Hong Kong, March 13, 2015 – Organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy, the Asian Film Awards (AFA) will present the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award to popular Japanese actress Miki NAKATANI at the AFA Ceremony at the Venetian Theatre of the Venetian Macao, on March 25, 2015 (Wed). Previous AFA special award winners include Japanese director Yoji YAMADA, Indian actor Amitabh BACHCHAN, Chinese director ZHANG Yimou, Taiwanese director HOU Hsiao-hsien, Hong Kong director Ann HUI, Malaysian actress Michelle YEOH and others. The Excellence in Asian Cinema Award aims to highlight distinguished talents and affirm their achievements and contributions to Asian film industry and culture.
Miki Nakatani is one of the most all-rounded and popular performers in Asia, and is regarded as one of the best actresses from Japan. Her talents in writing, singing, dancing and acting have found both popular appeal and critical recognition. Since the start of her career in the 1990s, she has received many awards, published nine books, released seven music albums and acted in 40 TV drama series and more than 30 films. Nakatani successfully played a variety of characters that depict the everyday life of Japanese women – as an office employee, teacher, doctor, housewife and many others. She has also played characters of different periods to receive critical acclaim. Her natural style and subtle charm has enabled her to connect comfortably with audiences. A milestone of her acting journey was marked by her leading role in Tetsuya Nakashima’s “Memories of Matsuko” (2006), which further consolidated her reputation as a truly versatile actress. The film won her numerous Best Actress prizes including the Asian Film Award, the Japan Academy Prize and the Hochi Film Award. Her other notable films include Yojiro Takita’s “When the Last Sword is Drawn” (2003), Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s “Happy Ever After” (2007), Yoshishige Miyake’s “Hankyu Railways – A 15-Minute Miracle” (2011), Yasuo Tsuruhashi’s “Tale of Genji -A Thousand Year of Enigma-” (2011) and Mitsutoshi Tanaka’s “Ask This of Rikyu” (2013). Her prestigious TV, film and theatre acting awards include two Best Actress prizes from the Drama Academy Awards, the Galaxy Individual Award from the Galaxy Awards, three Best Actress prizes and two Best Supporting Actress prizes from the Japan Academy Prize. In 2011, she won the Kinokuniya Theater Awards’ individual award and the Best Actress prize from the Yomiuri Theater Awards for ‘The Hunting Gun’. In 2013, she won the Best Actress Award from the Yomiuri Theater Awards for ‘Lost in Yonkers’.
Last year, she served as the Festival Muse of the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival. With her many talents, formidable achievements and distinct charisma, she has often been regarded as “goddess” in popular media.
In Nakatani’s latest film, Yukiko Mishima’s “A Stitch of Life” (2015), she plays the owner of a dressmaking shop that avoids mass production and branding. In her upcoming film, a Japanese-French co-production titled “Foujita” directed by Kohei Oguri, she plays the last and beloved wife of the famous Japanese painter Tsuguharu Foujita.
“The Asian Film Awards Academy is proud to present Ms. Nakatani with the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award,” said Dr. Wilfred WONG, Chairman of the AFA Academy, “Over her productive career, she has left her professional peers and audiences with indelible impressions. Her ability to play a wide variety of characters as well as achievements on stage, screen and TV in Japan and overseas testify to her commitment and dedication to the art and craft of acting. She is a role model of the Asian film industry and deserves far and wide recognition.”
The AFA will also announce the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award soon.
The 9th Asian Film Awards will be held at The Venetian Theatre of the Venetian Macao on March 25, 2015.
ASIAN FILM AWARDS (AFA)
www.asianfilmawards.asia
Inaugurated in 2007, the Asian Film Awards celebrates excellence in Asian cinema through the annual presentation of awards to the many diverse talents and films that make up the dynamic film industries of the region. Awards night is a spectacular gathering of celebrities, industry professionals and the media that highlights and publicizes the year’s achievements in Asian movies.
Presented in Hong Kong in its first seven years, the Awards were held last year in one of Asia’s fastest growing entertainment hubs, Macau. With this historic move, the Awards take one step closer to its long-term plan of being held in different Asian cities to reflect its broad reach across the entire region. Following last year’s success, the Asian Film Awards will be held again in Macau for its ninth edition.
ASIAN FILM AWARDS ACADEMY (AFAA)
Established in Hong Kong in late 2013, the Asian Film Awards Academy aims to promote and develop Asian cinema, its talents and audiences.
In an unprecedented landmark collaboration, the three long-established and major international film festivals in Asia, that is Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo have joined together as the founding members of the Asian Film Awards Academy. Together, they will provide an impact and influence that will promote Asian cinema through the annual flagship Asian Film Awards, and year-round initiatives such as professional exchanges, mentorship and development programs for young filmmakers, and strategies for regional and international audience development.
Asian Film Awards Academy members come from all over Asia. They are drawn from all past nominees and winners at the Asian Film Awards. Additional members who are prominent in their field may also be inducted into the Asian Film Awards Academy. Members will be given voting rights for the Asian Film Awards and also participate in various Academy activities around the region.
The Asian Film Awards Academy expresses the increasing global importance and creative strength of the cinemas of Asia and will help to unite the industries and talents of this fast-growing region.
