NETPAC Awards Celebrate Asia Pacific Cinema with Diverse Nominees
Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine as Light" headlines a diverse slate of films nominated for the inaugural Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC) Aruna Vasudev Award for Best Asia Pacific Film 2024.
The nominees showcase contemporary voices from across the region, including:
* "To A Land Unknown" (Mahdi Fleifel, Palestine-Denmark)
* "April" (Dea Kulumbegashvili, Georgia-France-Italy)
* "Cu Li Never Cries" (Lan Pham Ngoc, Vietnam-Philippines-France-Singapore-Norway)
* "My Favorite Cake" (Behtash Sanaie Ha and Maryam Moghadam, Iran)
The award, featuring artwork by Keivan Beiranvand, honors the legacy of NETPAC founder Aruna Vasudev, a pioneer in Asian cinema promotion. NETPAC, now encompassing Pacific cinema, presents the award at prestigious festivals such as Venice, Rotterdam, and Toronto.
The winner will be announced at the 31st Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema on February 18. A companion award for Best Book on Asia Pacific Cinema will also be presented.
NETPAC's mission continues to spotlight independent and non-mainstream Asian Pacific cinema, providing visibility to films that may face challenges in gaining international recognition due to limited resources.