ROUND-UP: Award Winners From Southeast Asia’s Autumn 2022 Festival Circuit

Now that the region is open to travel again, Southeast Asia’s film festival circuit sprang back into action over the autumn, with several events that gave audiences in the region the opportunity to see Southeast Asian films on the big screen.

Most of these films had premiered at European film festivals, and other Asian events such as Busan and Tokyo, earlier in the year, so came with some built-in publicity and audience awareness. What has been encouraging during this season is to see audiences interested in watching films that are from the Southeast Asia region, but outside of their home country. Some of these festivals are also showcasing cinema from other parts of Asia and the rest of the world.

Below is round-up of the winning films from four Southeast Asia festivals, but several more took place as in-person events during the autumn season, and Streamlined hopes to bring more attention to them in the future.

Autobiography, from Indonesia’s Makbul Mubarak, continued a festival sweep that started in Venice and has also taken in Toronto, London, Adelaide, Busan and Tokyo Filmex. Other favourites from the region include Arnold Is A Model Student, from Thailand’s Sorayos Prapapan, Leonor Will Never Die, from the Philippines' Martika Escobar Ramirez, Davy Chou’s Return To Seoul, and Japanese multiple award-winner Plan 75, which has co-producers from the Philippines.

QCinema International Film Festival

[Quezon City, Manila, Philippines / November 17-26]

Best Film – Autobiography, dir: Makbul Mubarak

Jury Prize (Asian Next Wave) – Return To Seoul, dir: Davy Chou

Best Lead Performance – Chieko Baisho, Plan 75

Artistic Contribution (Production Design) – Setsuko Shiokawa, Plan 75

Best Director – Makbul Mubarak, Autobiography

Best Short Film – Bold Eagle, dir: Whammy Alcazaren

Jury Prize (QCShorts) – Luzonensis Osteoporosis, dir: Glenn Barit

Audience Choice Award (QCShorts) – Luzonensis Osteoporosis, dir: Glenn Barit

Gender Sensitivity Award – The River That Never Ends, dir: JT Trinidad

Singapore International Film Festival

[Singapore / November 24-December 4]

Silver Screen Awards Asian feature competition:

Best Film – Autobiography, dir: Makbul Mubarak

Best Director – Laha Mebow, Gaga

Best Performance – Zukhara Sansyzbay, Convenience Store

Special Mention – Arnold Is A Model Student, Sorayos Prapapan

Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival

[Yogyakarta, Indonesia, November 26-December 3]

Main Competition:

Golden Hanoman – Autobiography, dir: Makbul Mubarak

Silver Hanoman – Leonor Will Never Die, dir: Martika Escobar Ramirez

Jury Special Mention – 24, dir: Royston Tan,

NETPAC Award – Let Me Hear It Barefoot, dir: Riho Kudo, Jepang

Blencong Award – Anjing-Anjing Menyerbu Kuburan, dir:  Eden Junjung,

Blencong Award, Jury Special Mention – Falling Day, dir: Kyung Seo Park

Geber Award – Leonor Will Never Die, dir: Martika Escobar Ramirez

Indonesian Screen Awards:

Best Film – Eksil, dir: Lola Amaria

Best Directing – Adriyanto Dewo, Galang

Best Storytelling – Tumpal Tampubolon, Galang

Best Performance – Orsila Murib, Orpa & Rafli Anwar Mursadad, Alang-Alang

Best Editing – Yuda Kurniawan, Roda-Roda Nada

Best Cinematography – Yudi Datau, Alang-Alang

World Film Festival Bangkok

[Bangkok, Thailand, December 2-11]

Best Film – Klondike, dir: Mayna Er Gorbach

Best Director – Dusan Zoric & Matija Gluscevic, Have You Seen This Woman?

Jury Grand Prize – Scala, dir: Ananta Thitanat

Best Screenplay – Stonewalling, Huang Ji & Ryuji Otsuka, Victim, Michal Blaško

Jury Prizes For Technical Achievement – Autobiography, Makbul Mubarak (cinematography & editing), Joyland, Saim Sadiq (best ensemble)