Exhuma from South Korea Leads Nominations at Asian Film Awards, Jury President Sammo Hung Announced

The 18th Asian Film Awards recently announced its 2025 nominations, with South Korea’s Exhuma leading with 11 nods. Directed by Jang Jae-hyun, this horror hit combines feng shui and shamanistic traditions in a gripping narrative. The film was a critical and commercial success in South Korea, earning it the title of the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. Exhuma has been nominated for several major categories at the awards, including Best Director, Best Actor (Choi Min-sik), and Best Actress (Kim Go-eun).

The prestigious Asian Film Awards will take place in Hong Kong on March 16 at the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District. The lineup includes 30 films from 25 countries and regions across 16 competitive categories.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, an action epic from Hong Kong, received nine nominations, making it the second-most recognized film. Directed by Soi Cheang, this film transports viewers to the gritty Kowloon Walled City in the 1980s, exploring themes of brotherhood and resilience.

Other notable nominations include India’s All We Imagine as Light, Japan’s Teki Cometh, Papa, and The Last Dance from Hong Kong. These films have received recognition in various categories, showcasing the diverse talent in Asian cinema.

The AFA ceremony will feature legendary filmmaker and martial artist Sammo Hung as this year’s jury president. Japanese actor Dean Fujioka leads the ambassadorial lineup, emphasizing the event’s goal of bridging regional boundaries.

The Asian Film Awards are presented by the Asian Film Awards Academy, with support from prestigious movie festivals like the Busan International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, and Hong Kong International Film Festival.

The awards ceremony precedes Asia’s leading content market, Hong Kong Filmart, attracting industry figures from the region for business opportunities in the city.

For a full list of the 2025 Asian Film Award nominees, see below:

Best Film
All We Imagine as Light (India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
Black Dog (Mainland China)
Exhuma (South Korea)
Teki Cometh (Japan)
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)

Best Director
Payal Kapadia – All We Imagine as Light (India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
Guan Hu – Black Dog (Mainland China)
Jang Jae-hyun – Exhuma (South Korea)
Rithy Panh – Meeting with Pol Pot (Cambodia, France, Taiwan, Qatar, Türkiye)
Yoshida Daihachi – Teki Cometh (Japan)

And so on for each category.



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