The 18th Asian Film Awards recognized achievements in regional cinema on Sunday, with Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light winning Best Film. The ceremony, held at the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong, brought together filmmakers from across Asia to celebrate accomplishments in directing, acting, and technical contributions.
Kapadia’s drama, which previously earned the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, marked a milestone for Indian cinema, a country that has often been nominated at the AFAs without securing major wins. On stage, Kapadia credited her lead actors for shaping the film’s impact. “Thank you so much to my lead actors—three incredible artists and human beings. They are the ones who made this film what it is,” she said.
The Best Director award went to Japan’s Yoshida Daihachi for Teki Cometh, a character study that premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival before making an impression on the awards circuit. The film also won Best Cinematography for Shinomiya Hidetoshi’s work.
Veteran Hong Kong actor Sean Lau received Best Actor for his role in Papa, a family drama by Philip Yung. Accepting the award, Lau spoke about the importance of the film’s local roots, stating, “I’m very happy because Papa is a Hong Kong-made movie.”
Shahana Goswami was awarded Best Actress for her performance in Santosh, a film directed by first-time filmmaker Sandhya Suri, who also received the Best New Director award. Goswami reflected on her own journey while accepting the award. “I feel like I’m always under-confident and I never give myself enough credit, so I want to thank the Asian Film Awards members for giving me this vote of confidence,” she said.
Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng was named Best Supporting Actor for his role in Stranger Eyes, a mystery thriller directed by Yeo Siew Hua. The film also won Best Editing. Lee, known for his extensive collaborations with Tsai Ming-liang, commented on his career progression. “Although I’ve won a lot of Best Actor awards, I’m getting older, so I guess I can only try for Best Supporting Actor now,” he said.
Despite leading the nominations with 11 nods, South Korea’s supernatural thriller Exhuma secured just two wins—Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects. The film was a major success in South Korea, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, a Hong Kong action film, also won two awards, taking Best Editing and Best Production Design.
Lifetime achievement honors were presented to Koji Yakusho, one of Japan’s most celebrated actors, whose career spans over four decades with more than 80 film roles. “Receiving this award motivates me to strive for even better work in the remaining years of my acting career,” Yakusho said. The Excellence in Asian Cinema award was given to Korean actor Jang Dong-gun and Chinese actress Tang Wei for their contributions to the industry.
The event also recognized emerging talents, with the AFA Next Generation Award going to Wu Kangren for his work in Abang Adik, and the Rising Star Award presented to Koki for Touch.
The Asian Film Awards signal the start of a busy period for the industry in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong Filmart, Asia’s largest film rights market, and the Hong Kong International Film Festival, which is set to reveal its 2025 lineup at a press conference on Tuesday.
