PREMIER WELCOMES ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS JURY

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh today welcomed to the Gold Coast the International Jury of the 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Premier Bligh said that the Jury – five eminent international film identities headed by Academy Award nominated Australian director Bruce Beresford – will meet this week (November 5-10) to determine winners of the second annual Awards, to be announced on the Gold Coast, on November 11.

“The Jury will view 32 nominated films, which represent 17 countries in our region, and decide on the winners of up to 11 award achievements. I’m told that the cinematic excellence of the nominated films is outstanding and that the Jury has a formidable task indeed,” Ms Bligh said.

“The Jury members are each distinguished filmmakers. Bruce Beresford is joined by renowned Indian director and actress Aparna Sen, US producer Richard Rothschild (whose production credits include Tender Mercies and The Truman Show), Chinese director and Professor of the Beijing Film Academy Zheng Dongtian, and Hanna Lee, producer of the 2007 APSA Best Feature Film, the internationally acclaimed Miryang (Secret Sunshine), from the Republic of Korea.”

Ms Bligh said that the Jury members were representative of countries with whom Queensland is developing cinematic ties, such as Korea, China and India.

“Queensland attracts considerable international film and television production, most often from the United States.

“The State also boasts world-class post production companies which increasingly have attracted business from the growing screen industries of countries in our region.

“The Asia Pacific Screen Awards have a powerful role to play in encouraging collaboration and further promoting Queensland as a centre for screen business,” the Premier said.

The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the Queensland Government through Queensland Events and a unique collaboration with CNN International, UNESCO and FIAPF – International Federation of Film Producers Associations.

The awards acclaim films that best reflect their cultural origins and demonstrate cinematic excellence.