The Asian Film Awards announced that the Indonesian director Edwin will receive the Edward Yang Award for New Talent. The presentation ceremony will be held on March 19, 2012 at the Hong Kong Convention Centre in Hong Kong. Edwin is only the third filmmaker to receive the Award which was set up at the 2nd Asian Film Awards in 2008 to commemorate the renowned filmmaker from Taiwan, Edward Yang, who passed away in 2007. This year marks the 6th edition of the Asian Film Awards.
Edwin is attending the Berlinale where his latest film POSTCARDS FROM THE ZOO premieres on February 15th in the competition section, competing for the coveted Golden Bear. He said, “I am excited by the news of this award. It’s both a vindication of what I’ve been doing, and an encouragement for me as a filmmaker. It’s an honour for me and independent film in Indonesia.”
Edwin first burst onto the cinema scene with two short films – KARA, ANAK SEBATANG POHON (2005) and TRIP TO THE WOUND (2007) – which premiered respectively at Cannes and Berlinale. He became a major talent to watch after his debut feature in 2008 BLIND PIG WHO WANTS TO FLY travelled extensively on the international film festival circuit. Mosaic-like, the film is set within the contemporary social and racial tension of urban Indonesia, following eight characters on their absurd journey to live a better life.
The two previous recipients of the Edward Yang Award are Japan’s ISHII Yuya (latest film, MITSUKO DELIVERS) in 2008, and Taiwan’s WEI Te-Sheng (latest film, WARRIORS OF THE RAINBOW: SEEDIQ BALE) in 2010. “The aim of the Award is to encourage emerging talents from the region,” said Roger Garcia, Executive Director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society. “We are very happy to find in Edwin a most deserving recipient of the Award. His approach to cinema and eternal human issues is at once lyrical, dreamlike, magical and I’m almost tempted to say, mythical. I venture that we are witnessing an auteur in the making, hopefully the evolution of a world class filmmaker.”
