MUMBAI: The fifth Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) will have 240 films from 43 countries. The films, among the ones from Samoa and Cyprus will compete in this year‘s APSA.
 
While the nominations would be announced in October, the names of the winners would be announced on 24 November at the annual APSA Ceremony at Australia‘s Gold Coast, said APSA artistic director Maxine Williamson.
 
Ms Williamson pointed out that several films that have received critical acclaim and awards at film festivals in the last year would be coming from Berlin, Cannes, Rotterdam, Sundance, Busan and Karlovy Vary.
 
She revealed that films by Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige (People‘s Republic of China), Aparna Sen (India), Asghar Farhadi (Islamic Republic of Iran), Eric Khoo (Singapore), John Woo and Tsui Hark (Hong Kong - People‘s Republic China), Hong Sang-soo (Republic of Korea), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey), Sion Sono (Japan), and Fred Schepisi, Julia Leigh and Ivan Sen (Australia) were amongst those being considered for nominations fot this year‘s APSA.
 
Williamson pointed out that Farhadi‘s film Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation), that is listed in the APSA competition this year was produced with the assistance of finance from the first round of MPA APSA Academy Film Fund.

This fund is supported by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and is available to members of the APSA Academy, which includes previous Winners and Nominees, Jury and Nominations Council members.