. He has produced numerous television series’ and is currently producing (with Helen Bowden and Michael McMahon) and directing the eight-part drama series The Slap, based on the bestselling novel by Christos Tsiolkas, for Australia’s ABC Television.

Ronin Films Managing Director Andrew Pike, is a highly respected film historian, documentary filmmaker, a producer, film distributor and exhibitor. Andrew also Chaired the panel for the inaugural MPA APSA Academy film Fund.

In making the announcement about the film fund panel, APSA’s Artistic Director Maxine Williamson said: “This year’s panellists each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the task of determining our film fund recipients. I welcome them all and sincerely thank them for being part of this initiative.”

Attending the reception, Xue Xiaolu said: “It is a great honour to join the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund selection panel this year. As a filmmaker, I am delighted to see initiatives like this contribute so successfully to the growth of filmmaking in our region. There are exciting new voices emerging from Asia-Pacific, along with new works from highly recognised filmmakers. I’m looking forward to seeing the projects that will come before us for submission in 2011.”

The fund is intended to stimulate production in the region, particularly at the development phase, among the 70 countries embraced by APSA. It was established in 2010 and the first recipients were announced at the fourth annual APSA’s in December.

The four $25,000 development grants are exclusive to members of the APSA Academy – comprised of past APSA nominees, winners, Jury and Nominations Council members – many of the region’s most respected names in film.

The first completed project supported by the fund, Nader and Simin: A Separation by acclaimed Iranian writer/director Asghar Farhadi, recently premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. It won the Golden Bear for Best Film and the Silver Bears for Best Actor and Best Actress, awarded to the ensemble cast. The film, a hot ticket item amongst buyers at Berlin, was sold to multiple territories. Farhadi is currently on tour for the upcoming release of the film in France.

The 2011 application period is June 1 to October 21. Projects will be assessed ahead of the fifth annual APSA Ceremony and successful applicants will be announced during the Awards Ceremony on Australia’s Gold Coast on November 24.

APSA is an international cultural initiative of the Queensland Government, Australia, in collaboration with UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations. APSA celebrates the cinematic excellence and cultural origins of 70 countries and areas – a region responsible for half the world’s film output.

MPA APSA ACADEMY FILM FUND 2011 PANELLISTS:

Andrew Pike (Chair) is a film historian and documentary filmmaker, a producer, film distributor and exhibitor. He has produced and directed several documentaries, and through his company, Ronin Films, has distributed many Asian and Australian films. During the 1980s he specialised in bringing renowned films from Japan and China to Australian audiences and implemented many innovative distribution and marketing activities for which he won the Australian Film Institute’s Byron Kennedy Award in 1986. He has distributed major Australian films including Shine and Strictly Ballroom, the work of documentary directors such as Dennis O’Rourke and Bob Connolly, and the early work of feature film directors such as Jane Campion, Baz Luhrmann, Vincent Ward and Scott Hicks. He directed Angels of War, which won Best Documentary at the 1982 AFI Awards and Best Documentary at the 1982 Nyon Film Festival, Switzerland. He co-authored a seminal book, Australian Film 1900-1977 published by Oxford University Press. In 2007, he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his services to the film industry and the community, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Canberra. In 2003, he was appointed by the French government to the rank of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres for his promotion of French cinema in Australia. He is a Board member of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. In 2009, Andrew was a member of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards International Jury and in 2010, he Chaired the assessment panel for the inaugural MPA APSA Academy Film Fund in 2010.

Xue Xiaolu, award-winning scriptwriter-turned-director, is an Associate Professor at the Beijing Film Academy (BFA), of which she is an alumnus with a Masters degree specializing in screenwriting and film theory. Ms. Xue studied in Australia during 1997 and 1998 and upon her return to China, she worked as the director of scientific and educational programs at China Central Television’s (CCTV) production centre in Beijing. In 2003, she returned to BFA to teach courses in screenwriting and film critiquing. As an accomplished screenwriter, Xue has written nine scripts for films which have been theatrically released, including Together (2002) directed by Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine), Running for Son (2003) and Autumn Rain (2005). Ms. Xue has written scripts for more than 180 TV drama episodes, as well as numerous documentaries and novels. In 2010, her critically acclaimed directorial debut, Ocean Heaven, starring Jet Li in his first non-action film opened the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival and Xue won the Emerging Talent of the Year award at CineAsia. She serves as a Professor at the BFA’s Film Literature Department and also belongs to several prestigious artist associations including the Chinese Writers’ Association, Chinese Film Artists Association and the Chinese TV Artists Association.

