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APM Busan Award – Black Star Angel Director: Christine HAROUTOUNIAN Producer: Christine HAROUTOUNIAN, Maxwell SCHWARTZ Production Country / Region: Armenia / United States
The Award goes to the project “Black Star Angel” by Christine Haroutounian whose subject shows a great maturity in dealing with a universal question : What does mean personal commitment in a world torn by conflicts and violence ?
One Cool Award – The Funeral March Director: FUJITA Naoya Producer: FUJITA Kanako, ZOU Aiken, ZOU Lin, SHIINA Yasushi Production Country / Region: Japan / China
This story has been praised for its profound emotional portrayal, complex character relationships, unique narrative style, and profound reflection on life and loss, successfully triggering the audience's thinking about family, loneliness and self-reconstruction.
CJ ENM Award – Gochi Director: YOON Eunkyoung Producer: Stanley KWAK Production Country / Region: Korea
I have high hopes for its potential to develop into a refreshing genre piece that intricately explores psychological tensions, conflicts, and anxieties of human beings, all within the framework of Korean-style mystery occult horror. In particular, as current generations navigate the excess of social media where they are constantly encouraged to compare oneself to others, audiences will easily relate to the YouTuber couple in the story who, through the fish “Gochi,” embark on a journey to discover a guiding light and purpose in their lives. This is why I have faith in the film’s promise to become a horror story that manages to be both widely appealing and artistically distinctive. With director YOON Eunkyoung’s characteristic subtle artistry, Gochi poses the fundamental question: “What do we live for?” I give my wholehearted support to the future journey of this project.
VIPO Award - Wake Me up When the Mourning Ends Director: LAU Kok Rui Producer: Soi CHEANG, Stefano CENTINI, WONG Kew Soon Production Country / Region: Malaysia / Hong Kong, China / Italy / Taiwan
The project shows real depth within a simple story, turning the director’s personal experiences into a strong piece of fiction. The beauty of the locations and visuals came across clearly, and the presentation was convincing. We also see concrete steps toward international co-production, which gives the project great potential.
Red Sea Film Fund Award – Buy My Car Director: ZHANG Yaoyuan Producer: KUNIZANE Mizue, ICHIYAMA Shozo, MO Zhulin Production Country / Region: Japan / China
At the Red Sea Film Foundation, we believe cinema is more than art. It is a compass — guiding us through memory, pointing us toward truth, and helping us imagine futures that may not yet exist. Every filmmaker here tonight has reminded us of that. Each project carries within it a question about who we are, where we come from, and where we are going. Some look back at forgotten histories, others at the fragile present, and others still at the possibilities of tomorrow. What unites them all is courage — the courage to turn struggle into story, and story into vision. That courage is what inspires us, and it is why the Red Sea Film Foundation exists: to empower voices that reimagine the future of humanity. And so, with deep respect for all of you, it is my honor to present this year’s award to… Buy My Car.
ArteKino International Award - Churching of Women Director: Darin J. SALLAM Producer: Deema AZAR, Ayah JARDANEH Production Country / Region: Jordan
An original and ambitious project that will project the audience into the past, and propose a timeless and universal story, dealing with injustice, liberation and women’s solidarity.
Songwon Award - Dance Dance Revolution Director: CHOI Hana Producer: AN Boyoung Production Country / Region: Korea
This work captures both the fears and hopes of Generation Z in Korea today. It was selected with the belief that if these elements are represented not only within the film itself but also externally in the filmmaking process, the story would resonate deeply with many.
KB Award - Arrival of Water Director: JO Heeyoung Producer: PARK Sejin Production Country / Region: Korea / Japan
The director attempts to explore the boundaries between human language and sentiments. This visualized experiment subtly reveals her exploration into the rather divided world at present, and also embody a certain way of healing. An academically ambitious, yet poetic and warm project.
Kantana Award – Picture - Flying Cows Director: NGUYEN Pham Thanh Dat Producer: NGUYEN Huu Thi Tuong Vi Production Country / Region: Vietnam
Vietnam has always been a country of wonders and beautiful sceneries, which will be seen in this title. Flying Cows will not just emotionally captivate, but also visually move its audience. With this and our year-long expertise in Color Grading, we’re proud to help shape its emotions and visuals to truly touch the audience’s heart. We believe that Flying Cows project is truly deserving of this award. Congratulations.
Kantana Award – Sound – Gochi Director: YOON Eunkyoung Producer: Stanley KWAK Production Country / Region: Korea
Because this Movie would require a lot of Sound Design and creative elements. We as Kantana Sound Studio believe that we can elevate this movie soundtrack to become another good movie.
Kongchak Studio Award - Heaven Helps Us! Director: Eve BASWEL Producer: John TORRES, Jules KATANYAG, Danzen Santos KATANYAG Production Country / Region: Philippines
We chose "Heaven Help Us!" for its originality, the cinematic language it uses to address a major trauma that has affected Philippine cinema, and its struggle against forgetting. A past catastrophe thus becomes a mental labyrinth where souls find themselves trapped in what was supposed to be "the most beautiful place dedicated to cinema."
TAICCA Award - Gilddong Director: PARK Riwoong Producer: AHN Byungrae Production Country / Region: Korea
Gilddong tells the story of heroes through the voices of the people, turning them into a force of resistance. The story is unique and compelling, resonating widely across Asia, and feels especially close to Taiwan, which also shares the tradition of Chinese characters. The team has also expressed their wish to collaborate with Taiwanese actors and creators. TAICCA looks forward to welcoming them at next year’s TCCF to open more opportunities for exchange and to create even more remarkable Asian content together.
Sorfond Award - Heaven Helps Us! Director: Eve BASWEL Producer: John TORRES, Jules KATANYAG, Danzen Santos KATANYAG Production Country / Region: Philippines
The Sorfond Award is given to a project that aligns with our goals: to strengthen freedom of speech and human rights, and to support filmmakers to tell stories that are unafraid both artistically and thematically. This year’s recipient stood out for its powerful reimagining of a national tragedy, uncovering silenced histories while connecting them both in a universal and personal way, a theme that we believe will resonate greatly with audiences across the world.
※ Note for APM Award Laureates 1. APM holds no responsibility for any copyright violation of the award-receiving project. If such an event occurs, any responsibility, legal or otherwise, shall lie solely with the award recipient. 2. When a project wins any of the APM official awards, upon its completion into film, the project must insert the logo of the sponsoring company / organization, logo of APM and a line mentioning the winning of the award in its credit.
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