Busan, Republic of Korea: The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) today announced that 37 films from 19 countries and areas have been nominated in this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the region’s highest accolade in film.

APSA 2011 International Jury President, Nansun Shi, made the announcement from the Busan International Film Festival, which was founded by APSA Patron Kim Dong-ho. Films from the Islamic Republic of Iran, People’s Republic of China, Turkey and India will vie for the Best Feature Film Award.

Best Feature Film nominees in the 2011 APSAs are Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation, Islamic Republic of Iran), Rang zidan fei (Let the Bullets Fly, People’s Republic of China – Mainland China / Hong Kong), Bé Omid É Didar (Goodbye, Islamic Republic of Iran), Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Band Baaja Baaraat (Wedding Planners, India).

A total of 240 films were entered into this year’s competition. Thirty-seven have received nominations for the 2011 awards, with winners to be announced at the ceremony on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, on November 24.

Winners in the fifth annual APSAs will be determined by an International Jury headed by leading Hong Kong film producer Nansun Shi. These awards, an initiative of the Queensland Government, Australia, in unique collaboration with UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations – acclaim films from 70 countries and areas. Films are judged on cinematic excellence and the way in which they attest to their cultural origins.

Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation), by Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, and Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia), written and directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, have each received four APSA nominations. Both films are the Academy Award® submission for their respective countries in the category of Best Foreign Language Film for 2012.

Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, writer, director and producer of Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation), has been nominated for Best Feature Film, Achievement in Directing and Best Screenplay. Actor Peyman Moadi has been nominated for Best Performance by an Actor. The film is the first completed project funded by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ MPA APSA Academy Film Fund launched in 2010 and received one of four US$25,000 grants. Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation) won the Golden Bear for Best Film and the Silver Bears for Best Actress and Best Actor (ensemble cast) at the 61^st Berlin International Film Festival, becoming the first Iranian film to win the Golden Bear. The film also received the Sydney Film Prize at this year’s Sydney Film Festival. Asghar Farhadi’s previous film Darbareye Elly (About Elly) won the APSA Jury Grand Prize and Best Screenplay Award in 2009.

Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia) has been nominated for Best Feature Film (Zeynep Özbatur Atakan, Mirsad Purivatra, Eda Arikan, Ibrahim Sahin, Müge Kolat, Murat Akdilek, Nuri Bilge Ceylan), Achievement in Directing (Nuri Bilge Ceylan), Achievement in Cinematography (Gökhan Tiryaki) and Best Screenplay (Ercan Kesal, Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan). Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia) premiered in competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival where it shared the Grand Prix with Belgian filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, for Le Gamin au Vélo (The Kid with a Bike). Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the APSA for Achievement in Directing in 2008 for his previous film Uc Maymun (Three Monkeys).

Bé Omid É Didar (Goodbye), by Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, has received three APSA nominations. Bé Omid É Didar (Goodbye) has been nominated for Best Feature Film (Mohammad Rasoulof), Achievement in Directing (Mohammad Rasoulof) and Best Performance by an Actress (Leyla Zareh). Rasoulof received the award for Best Director in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Rang zidan fei (Let the Bullets Fly), written and directed by Jiang Wen, has received two APSA nominations. The highest grossing domestic film in history at the Chinese box office, Rang zidan fei (Let the Bullets Fly) has been nominated for Best Feature Film (Ma Ke, Albert Lee, Yin Homber, Barbie Tung, Zhao Haicheng) and Achievement in Directing (Jiang Wen).

The fifth Nominee for Best Feature Film is Indian film Band Baaja Baaraat (Wedding Planners), produced by Aditya Chopra. It is the debut feature film for director Maneesh Sharma. The fifth Nominee for Achievement in Directing is Na Hong-jin for Hwanghae (The Yellow Sea, Republic of Korea). The film was selected in Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The Nominees for Best Performance by an Actress are Judy Davis (The Eye of the Storm) from Australia, Nahed El Sebai (Cairo 678) from Egypt, Nadezhda Markina (Elena) from the Russian Federation, Shayesteh Irani (Ayenhaye Rooberoo / Facing Mirrors) from the Islamic Republic of Iranand Leyla Zareh (Bé Omid É Didar / Goodbye), also from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Nominees for Best Performance by an Actor are Peyman Moadi (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin / A Separation) from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Wang Baoqiang (Hello! Shu Xian Sheng / Mr Tree) from the People’s Republic of China, Sasson Gabay (Boker Tov Adon Fidelman / Restoration) from Israel, Fa’afiaula Sagote (O le Tulafale / The Orator) from New Zealand/Samoa and Australia’s Daniel Connors for Toomelah.

The Best Screenplay Nominees are Yoon Sung-hyun for Pa-soo-kkoon (Bleak Night, Republic of Korea), Denis Osokin for Ovsyanki (Silent Souls, Russian Federation) and Alexey Balabanov for Kochegar (A Stoker, Russian Federation), as well as Asghar Farhadi for Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (A Separation) and Ercan Kesal, Ebru Ceylan and Nuri Bilge Ceylan for Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia).

The nominations for Achievement in Cinematography are

Vladimir Bashtafor Brestskaia krepost  (Brest Fortress, Russian Federation), Yuri Klimenkofor Krai (The Edge, Russian Federation), Mark Lee Ping Bin for Noruwei no mori (Norwegian Wood, Japan), Sonthar Gyal for Khyi rgan (Old Dog, People’s Republic of China – Tibet), and Gökhan Tiryaki for Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina).

In 2011, APSA Academy members have had the right to view and vote in selected categories for the first time. Past Jury, Nominations Council, Documentary and Animation Academy members will determine the Nominees and Winners for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature Film in the 2011 competition. Children’s Feature Film Academy members, along with past Jury and Council, have decided on the Nominees for Best Children’s Feature Film with the Winner in that category to be determined by the International Jury.

Nominees for Best Documentary Feature Film are:

Amin (Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Korea, Canada, Ukraine) – Shahin Parhami Bakhmaro (Georgia, Germany) – Anna Dziapshipa, Heino Deckert Jag Var Värd 50 Lamm (I Was Worth 50 Sheep, Sweden, Japan, USA) – Maryam Ebrahimi Marathon Boy (India, UK) – Gemma Atwal, Matt Norman Pink Saris (India, UK) – Amber Latiff, Girjashanker Vohra.

Nominees for Best Animated Feature Film are: Hoshi o Ou Kodomo (Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below, Japan) – Noritaka Kawaguchi Madangeul naon amtak (Leafie, Republic of Korea) – Lee Eun, Shim Jaemyung, Kim Sunku RPG Metanoia (Phillippines) – Charles Rapaport, Malou Santos, Lelette Bontia, Ann Gatmaytan, Ned Villarama Tatsumi (Singapore) – Tan Fong Cheng, Phil Mitchell, Freddie Yeo, Eric Khoo, Gary Goh, Greg Chew, Brian Gothong Tan, Wong Kim Hoh Gadkiy Utyonok (The Ugly Duckling, Russian Federation) – Garri Bardin.

The International Jury can also, at its discretion, present a further prize: The Screen International Jury Grand Prize, for which nominated feature films are eligible.

The 2011 Asia Pacific Screen Awards Ceremony will be webcast live through: http://www.asiapacificscreenacademy.com