The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) announce the 14 films in Official Competition to be spotlighted at the virtual 6th edition of the festival taking place March 10 – 15, 2021. All films are Asian Oscar® and/or Golden Globe® submissions for Best International Feature Film and Best Motion Picture Foreign Language, respectively.
Legendary Vietnamese American actress Kieu Chinh (The Joy Luck Club, Journey from the Fall) will receive the Snow Leopard Lifetime Achievement Award for her film, humanitarian and philanthropic work.
Executive Director Georges N. Chamchoum said, “Our Snow Leopard Lifetime Achievement Award has always been about the personality behind the talent. Kieu Chinh represents both. Her talent and personality ‘shatter’ the Screen! Furthermore, the movies in competition this year, as every year, reflect the vibrancy of Asian Cinema and the true spirit of what we are about: The Window to Asian World Cinema at its BEST!”
For the second year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and the Asian World Film Festival will present a special HFPA Scholarship to a new Asian filmmaker. Twelve specially selected Asian short films produced and/or directed by an Asian filmmaker, will be screened during the AWFF’s short film program and the winner chosen by an independent Jury.
2021 Asian World Film Festival Official Competition Lineup
2000 SONGS OF FARIDA (Uzbekistan) directed by Yalkin Tuychiev
BETTER DAYS (Hong Kong) directed by Derek Tsang
CIRCUS OF LIFE (Pakistan) directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
THE CRYING STEPPE (Kazakhstan) directed by Marina Kunarova
THE MAN STANDING NEXT (South Korea) directed by Min-ho Woo
A DARK, DARK MAN (Kazakhstan) directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov
HIVE (Turkey) directed by Eylem Kaftan
IMPETIGORE (Indonesia) directed by Joko Anwar
JALLIKATTU (India) directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery
THE LAKE (Kyrgyzstan) directed by Emil Atageldjev
LEAP (China) directed by Peter Ho-Sun Chan
ROH (Malaysia) directed by Emir Ezwan
TRUE MOTHERS (Japan) directed by Naomi Kawase
WET SEASON (Singapore) directed by Anthony Chen.