13 March 2024

A Song Sung Blue by Geng Zihan wins the CinemAsia Film Festival 2024 Jury Award

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The 16th edition of CinemAsia Film Festival in Amsterdam, marking the 20th-year-anniversary of the festival, came to a close with the festive award ceremony, announcing the winner of the competition program. The CinemAsia 2024 Jury Award goes to the Chinese director Geng Zihan for her coming-of-age film A Song Sung Blue (2023). The Filipino-Canadian director Seán Devlin receives a Special Mention for his hybrid documentary ASOG (2023). In May and June CinemAsia goes On Tour to Nijmegen, Rotterdam and The Hague with a selection of its evocative Asian films.

CinemAsia 2024 Jury Award – A SONG SUNG BLUE 小白船 (China 2023)

The Competition puts the spotlight on a new generation of filmmakers, highlighting directors with a strong artistic and cinematographic signature. After contentious deliberations the Competition Jury, consisting of Marit van den Elshout (director of FilmForward and ex-Head of IFFR Pro), the Dutch actor and director Martin Schwab (Flikken Maastricht, Pulang) and director Wei Shujun (rising star in Chinese cinema with Ripples Of Life, Only The River Flows), unanimously selected A Song Sung Blue by the Chinese director Geng Zihan and came to the following conclusion:

 

“Focusing on female coming-of-age, the film does not dwell superficially on the concept itself but vividly depicts the genuine and sentimental moments between two young women. On top of that, the cinematography is captivating, and the editing is precise and fresh”.

Special Mention CinemAsia 2024 Jury – ASOG (Canada, Philippines 2023)

This year, with admiration and pleasure, CinemAsia’s 2024 Jury announces a Special Mention for Asog by the Filipino-Canadian director Seán Devlin:

“This film stood out in its freshness and sense of urgency and in the original manner in which it deals with big social topics, such as climate change, post-colonialism and capitalism. The film challenges the way we look at cinema in its eclectic hybrid style using different forms, styles and music that together sometimes feel overwhelming, but make sure that the film delivers the message and stays with you. The acting of the two lead actors is intense and captivating and it’s clear the film has been made with a lot of passion and urgency. We are curious to see what the filmmaker will do next”.