Tony Ayres is one of Australia’s leading writer/directors. His 2007 feature film The Home Song Stories, premiered at Berlin and won Best Direction, Best Screenplay and Best Lead Actress for Joan Chen at the 2007 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards. Tony’s first feature Walking on Water won the Teddy Award at Berlin in 2002, five AFI awards, two Australian Film Critics Circle Awards and an IF Award. In 2009 Tony directed the SBS telemovie Saved, which won the 2010 Logie Award for Best Actress for Claudia Karvan. In recent times, he has become a prolific producer, making the and Bogan Pride and Anatomy television series’ and the feature film Lou, starring John Hurt. Tony is also one of Australia’s most sought after script editors, having edited numerous films including and Mallboy, Soft Fruit and Walking on Water. Tony is currently producing (alongside Helen Bowden and Michael McMahon) and directing the eight-part drama series The Slap for Australia’s ABC Television, based on the bestselling novel by Christos Tsiolkas.

Nader and Simin: A Separation also won the Silver Bear Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, awarded to the actress ensemble and the actor ensemble in the film.

Farhadi received a US $25,000 grant through the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, a total of US$100,000 in development grants supported wholly by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and available exclusively to the members of the Academy of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA).

Asghar Farhadi is a member of the APSA Academy, a growing body of Asia Pacific’s most influential names in film, made up of past APSA Winners, Nominees, International Jury and Nominations Council members.

Nader and Simin: A Separation charts the unravelling of a marriage, examines the conflict between strict religious observance and the shifting values of the educated urban elite in Iranian society. It is Farhadi’s fifth feature film.

Farhadi’s previous film Darbareye Elly (About Elly), won the Silver Bear in 2009 and won the APSA Grand Jury Prize and Best Screenplay Award in 2009. It was the Islamic Republic of Iran’s official submission in last year’s Academy Awards.

Four projects received funding through the inaugural MPA APSA Academy Film Fund and Nader and Simin: A Separation is the first of these to be completed. The other recipients were Sergey Dvortsevoy (Kazakhstan), Peng Tao (People’s Republic of China) and three-time APSA Winner, Lee Chang-dong (Republic of Korea).

APSA Chairman Des Power said: “This is tremendously exciting news for Asghar Farhadi, who is undoubtedly one of Iran’s finest filmmakers, and I am particularly pleased that APSA, through the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, contributed to the development of the this wonderful film.”

“The development of the film fund was an important step for APSA. Not only are we acclaiming and promoting the outstanding work of the Asia-Pacific region through our Awards Ceremony and documentary programs, we are now making a tangible contribution to the region’s production slate at a crucial stage of development.”

Mike Ellis, President and Managing Director Asia Pacific for the MPA said: “We were delighted to hear news that Asghar Farhadi and his creative team had won the Golden Bear Award and Silver Bear Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival. Nadir and Simin: A Separation is the first of the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund projects to have been completed and screened to an audience, and we could not be happier with the achievement. This is a spectacular acknowledgement of the work of our Academy members, and we are thrilled that our partnership with APSA has contributed to the development of such wonderful projects.”

In solidarity with jailed Iranian director Jafar Panahi, the Berlin Film Festival presented a special tribute with his films showing in four different sections of the program. Jafar Panahi is also a member of the APSA Academy and sat on the inaugural Jury of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2007. The Berlin Film Festival had invited Panahi to participate on its 2011 jury shortly before his sentencing in December 2010 when he and fellow filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof (Director/Producer of 2010 APSA official entry The White Meadows) were sentenced to six years in jail for a charge of making films against the Iranian regime.

Asghar Farhadi also paid tribute to Jafar Panahi in his acceptance speech.

“I would like to take this opportunity to think of the people in my country, the country where I grew up, where I learned history,” he said.

“This is a great people, a patient people, a good people. I want to think of Jafar Panahi. I really think his problems will soon be solved and I hope he will be standing here next year.”

