Payal Kapadia’s *All We Imagine as Light* Takes Center Stage at the 18th Asian Film Awards
Indian director Payal Kapadia garnered significant acclaim as her film All We Imagine as Light clinched the Best Picture award during the 18th Asian Film Awards held on Sunday evening. This recognition marks the culmination of an impressive ten-month journey through the film festival circuit, which began with a Grand Prix win at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival last May.
Expressing her gratitude during the award ceremony at Hong Kong’s Xiqu Centre, Kapadia said, “Thank you so much to my lead actors — three incredible artists and human beings. They are the ones who made this film what it is. I’m so happy that we could end our journey here in Hong Kong, a city that has meant a lot to me, watching the amazing films from this city over the years.”
Jury Leadership and Notable Nominations
The award ceremony was presided over by legendary Hong Kong filmmaker and martial arts icon Sammo Hung, who led the jury in selecting this year’s winners, affirming the Asian Film Awards’ status as a premier platform for recognizing cinematic excellence across the region.
Award Highlights
Yoshida Daihachi from Japan was celebrated with the Best Director award for his film *Teki Cometh*, an atmospheric character exploration that first premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival last November and achieved remarkable success there.
Sean Lau, the standout actor from Hong Kong, received the Best Actor accolade for his compelling performance in Philip Yung’s family drama *Papa*. Lau expressed his pride in the film’s Hong Kong roots, stating, “I’m very happy because *Papa* is a Hong Kong-made movie.”
Meanwhile, Shahana Goswami was named Best Actress for her role in *Santosh*, a film directed by newcomer Sandhya Suri, who also took home the award for Best New Director. Acknowledging her team, Goswami humorously included herself in her gratitude, saying, “I feel like I’m always under-confident and I never give myself enough credit, so I want to thank the Asian Film Awards members for giving me this vote of confidence.”
Supporting Roles and Other Recognitions
The evening also celebrated veteran Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng, who won Best Supporting Actor for his role in *Stranger Eyes* directed by Yeo Siew Hua. Lee’s performance, along with the film’s victory in editing, solidified its acclaim.
Despite entering the awards with an impressive 11 nominations, South Korea’s horror sensation *Exhuma* only secured wins in Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects, while *Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In* followed closely with two wins out of nine nominations, specifically for Editing and Production Design.
Special Awards and Upcoming Film Festivals
Jang Dong-gun and Tang Wei received the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, acknowledging their significant contributions to the industry. Koji Yakusho was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his 45-year career, in which he has collaborated with numerous esteemed directors and portrayed over 80 unique characters. Yakusho expressed his humility and appreciation for the recognition, stating, “Receiving this award motivates me to strive for even better work in the remaining years of my acting career.”
The Asian Film Awards signal the start of a bustling month for the Hong Kong film industry, with Hong Kong Filmart—the primary film rights market in Asia—opening shortly in the Wanchai district. This will be followed by the Hong Kong International Film Festival’s much-anticipated launch at the end of the month, where the full lineup of films will be unveiled.
