Malaysia shines at Asia Pacific film fest

KUALA LUMPUR: The curtain came down on the 50th Asia Pacific Film Festival last night, marking a momentous occasion for the country for staging the biggest gathering of stars here ever. 

It was also an amazing night for Malaysia, which grabbed three awards, including the Best Actress trophy for Tiara Jacquelina. 

Malaysia also won in the Best Short Film/Documentary category (for Pua) and Best Music for composer Ayob Ibrahim (Qaisy dan Laila).  

DOING US PROUD: Tiara (left) receiving the Best Actress trophy from last year’s winner Maya at the 50th Asia Pacific Film Festival in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night.

However, the night belonged to South Korea, which took the Best Film award for Tae Guk Gi and Best Director for its director, Kang Je Gyu. 

The film, which revolves around two brothers who join the army, is the most successful film in South Korea, grossing over US$100mil (RM380mil) worldwide. 

Another award to South Korea was won by actor Joo Hyun, who took home the Best Actor award for A Family. 

What made it extra sweet for Tiara, who played the mystic mountain princess Gusti Putri in the blockbuster Puteri Gunung Ledang, was that the award was presented by actress Maya Karin who won the same award last year when the fest was held in Japan. 

In her acceptance speech, Tiara said: “Wow! This is wonderful. I’m so proud to be standing here as a Malaysian. 

“This win is for our film industry, my country and my cast and crew. I’m really honoured.  

“This win is a double celebration for me as the festival is in Malaysia.” 

In July, the film was a strong contender at the Malaysia Film Festival, where it won four major awards although Tiara lost the crown to Erra Fazira. 

Culture and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and his deputy, Datuk Wong Kam Hoong, attended the presentation ceremony. 

A total of 27 fiction films, 12 short/ documentary films and seven animation films contested for the 14 awards at the four-day festival which saw the participation of more than 600 representatives from 18 countries. 

LIST OF MAIN WINNERS 

Malaysian:Best Actress: Tiara JacquelinaBest Music: Ayob Ibrahim for the filmQaisy & LailaBest Short Film/Documentary: Puas 

Others:Best Actor: Joo Hyun, South KoreaBest Film: Tae Guk Gi, South KoreaBest Director: Kang Je Gyu, South KoreaBest Art Director: Tsuyoshi Shimizu,JapanBest Sound Effects: SansabNecromancer, ThailandBest Cinematography: Yves Cape(Buffalo Boy), VietnamBest Screenplay: Lin Cheng Sheng (TheMoon Also Rises), TaiwanBest Supporting Actor: Anthony Wong(Initial D), Hong KongBest Supporting Actress: Rima Melati(Ungu Violet), Indonesia