THE Malaysian delegation took home four awards at the recent 61st Asia-Pacific Film Festival (APFF) held at the Wyndham Ion Majestic in Genting Highlands, Pahang, recently.
Actors Fabian Loo and Azira Shafinaz won the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards for their performances in 'Rain Town' and 'Indera', respectively.
"This award proves my commitment to acting," said Azira, 33, who is also a member of the band De Fam.
She said her acting journey predated her music career, with 'Indera' being a significant milestone for her.
In the film, Azira plays Anisa, a key character in this horror feature directed by Woo Ming Jin.
'Indera', which also stars Shaheizy Sam, Ruminah Sidek and Samara Kenzo, follows the story of Joe (Shaheizy), a widower raising his mute daughter.
Their lives take a mysterious turn when Joe takes a job as a handyman at a remote house owned by a Javanese woman.
Haunting visions force the duo to confront their fears and regrets.
Produced by Greenlight Pictures and Lomo Pictures, 'Indera' premiered at the seventh Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest) in July and had its world premiere at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan) in South Korea.
The film is set to hit Malaysian cinemas after Hari Raya Aidilfitri next year.
Adding to Malaysia's accolades, 'The Lonely Piano' won the Best Short Film award, while 'EMP4T' received a Special Jury Award.
The Best Film award went to Thai comedy-drama 'How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies'.
Its lead actor, Puthipong Assaratanakul, won Best Leading Actor, while Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn and Pat Boonnitipat secured the Best Original Screenplay award.
Hong Kong's 'The Last Dance' claimed four awards, including Best Director (Anselm Chan Mou Yin), Best Leading Actress (Michelle Wai), Best Art Direction (Yiu Hon Man), and Best Film Editing (William Chang Suk Ping and Curran Pang).
India's 'Padatik' and Taiwan's 'The Eye of the Storm' each bagged two awards: Best Original Music Score (Indraadip Dasgupta) and Best Make-up & Costume Design (Somnath Kundu and Sabarni Das) for 'Padatik', and Best Visual Effects (Ar Chin Yen) and Best Sound Effects (Book Chien, Sun Sy-yuan, and Tang Hsiang-chu) for 'The Eye of the Storm'.
The evening also honoured Hong Kong legends Raymond Wong Pak-ming and Sammo Hung Kam-bo.
Wong received the FPA Most Outstanding Filmmaker Award, while Hung was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to martial arts and cinema.Founded in 1953, the Asia-Pacific Film Festival is one of the region's oldest and most prestigious film events.
Organised annually by the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific (FPA), the festival rotates across 25 countries, promoting cultural exchange, artistic expression and industry collaboration.
This year's three-day edition was co-organised by Lomo Pictures, NCT Group and Asia-Pacific International Arts Festival.
It was endorsed by the Malaysian Film Producers Association (PFM) and FPA, with support from the National Film Development Corporation (Finas), represented by its chairman Datuk Kamil Othman.
This was Malaysia's fifth time hosting the festival, after previous editions in 1959, 1982, 1990 and 2005.
In his opening speech, FPA secretary-general N. Pansha announced that Kuala Lumpur would host the 62nd edition of the festival next year.
Malaysia's involvement in APFF dates back to its early years.
The late Tan Sri P. Ramlee was the first Malaysian awardee, earning Best Original Score in 1956 for his compositions in 'Hang Tuah'.
The following year, he won Best Actor for his dual roles in 'Anak-ku Sazali', while child actor Tony Castello received Best Child Actor for the same film.
Over the years, P. Ramlee won multiple awards, including the Most Versatile Talent Award, specially created for him at the 10th APFF in Tokyo.
Another notable Malaysian recipient is Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina, who won Best Actress for her role in 'Puteri Gunung Ledang' at the 50th APFF in 2005.
This year's festival celebrated the region's cinematic talents while shining a spotlight on Malaysia's creative contributions.
With the next edition set to return to Kuala Lumpur, the spotlight on Malaysian cinema continues to grow.