Complete List of 2025 Asian Film Award Winners
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)
Best Actor
- Eddie Peng – Black Dog (Mainland China)
- Choi Min-sik – Exhuma (South Korea)
- Sean Lau – Papa (Hong Kong)
- Nagatsuka Kyozo – Teki Cometh (Japan)
- Michael Hui – The Last Dance (Hong Kong)
Best Actress
- Kani Kusruti – All We Imagine as Light (India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
- Sylvia Chang – Daughter’s Daughter (Taiwan)
- Kawai Yuumi – Desert of Namibia (Japan)
- Kim Go-eun – Exhuma (South Korea)
- Shahana Goswami – Santosh (India, United Kingdom, France, Germany)
Best Supporting Actor
- Mitsuishi Ken – All the Long Nights (Japan)
- Ikematsu Sosuke – My Sunshine (Japan)
- Lee Kang-sheng – Stranger Eyes (Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States)
- Chu Pak Hong – The Last Dance (Hong Kong)
- Philip Ng – Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)
Best Supporting Actress
- Maggie Li Lin Lin – All Shall Be Well (Hong Kong)
- Divya Prabha – All We Imagine as Light (India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
- Lim Ji-yeon – Revolver (South Korea)
- Takiuchi Kumi – Teki Cometh (Japan)
- Yang Kuei-Mei – Yen and Ai-Lee (Taiwan)
Best New Director
- Yamanaka Yoko – Desert of Namibia (Japan)
- Sora Neo – Happyend (Japan, United States)
- Dong Zijian – My Friend An Delie (Mainland China)
- Sandhya Suri – Santosh (India, United Kingdom, France, Germany)
- Truong Minh Quý – Viêt and Nam (The Philippines, France, Singapore, Netherlands, Germany, Italy)
Best Newcomer
- Lee Do-hyun – Exhuma (South Korea)
- Kurihara Hayato – Happyend (Japan, United States)
- Putthipong Assaratanakul – How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Thailand)
- Dylan So – Papa (Hong Kong)
- Duy Bao Dinh Dao – Viêt and Nam (The Philippines, France, Singapore, Netherlands, Germany, Italy)
Best Screenplay
- Wada Kiyoto, Miyake Sho – All the Long Nights (Japan)
- Payal Kapadia – All We Imagine as Light (India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
- Jang Jae-hyun – Exhuma (South Korea)
- Pierre Erwan Guillaume, Rithy Panh – Meeting With Pol Pot (Cambodia, France, Taiwan, Qatar, Türkiye)
- Mohammad Rasoulof – The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Iran, Germany, France)
Best Costume Design
- Yang Donglin – A Tapestry of a Legendary Land (Mainland China)
- Choi Yoon-sun – Exhuma (South Korea)
- Dorjee Dradhul Gurung – Shambhala (Nepal, Hong Kong, France, Norway, Qatar, Taiwan, Türkiye, United States)
- Miyamoto Mari – Teki Cometh (Japan)
- Bruce Yu, Karen Yip – Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)
Best Production Design
- Huo Tingxiao, Li Chang – Black Dog (Mainland China)
- Pham Phong Lan – Don’t Cry, Butterfly (Vietnam, Singapore, The Philippines, Indonesia)
- Seo Sung-kyung – Exhuma (South Korea)
- Hayashida Yuji – The Box Man (Japan)
- Kenneth Mak, Chau Sai Hung Ambrose – Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)
Best Editing
- Clément Pinteaux – All We Imagine as Light (India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
- Rithy Panh, Matthieu Laclau – Meeting With Pol Pot (Cambodia, France, Taiwan, Qatar, Türkiye)
- William Chang Suk Ping – My Friend An Delie (Mainland China)
- Jojo Shek – Papa (Hong Kong)
- Cheung Ka Fai – Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)
Best Cinematography
- Hong Kyeong-pyo – Harbin (South Korea)
- Lv Songye – My Friend An Delie (Mainland China)
- Aziz Zhambakiyev – Shambhala (Nepal, Hong Kong, France, Norway, Qatar, Taiwan, Türkiye, United States)
- Shinomiya Hidetoshi – Teki Cometh (Japan)
- Cheng Siu Keung – Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)
Best Original Music
- Hi’Spec – All the Long Nights (Japan)
- Kim Tae-sung – Exhuma (South Korea)
- Katsumoto Michiaki – The Box Man (Japan)
- Chu Wan Pin – The Last Dance (Hong Kong)
- Kawai Kenji – Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)
Best Visual Effects
- Danny Yin – Black Dog (Mainland China)
- Sato Fumiro, Kobari Yasuhiro – Black Ox (Japan, Taiwan)
- Tomi Kuo, Chiu Chun-Yi – Dead Talents Society (Taiwan)
- Kim Shin-chul, Daniel Son – Exhuma (South Korea)
- Lin Chun Yue Jules, Ma Siu Fu, Garrett K Lam, Yee Kwok Leung – Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)
Best Sound
- Zurab Kurmanbayev – Cadet (Kazakhstan)
- Kim Byung-in – Exhuma (South Korea)
- Tu Duu-Chih, Tu Tse-Kang – Stranger Eyes (Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States)
- Yiu Chun Hin, Cheung Man Hoi, To Burnard Davy – Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)
- Vincent Villa – Viêt and Nam (The Philippines, France, Singapore, Netherlands, Germany, Italy)
For a comprehensive list of all award winners, including accolades and nominees, visit Hollywood Reporter.