18th Asian Film Awards Winners Announced
TIFF Triple-Honoree Yoshida Daihachi Wins Best Director;
Kurihara Hayato Wins Best Newcomer
The 18th annual Asian Film Awards (AFA) announced the winners and special award recipients at a ceremony held at the West Kowloon Cultural District’s Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong on March 16, 2025. Sixteen competitive prizes and five honorary prizes were given out.
Films from 25 countries and regions were nominated for 16 awards at the 18th AFA. From Japan, Yoshida Daihachi received the Best Director Award for Teki Cometh, winner of the top three prizes at the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), marking the third consecutive year that a Japanese director has won this prestigious award. The director shared the joy of the achievement with lead actor nominee Nagatsuka Kyozo, supporting actress nominee Takiuchi Kumi and crew members who all attended the award ceremony. Additionally, Kurihara Hayato became the first Japanese actor to receive the Best Newcomer Award for his performance in Happyend. As previously announced, actor Yakusho Koji was honored with the highest accolade of the organization’s Special Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award, for his achievements and contributions to the film industry, which have made a significant impact on Asian cinema. Also announced previously, Kōki, received the Rising Star Award.
From left: Kōki,, Yakusho Koji, Yoshida Daihachi, Kurihara Hayato
©Asian Film Awards Academy
©Asian Film Awards Academy
The AFA ceremony featured a glamorous Red Carpet and Award Ceremony attracting participants from all over Asia, and was a great success. At this year’s AFA, the Hong Kong actor-director Sammo Hung served as the jury president leading other jury and voting members composed of filmmakers from around the world in selecting the winners. Many nominees from Japan were on hand for the event and mingled with the other guests, including the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Yakusho Koji, Rising Star Award recipient Kōki,, as well as one of the Youth Ambassadors, Okada Masaki, and Best Actress nominee Kawai Yuumi (Desert of Namibia), and AFA Ambassador Dean Fujioka and Ikematsu Sosuke (My Sunshine), who served in pairs as presenters. Also attending were the Teki Cometh team, Happyend team (director Sora Neo, actor Kurihara Hayato), All the Long Nights team (director Miyake Sho, actor Mitsuishi Ken), the Black Ox team, The Box Man team, the Desert of Namibia team (director Yamanaka Yoko, actor Kawai Yuumi), and My Sunshine team (director Okuyama Hiroshi, actor Ikematsu Sosuke), as well as director Matsunaga Daishi, who also served as a presenter with fellow director Stanley Kwan.
For the full winners list, please refer to the following page.
Award winners’ comments
Yakusho Koji’s speech: Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient (Originally in Japanese)
“Last year, I was honored to receive the (Best Actor) Award for the film Perfect Days, but I deeply regret being unable to attend the awards ceremony. And now, this year, to be presented with this Lifetime Achievement Award… When I look at the names of the past recipients, I am struck by the weight and significance it carries. This weight also serves as a source of encouragement for me. For the remainder of my acting career, I will continue to do my best to contribute, even in the smallest way, to the Asian film industry.”
Yoshida Daihachi’s speech: Best Director Award for Teki Cometh (Originally in Japanese)
“Thank you very much to everyone at the Asian Film Awards. Just as you may be surprised, I am also very surprised. Adapting a novel by Tsutsui Yasutaka, a book I have cherished since my youth, was already a great privilege. On top of that, I had the incredible luck as a director of working with a trusted crew and an outstanding cast to bring it to the screen. And now, to receive such an amazing award—it is truly beyond anything I could have hoped for. Thank you very much.”
Kurihara Hayato’s speech: Best Newcomer Award for Happyend (Originally in Japanese)
(In English) “I’m so happy to be here. Thanks to the AFA. (Switching to Japanese) I want to express my gratitude and love to all the cast and crew. Thank you so much.”
Kōki,’s speech: Rising Star Award Recipient
“My heart is pounding right now. First of all, I would like to say a huge thank you to the Asian Film Awards to allow me to participate in such a meaningful and memorable event. Being able to receive this Rising Star Award means so much to me. It has given me so much courage and determination. I would like to thank all the teams, directors, co-stars, producers, and all the teams from Ox-Head Village, Touch, Tornado, True Beauty: Before and After. I’ll continue to do my very best, and continue to challenge myself, so that I will be able to shine like this award. I’m really honored. Thank you so much.”
Ambassadors’ comments
Dean Fujioka’s speech: AFA Ambassador
“Dear friends, I’m Dean Fujioka, the Ambassador of the 18th Asian Film Awards. It is a joy to be here with you tonight, right here in Hong Kong, a city that ignited my passion for filmmaking. I’m truly grateful to return to this beloved city and participate in this incredible event that brings together filmmakers across the regions. I see that the director of my very first film is in the audience. It’s wonderful to see you again. My impression of Hong Kong remains unchanged. It is as lively and vibrant as ever, and if I get a chance, I’d love to have some iced lemon tea. It brings back great memories of my youth in Hong Kong. Thank you.”
