Five Indian films compete for APSA awards

Melbourne, Oct 18 (PTI) Five Indian films including
Anurag Kashyap's 'Udaan' and 'Raavan' have been nominated in
different categories at this year's Asia Pacific Screen
Awards, to be announced on December 2.
Marathi star Tesjaswini Pandit is up for the best
actress award for Marathi film 'I am Sindhutai Sakpal' while
actor Atul Kulkarni has been nominated for the best actor for
'Natarang', in which he plays a village laborer who overcomes
gender politics to achieve his dream of becoming a theatre
performer.
Cinematographer Sudhir Palsane has received a
nomination for his camera work in Marathi film 'Vihir' (The
Well' while Santosh Sivan and V Manikandan have been nominated
for 'Raavan'. Sivan's earlier film 'Tahaan' was nominated in
the 2009 for the best children's film.
Anurag Kashyap's 'Udaan', directed by Vikramaditya
Motwane, has been nominated in the best children's film
category.
Talking about Tesjaswini Pandit's performance, APSA
Nominations Council member Maithili Rao said, "Tesjaswini
Pandit holds the film together with a very strong and sincere
performance."
Of Atul Kulkarni's performance in Nataring, APSA
Nominations Council member and Variety critic, Russell
Edwards, said: "It's a virtuoso performance that shows a
magical transformation...it's startling."
A total of 31 films from 15 countries are in the
competition race.
These awards, an initiative of the Queensland
Government, Australia in collaboration with UNESCO and
FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations,
invite films from 70 countries and areas, which include one
third of the earth and half the world's film output.
Films are judged on cinematic excellence and the way
in which they attest to their cultural origins.
Films from China including one from Hong Kong received
a total of 12 nominations, films from the Republic of Korea
received six nominations, Indian films received five, Japanese
films received four, Israeli, Taiwanese, and Turkish films
received three; and Australian and New Zealand films received
two. Films from Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories,
the Russian Federation and Cambodia each received one
nomination.
Winners will be determined by an international jury
headed by Academy Award-winning producer Lord David Puttnam on
December 2