Organised by the Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo International Film Festivals, and supported by Create HongKong and the Film Development Fund, the Asian Film Awards Academy (Academy or AFAA) has spearheaded efforts to promote Asian cinema around the world year-round. As part of the Asian Film Awards (AFA), its flagship event and the largest celebration of Asian cinema in the world, the Academy appoints an emerging Asian star every year as Youth Ambassador to act as the face of the awards and to take part in outreach activities. For the first time in its history, the Academy has appointed not one, but four celebrated Asian stars as the Youth Ambassadors of the 17th AFA: (in alphabetical order) LIU Kuan-Ting, Mario MAURER, MIYAZAWA Hio and Will OR.
Embodying numerous countries and cultures, Asia is a region that is rich in diversity, and that diversity has always been reflected in its films, as seen in past AFA winners and nominees. As a way to honour and celebrate this diversity, this year's AFA has enlisted four acclaimed actors from across the region, each with very different career paths and acting styles. Not only will the Youth Ambassadors take the stage together at the AFA ceremony, they will also participate in a number of AFA outreach events, meeting fans and cinephiles in conversation about their craft and their love of Asian cinema.
About the Youth Ambassadors:
LIU Kuan-Ting (Taiwan): Nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 14th AFA for his breakthrough performance in A Sun and winner of Best Supporting Actor at the 56th and 58th Golden Horse Awards for A Sun and Treat or Trick, respectively, LIU has proven himself to be one of the most versatile actors in Taiwan with the spectacular ability to master any genre. He has also received accolades for his performances in Golden Horse-winning comedy My Missing Valentine, family drama Old Fox, popular firefighter series Tears on Fire and sci-fi anthology series On Marriage.
LIU says, “It is my great honour to be the Youth Ambassador of the AFA. I'm so happy to take up this task.”
Mario MAURER (Thailand): Nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2nd and 6th AFA for Love of Siam and The Outrage, respectively, MAURER began his career at the age of 16 as a model. After his breakout film role in Love of Siam, he has consistently been one of Thailand's most recognizable stars. His biggest hits include record-breaking comedy Pee Mak, First Love and TV series Bad Romeo. Thanks to his widespread popularity across Asia, MAURER has also taken part in films in the Philippines,China and Hong Kong.
MAURER says, “I always feeI I have an obligation to help promote Thai cinema to the world. Thank you for the recognition and opportunity.”
MIYAZAWA Hio (Japan): Winner of Best Supporting Actor at the 16th AFA for Egoist, MIYAZAWA has been highly prolific in Japanese television and films since making his acting debut in the second series of DR. STORKS in 2017. In 2020, he won multiple Best Newcomer prizes for his, his first film starring role, as well as the Newcomer of the Year prize at the Japan Academy Film Prize for Kiba:The Fangs of Fiction. His other films include historical epic The Legend & Butterfly and romantic drama Moonlight Shadow.
MIYAZAWA says, “I am honoured and proud to be invited as the Youth Ambassador of AFA. As a Japanese actor, I hope to use this role to bring the charm of Japanese cinema to a larger audience.”
Will OR (Hong Kong): One of the top up-and-coming male stars of Hong Kong, OR received multiple accolades for his breakout supporting role in Jun LI's award-winning drama, Drifting, bringing him nominations for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards. He has also received praise for his performances in comedy-drama One More Chance (co-starring alongside CHOW Yun-Fat), romantic comedy series Food Buddies and sports series SPARKS. He will soon be seen by a global audience in the highly-anticipated Amazon Video series, Expats.
OR says, “It's always fascinating to have someone appreciate yourself more than you do. I am grateful to be the Youth Ambassador.”
Dr. Wilfred WONG, GBM, GBS, JP, Chairman of Asian Film Awards Academy, says, “We are pleased to have these four talents as this year's Youth Ambassadors. Each of them brings unique and extensive experiences from a myriad of genres to the table, and I look forward to seeing them come together to interact and share their thoughts on Asian cinema with audiences. Bringing this diverse group of actors together for a rich exchange of ideas is what the AFA is all about.”
The nominees and Jury President of the 17th AFA will be announced on 12 January 2024. Stay tuned to the AFAA's official website and social media platforms and for the latest updates and to see what our four Youth Ambassadors are up to!