Okada Masaki’s speech: Youth Ambassador (Originally in Japanese)
“Hello, everyone. I’m Okada Masaki, a Japanese actor. Throughout my film career, I have played a variety of roles. Among them, I was fortunate to receive the great honor of being nominated for the Asian Film Awards for my role in Drive My Car. I am deeply grateful for cinema and for every opportunity I have been given. I will continue to strive to grow as an actor. Thank you very much.”
| 18th Asian Film Awards winners (2025): | |
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| Best Film: | “All We Imagine as Light” (India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg) |
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| Best Director: | YOSHIDA Daihachi “Teki Cometh” (Japan) |
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| Best Actor: | Sean LAU “Papa” (Hong Kong) |
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| Best Actress: | Shahana GOSWAMI “Santosh” (India, United Kingdom, France, Germany) |
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| Best Supporting Actor: | LEE Kang-Sheng “Stranger Eyes” (Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States) |
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| Best Supporting Actress: | YANG Kuei-Mei “Yen and Ai-Lee” (Taiwan) |
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| Best New Director: | Sandhya SURI “Santosh” (India, United Kingdom, France, Germany) |
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| Best Newcomer: | KURIHARA Hayato “Happyend” (Japan, United States) |
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| Best Screenplay: | Mohammad RASOULOF “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Iran, Germany, France) |
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| Best Costume Design: | CHOI Yoon-sun “Exhuma” (South Korea) |
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| Best Production Design: | Kenneth MAK, CHAU Sai Hung Ambrose “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” (Hong Kong) |
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| Best Editing: | CHEUNG Ka Fai “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” (Hong Kong) |
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| Best Cinematography: | HONG Kyeong-pyo “Harbin” (South Korea) |
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| Best Original Music: | Wan Pin CHU “The Last Dance” (Hong Kong) |
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| Best Visual Effects: | KIM Shin-chul, Daniel SON “Exhuma” (South Korea) |
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| Best Sound: | TU Duu-Chih, TU Tse-Kang “Stranger Eyes” (Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States) |
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| Lifetime Achievement Award | YAKUSHO Koji |
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| Excellence in Asian Cinema | JANG Dong-gun, TANG Wei |
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| AFA Next Generation Award | WU Kangren |
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| AFA Rising Star Award | Kōki, |
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| 2024 Highest-Grossing Asian Film | “YOLO” (Mainland China) |
| Nominees from Japan: | |
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| Best Film: | “Teki Cometh” directed by YOSHIDA Daihachi |
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| Best Director: | YOSHIDA Daihachi (“Teki Cometh”) |
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| Best Actor: | NAGATSUKA Kyozo (“Teki Cometh”) |
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| Best Actress: | KAWAI Yuumi (“Desert of Namibia”) |
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| Best Supporting Actor: | MITSUISHI Ken (“All the Long Nights”) IKEMATSU Sosuke (”My Sunshine”) |
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| Best Supporting Actress: | TAKIUCHI Kumi (“Teki Cometh”) |
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| Best New Director: | YAMANAKA Yoko (“Desert of Namibia”) SORA Neo (“Happyend”) |
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| Best Newcomer: | KURIHARA Hayato (“Happyend”) |
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| Best Screenplay: | WADA Kiyoto, MIYAKE Sho (“All the Long Nights”) |
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| Best Costume Design: | MIYAMOTO Mari (“Teki Cometh”) |
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| Best Production Design: | HAYASHIDA Yuji (“The Box Man”) |
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| Best Editing: | — |
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| Best Cinematography: | SHINOMIYA Hidetoshi (“Teki Cometh”) |
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| Best Original Music: | Hi’Spec (“All the Long Nights”) KATSUMOTO Michiaki (“The Box Man”) *KAWAI Kenji is nominated for Hong Kong Film “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” (Hong Kong) |
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| Best Visual Effects: | SATO Fumiro, KOBARI Yasuhiro (“Black Ox”) |
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| Best Sound: | — |
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Asian Film Awards (AFA) afa-academy.com
The Asian Film Awards was inaugurated in 2007, where members of AFAA are drawn from its past nominees and winners. The category of awards includes Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. Members vote for the Asian Film Awards and participate in various AFAA activities involving film professionals and audiences in Asia and around the world.
Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA)
Asian Film Awards Academy is a non-profit organisation founded by Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo International Film Festivals with the shared goal of celebrating excellence in Asian cinema. In addition to the annual Asian Film Awards, the Academy hosts year-round events and programmes with the objectives to promote Asian films to a broader audience, expand the film market within Asia, and foster connections among film professionals in Hong Kong and beyond.
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