'Lunchbox' selected for APSA awards

Director Ritesh Batra's 'The Lunchbox' is among the four Indian films that have been nominated in the Seventh Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) this year.
The awards will be held in Brisbane next month.
According APSA official statement, Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced the names of 39 films from 22 Asia Pacific countries vying for the region's highest accolade in cinema. This year for the first time nominations have gone to films from Bangladesh, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The six films competing for the coveted Best Feature Film award are 'Omar' (Palestine), Iran's official entry for the Oscars 'Le Passe' (The Past, France, Italy), 'Soshite chichi ni naru' (Like Father, Like Son, Japan), Bangladesh's first APSA nomination 'Television', anthology film 'The Turning' (Australia), and 'With You, Without You' (Sri Lanka).

"It is my absolute pleasure to see the 2013 nominations encompass more Asia Pacific countries and areas than ever before, making this year the most international event in APSA's proud history. We look forward to once again hosting this internationally renowned event in Brisbane," Quirk said.
In the category of Best Screenplay alongside Asghar Farhadi 'Le Passe' (The Past) and Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Anisul Hoque for 'Television' is U-Wei Bin Hajisaari for 'Hanyut', Almayer's Folly, Malaysia, Ritesh Batra for 'The Lunchbox' (India, Germany, France) and Denis Osokin for Nebesnye Zeny Lugovykh Mari ('Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari, Russian Federation'), who won the APSA in this category in 2011 for Ovsyanki ('Silent Souls').