Gold Coast — On 27 November at the Langham, the Philippines emerged as one of the most visible and vibrant communities at the 18th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), gathering the largest delegation of supporters at this year’s celebration of film creativity and diversity across the 24 countries and areas.
Filipino excellence was represented prominently in the event. Renowned filmmaker, Dan Villegas, served as an APSA international jury member, contributing to the selection of winning films.
The 2025 APSA winners included:
• Best Film & Best Director – It Was Just an Accident by Iran’s Jafar Panahi
• Jury Grand Prize – Lost Land by Japan’s Akio Fujimoto
• Best Animated Film – The Square by Korea’s Kim Bo-sol
• Best Youth Film – Amoeba from Singapore
• Best Documentary Film – Sepideh Farsi’s Gaza-set documentary (Palestine)
• Best Performance – Sean Lau (Hong Kong)
• Cultural Diversity Award – Aktan Arym Kubat (Kyrgyzstan)
• Young Cinema Award – Rohan Parashuram Kanawade (India)
• Forum Filmmaker Award – Prabhath Gurung (Nepal/India) for Son of a Honey Hunter
Acclaimed producer, Alemberg Ang, was also among this year’s international attendees with two film nominations: Chie Hayakawa’s Renoir and Chan Sze-Wei’s 10s Across the Borders.
Ang travelled to different festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Locarno, Busan, and APSA, giving cultural minorities a voice through cinema.
Meanwhile, Lav Diaz’s Magellan was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Film.
With the gala night attended by none other than Baz Luhrmann, Shahana Goswami, and Mike Goldman among others, the Filipinos continue to shine as a cultural force through its representation not just on the jury or nominees but also its communities in Australia — proudly showcasing our growing influence in the Asia Pacific region.
PHOTOS: Axis Productions – Adam Shaw
