'Uri...', 'Village Rockstars' to compete for AACTA's Best Asian Film award nomination

AdityaDhar'sdebut"Uri:TheSurgicalStrike",RimaDas's"VillageRockstars"andVasanBala-directedaction-comedy"TheManWhoFeelsNoPain"("MardKoDardNahinHota")havebeenpickedupbytheAustralianAcademyofCinemaandTelevisionArts(AACTA)tocompeteforthefinalnominationlistfortheBestAsianFilmAward2019.

ThenominationswereannouncedatagaladinnerinShanghairecently,whereAACTAwasalsohostingaChinaAustraliafilmforumandpaneldiscussionaspartofitsongoingAsiaInternationalEngagementProgram.

TheAACTABestAsianFilmawardhasbeendesignedtohonourthefinestfilmsofthepastyearfrom19Asianregions,reflectingthepopularityandimportanceofAsianfilmsinAustralia.

''It'sagreatthrilltobepickedupbyAustralia'shighestscreenaccolade,theAACTAAwardswhichisliketheAustralianequivalentoftheOscars.Iamsohonouredanddelightedtoseemyfilminthiscompetition,''Dharsaid.

Over300guestsattendedthegaladinneratWandaReignontheBundwhereAACTAannouncedthelistoffilmscompetingforthisyear'sAACTAAwardforBestAsianFilmpresentedbyEurekaInternationalGroup(EIG).

FilmsfromChina,JapanandKoreaalsomadeittothelist.

AmongtheChinese-languagefilmsincompetitionisAustralian-Chineseco-production"TheWhistleblower",whichwasshotinVictorialatelastyear.

Itwillgoupagainstthesecondhighest-grossingfilmofalltimeinChina,FrantGwosci-fi"TheWanderingEarth";HanHancomedy"Pegasus";StephenChow'scomedy-drama"TheNewKingofComedy";andJiZhaoandJiakangHuang'sanimatedfantasy"WhiteSnake".

OtherfilmsfromtheChinaregioncompetingforanominationareChina'sBestForeignLanguageFilmOscarentry,action-comedy"HiddenMan";ZhangYimou'speriodfilm"Shadow";DiaoYinan'scrimedrama"TheWildGooseLake";actionfilm"ProjectGutenberg";darkcomedy"ACoolFish";mysterydrama"Headlines"andRennyHarlin'scrimethriller"BodiesatRest".

AlsoincompetitionisthePalmed'Orwinner,darkcomedy"Parasite"fromKoreandirectorBongJoon-ho;SouthKorea'sBestForeignLanguageFilmOscarentry,LeeChang-dong'spsychologicaldramamystery"Burning";Byung-heonLeeactioncomedy"ExtremeJob";SundanceandBerlinaleAward-winningJapanesedrama"WeAreLittleZombies"fromMakotoNagahisaandJapaneseanimation"WeatheringWithYou"fromfilmmakerMakotoShinkai.

FivenominationswillbeannouncedinearlyOctoberthisyearwhichwillbedeterminedbypreliminaryselectioncommittees.

ThewinneroftheBestAsianFilmAwardwillbeannouncedonDecember4thisyearbythe2019BestAsianFilmGrandJury,ledbyactorRussellCrowe,andactressChloeMaayanandShawBrothersexecutivedirectorVirginiaLok.

Inthepast,Indianfilmslike"Dangal","Pink","Kaasav:Turtle","GaliGuleiyan","Newton"and"Sanju"havemadeittothenominationlistoftheAACTA'sBestAsianFilmcategorywhileamongthejurorsfromIndiahavebeentheprolificIndianactorAnupamKherandShabanaAzmi.