The following films from the Asia Pacific also received prizes and special mentions at the 61st Berlin Film Festival:

Best Short Film: Night Fishing (Paranmanjang) by Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong (Republic of Korea)

Special Mention Generation Kplus Children’s Jury: The Flood (Mabul) by Guy Nattiv (Israel, France, Germany, Canada)

Special Mention Ecumenical Jury (Panorama Section): Invisible (Lo Roim Alaich) by Michal Aviad (Israel, Germany)

FIPRESCI Prize (Forum section): Heaven’s Story by Zeze Takahisa (Japan)

CINEMA fairbindet Prize: Wind and Fog (Bad o Meh) by Mohammad Ali Talebi (Islamic Republic of Iran)

APSA is an international cultural initiative of the Queensland Government, Australia and a unique collaboration with UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations. APSA acclaims films from more than 70 countries and areas; one third of the earth; and half the world’s film output.

Farhadi’s fifth feature as director is one of 22 films that will compete for the 61st Golden Bear in Berlin where his previous film, Darbareye Elly (About Elly), won the Silver Bear in 2009.

Farhadi received a US $25,000 grant through the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, a total of US $100,000 in development grants supported wholly by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), available exclusively to the members of the Academy of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA).

The APSA Academy is a growing body of Asia Pacific’s most influential names in film, made up of past APSA Nominees, International Jury and Nominations Council members.

Farhadi was inducted into the APSA Academy in 2009 for Darbareye Elly (About Elly), winner of APSA’s Best Screenplay Award and Jury Grand Prize.

Four projects received funding through the inaugural MPA APSA Academy Film Fund and Nader and Simin: A Separation is the first of these to be completed. The other recipients announced at the fourth annual APSA Ceremony were Sergey Dvortsevoy (Kazakhstan), Peng Tao (People’s Republic of China) and three-time APSA Winner, Lee Chang-dong (Republic of Korea).

APSA Chairman Des Power said: “I am delighted that Nader and Simin: A Separation will premiere in Berlin and I warmly congratulate Asghar Farhadi on its selection. The fact that our film fund played some part in enabling this film’s development is immensely gratifying for us in our first year of collaboration with the MPA.

I commend the MPA for their support of this initiative. The development of the film fund was an important step for APSA. Not only are we acclaiming and promoting the outstanding work of the Asia Pacific region through our Awards Ceremony and documentary programs, we are now making a tangible contribution to the region’s production slate at a crucial stage of development.”

Asghar Farhadi said: “When I had the initial idea for the script, I wasn’t sure whether foreign audiences unfamiliar with my culture would be able to relate to the story. The support and encouragement of the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund made me realize the international potential of the film and that it will be accepted and understood internationally.”

“We are delighted that Asghar Farhadi’s new film will compete at the Berlin International Film Festival this month, and are pleased to have been able to contribute to its production,” said Mike Ellis, President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Motion Picture Association, “It’s wonderful to see that the Film Fund with APSA is already bearing fruit. We wish Asghar and the other recipients of the film fund all the best with their current projects.”

The 61st Berlin International Film Festival runs from February 10 – 20, 2011.

In solidarity with jailed Iranian director Jafar Panahi, the festival will present a special tribute with his films showing in four different sections of the program. Jafar Panahi is also a member of the APSA Academy and sat on the inaugural Jury of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2007. The Berlin Film Festival had invited Panahi to participate on its 2011 jury shortly before his sentencing in December 2010 when he and fellow filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof (Director/Producer of 2010 APSA official entry The White Meadows) were sentenced to six years in jail for a charge of making films against the Iranian regime.

APSA is an international cultural initiative of the Queensland Government, Australia and a unique collaboration with UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations. APSA acclaims films from more than 70 countries and areas; one third of the earth; and half the world’s film output.

Four script development grants totalling $US100,000 to filmmakers from the Asia Pacific region were announced today at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

The grants are the first to be offered by the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund, a new initiative of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA) which is available exclusively to APSA Academy members.

Four filmmakers will each receive $US25,000 to be allocated to the script development of new feature film projects.

