Drive My Car by director Ryusuke Hamaguchi won the award for Best Feature Film at the 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, along with Best Screenplay for Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Oe Takamasa.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi thanked his cast and crew and said “I’m deeply honored that our film was selected not only for the Best Screenplay but also for the Best Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. I’d like to thank Mr. Haruki Murakami for his original work. Our film is based on his novel ‘Drive My Car’. We made many changes to the original, and Mr. Murakami let us write freely. We deeply appreciate Mr. Murakami’s decision to share his story with us. Also, I’d like to thank Mr. Takamasa Oe, our co-writer, for his advice and support. Without his presence and contribution, the screenplay would never be completed.”

Two Jury Grand Prizes were awarded in 2021 with one going to Abdullah Mohammad Saad, director of Rehana (Rehana Maryam Noor), and to Goa-Gunggari-Wakka Wakka Murri Woman Leah Purcell for her debut feature The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson.

Abdullah Mohammad Saad said “We are thrilled, we are excited. I must say, the film is the result of an incredible team effort. I am grateful to my brilliant cast and crew. I am sure I wouldn’t be receiving this award without their sacrifice and commitment, so all the credit goes to them.”

In accepting the Prize, Leah Purcell said “Thank you to the 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards and their prestigious Jury for your recognition of my effort in making this film, the many hats that I wore and the voice that I had given it as a First Nations woman. Truly, thank you for this validation. Ma altjeringa yirra Baiame. Thanks to the ancestors for this very moment.”

Iranian auteur Asghar Farhadi was awarded Achievement in Directing for A Hero (Ghahreman) which the International Jury called “an intimate epic.”

Best Animated Feature Film went to Andrey Khrzhanovsky’s The Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks (Nos ili zagovor netakikh, Russian Federation); and Best Documentary Feature Film was awarded to Sabaya (Sweden).

Winners of 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards

BEST FEATURE FILM

Drive My Car
Japan
Directed by Ryusuke HAMAGUCHI
Produced by Teruhisa YAMAMOTO

JURY GRAND PRIZE

Abdullah Mohammad SAAD for Rehana (Rehana Maryam Noor)
Bangladesh, Qatar, Singapore

Leah PURCELL for The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson
Australia

BEST YOUTH FEATURE FILM

Moving On (Nam-mae-wui Yeo-reum-bam)
Republic of Korea
Directed by YOON Dan-bi
Produced by YOON Dan-bi, KIM Gi-hyeon

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

The Nose or The Conspiracy of Mavericks (Nos ili zagovor netakikh)
Russian Federation
Directed by Andrey KHRZHANOVSKY
Produced by Andrey KHRZHANOVSKY

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

Sabaya
Sweden
Directed by Hogir HIRORI
Produced by Antonio RUSSO MERENDA, Hogir HIRORI

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

Asghar FARHADI for A Hero (Ghahreman)
Islamic Republic of Iran, France

BEST SCREENPLAY

Ryusuke HAMAGUCHI, OE Takamasa for Drive My Car
Japan

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

NGUYỄN Vinh Phúc for Taste (Vị)
Vietnam, Singapore, France, Thailand, Germany

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS

Azmeri HAQUE BADHON for Rehana (Rehana Maryam Noor)
Bangladesh, Qatar, Singapore

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR

Merab NINIDZE for House Arrest (Delo)
Russian Federation

CULTURAL DIVERSITY AWARD UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF UNESCO

Children of the Sun (Gaadi)
Sri Lanka
Directed by Prasanna VITHANAGE
Produced by Sandya SALGADO, Alan MCALEX, Ajay RAI, H D PREMASIRI, Prasanna VITHANAGE

YOUNG CINEMA AWARD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NETPAC AND GFS

LÊ Bảo for Taste (Vị)
Vietnam, Singapore, France, Thailand, Germany

FIAPF AWARD

Sergey Selyanov