Three Indian and three mainland Chinese films are among the nine feature movies shortlisted for the Best Asian Film Award by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts.
The Indian selections are box office hit “Andhadhun,” “Super Deluxe, and “Gully Boy,” which premiered in February at the Berlin festival. The Chinese trio includes “Shadow,” sci-fi hit “The Wandering Earth,” and “Ne Zha,” an animation sensation that was named as China’s Oscars hopeful.
The other three are: Philippines box office record breaker “Hello Love Goodbye”; Japan’s “We Are Little Zombies,” and “Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner and South Korea’s Oscar contender.
“Over the past year, the global reach of Asian film has continued to grow with an increasing number of high-quality, creative storylines being recognised at international film festivals and at the local and international box office,” said AACTA.
Judging the entries will be a panel headed by actor Russell Crowe, Australian director and producer Paul Currie (“Hacksaw Ridge”,) director and producer Renny Harlin (“Die Hard 2”,) Japanese producer Adam Torel (“Tezuka’s Barbara”,) Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee (“Lion,” “Brick Lane”,) Indian director, producer and writer Anurag Kashyap (“Gangs of Wasseypur”,) Chinese producer Virginia Lok (“Line Walker”,) and Chinese actress Chloe Maayan (“Three Husbands”).
The winner of the award will be announced in Sydney at the 2019 AACTA Awards Ceremony on Wednesday Dec. 4, 2019.