The recipients of the inaugural MPA APSA Academy Film Fund are:

• Korean writer/director Lee Chang-dong, for Memories of Blue Hill Club (Memories of Chung-gu Hoe). Lee Chang-don’s previous films include the APSA and Cannes Film Festival prize winners Secret Sunshine (Miryang) and Poetry (Shi). At the 2010 APSA Ceremony this evening, Poetry (Shi) won the Achievement in Directing (Lee Chang-dong) and Best Performance by an Actress (Yun Jung-hee) awards. Secret Sunshine (Miryang) was named Best Feature Film at APSA in 2007 and also took out the Best Performance by an Actress award that year.
• Peng Tao, from the People’s Republic of China, for Straw Man (Dao Cao Ren). Peng Tao’s previous film Little Moth (Xue Chan) was nominated for an APSA in 2007 for Best Achievement in Directing.
• Asghar Farhadi (Islamic Republic of Iran) for Nadar and Simin: A Separation. Asghar Farhadi’s film About Elly (Darbareye Elly) won last year’s APSA for Best Screenplay and the Jury Grand Prize.
• Sergey Dvortsevoy, from Kazakhstan, for Ayka (Aйка). Sergey, who is based in Russia, is a member of the APSA 2010 International Jury and writer/director of the APSA Best Feature Film in 2008, Tulpan.

More than 87 submissions from across Asia Pacific were received for the inaugural MPA APSA Academy Film Fund. Submissions were assessed by an industry panel of three, headed by Ronin Films Managing Director and former APSA International Jury member Andrew Pike. Andrew was joined by Korean producer Hanna Lee, an APSA-Award winning producer for the 2007 Best Feature Film Secret Sunshine (Miryang) and a former APSA Jury member, and Chinese Australian director Pauline Chan, best known for her feature film Traps and director of the new Australian/Chinese co-production Mei Mei, currently in post-production.

Andrew Pike highlighted the importance of the Fund for filmmakers of the region: “The Fund significantly extends the work of APSA into a very exciting new dimension; APSA is now not just offering a higher profile to the work of filmmakers in the region, it’s actually helping them make their films possible by providing financial support and recognition at a crucial part of the production phase – that is, the development stage. A project in development is very vulnerable and endorsement at this crucial stage is critical.”

The assessment panel each praised the quality of the submissions.

Andrew Pike said: “A comment I’d like make about all of the 87 entries, is that there was a very high proportion of original screenplays. Most of the applications were original screenplays and I think that’s very exciting in the Asia Pacific region.”

Pauline Chan said: “Some of the people who we selected as recipients already have international recognition and have made successful films, but we were also interested in looking at people who are just starting out or who show promising talent but need the support and nurturing to do their second or third project.”

Referring specifically to Peng Tao, she said: “I really love that his work is able to depart from the traditional structure of Chinese filmmaking, which we, in the west are quite familiar with. To me he represents a new wave and a new voice in a really refined, restrained culture. He is able to find a traditional angle, a Chinese tradition, but he is able to bring the tradition into a new light so it’s not trapped and it surprises you.”

About Asghar Farhadi’s film, Nadar and Simin: A Separation, Pauline commented: “Asghar Farhadi is also a writer and director. His film is a beautiful human study of a very normal everyday life, with people in a region who are being challenged all the time by issues social, geographical and financial. While I am not familiar with Iranian culture, as an outsider I find it fascinating and very touching…. his work is beautiful.”

Panel member Hanna Lee spoke about Sergey Dvortsevoy and his project Ayka (Aйка): “What I really like about Sergey is that he observes his subjects, but he is not pulling out in a really detached way, he is observing them with really caring emotions that are not over dramatized. That was one of the things I really loved about Tulpan and I can see that in again in Ayka. He treats his subject matter and his characters with such sincerity and he also brings his documentary background into the making of his feature films.”

About Lee Chang-dong’s Memories of the Blue Hill Club, Andrew Pike said: “This is a superbly written treatment, and I think it will develop into a superbly written feature film. It has a very strong foundation in reality; in this case, historical literature provided inspiration for what I believe will be a very moving powerful film.”

At the launch of the MPA APSA Film Fund earlier this year, President and Managing Director MPA Asia Pacific, Mike Ellis said: “The APSAs have developed a strong reputation as the most coveted award in the region and the benefits of winning an award of this calibre are clear. This fund makes participation in the APSAs even more valuable for the professional opportunities it will open up to its Academy members. Our support of the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is emblematic of the MPA’s commitment to promoting and protecting the wonderful work of the filmmakers in this region.”

An international cultural initiative of the Queensland Government, Australia, APSA honours the works of filmmakers across a region covering 70 countries, one third of the earth and half the world’s film output. Films are judged on cinematic excellence and the way in which they attest to their cultural origins.

The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is supported by the Motion Picture Association, representing the interests of major motion picture companies in the global marketplace. The MPA promotes and protects its member companies’ intellectual property rights and conducts education outreach programs to highlight to movie fans around the world the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entire markets benefiting everyone in the film industry, both foreign and local filmmakers. It’s member companies include: Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios LLLP, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. For more information about the MPA, please visit www.mpa-i.org.

Led by Patron Jack Thompson, the APSA Academy is a growing body of the region’s most influential names in film including past APSA Nominees, International Jury and Nominations Council members.

At the 2010 Awards Ceremony this evening, Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock), from the People’s Republic of China, was named Best Feature Film. Thirty-one films from 15 countries and areas received nominations in this year’s Awards. Korea’s Lee Chang-dong won the Achievement in Directing Award for Shi (Poetry), with the Best Performance by an Actress award going to the star of the film, Yun Jung-hee. Chinese actor Chen Daoming received the Best Performance by an Actor award for Tangshan dadizheng (Aftershock), which is the highest grossing domestic film of all time at the Chinese box office.

Four grants, of US$25,000 each, will be allocated to the script development of four new projects. A member of the APSA Academy must be attached to the project in one of the key roles of: Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Actor, Actress or Cinematographer. The APSA Academy is a body of filmmakers comprised of past APSA nominees, winners, Jury and Nominations Council members – among them many of the region’s most respected names in film.

Commenting on the close of submissions today, MPA President and Managing Director Asia Pacific, Mike Ellis, said: “The number of submissions illustrates the enthusiasm with which this initiative has been embraced by the Asia Pacific filmmaking community and the critical importance of developing creative pathways to develop production-ready scripts. All of us involved in this project are looking forward to seeing the gems that will be unearthed through the fund.”

Mr Ellis also announced today that joining Ronin Films Managing Director Andrew Pike, Chair of the film fund judging panel, will be APSA Award-winning Korean producer Hanna Lee, producer for 2007 APSA Best Feature Film Miryang (Secret Sunshine) and a member of APSA’s International Jury in 2008; and Australian-Chinese writer, director, actor and producer Pauline Chan, best known for her feature film Traps and director of the new Australian-Chinese co-production Mei Mei, currently in post-production.

APSA Chairman Des Power said: “APSA is committed to finding new ways to build business opportunities and creative partnerships between filmmakers of Asia Pacific. The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is of consequence in that it provides significant finance and real opportunities for the development of exciting new films. Since we announced the Fund, we’ve also seen around 100 filmmakers join the online APSA Networking Forum to engage in dialogue with their peers, share ideas and explore partnerships.

“I am delighted with the response to our inaugural funding round which also includes submissions from our newest Academy members, the 2010 Nominees.”

All APSA nominees are automatically inducted into the APSA Academy whose Patron is Australian acting legend Jack Thompson.

The inaugural recipients will be announced at the fourth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards Ceremony, which will take place in Australia on Queensland’s Gold Coast on December 2, 2010.

31 films from 15 countries and areas are nominated in the APSA’s with Best Feature nominees coming from Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and People’s Republic of China. This year, Academy-Award winning producer Lord David Puttnam will head the International Jury to determine the Asia Pacific Screen Award winners. The Awards Ceremony will be webcast live through www.asiapacificscreenawards.com.

APSA is an international cultural initiative of the Queensland Government, Australia, in unique collaboration with UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations which acclaims films from 70 countries and areas; one third of the earth; and half the world’s film output.  Films are judged on cinematic excellence and the way in which they attest to their cultural origins.

The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund is supported by the Motion Picture Association, the organisation representing the interests of major motion picture companies in the global marketplace. The MPA promotes and protects its member companies’ intellectual property rights and conducts education outreach programs to highlight to movie fans around the world the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entire markets benefiting everyone in the film industry, both foreign and local filmmakers. It’s member companies include: Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios LLLP, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. For more information about the MPA, please visit www.mpa-i.org