Newly created The Spirit of Asia Award goes to promising Cambodian female director Sotho Kulikar The world premiere of her first feature film The Last Reel was at the TIFF 2014

October 31, 2014

On October 31, The Japan Foundation Asia Center and the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) announced the winner of newly created The Spirit of Asia Award. The winner was chosen from the directors of the Asian Future section, which is considered to be a gateway to success for Asian budding directors.

  • The Spirit of Asia Award by The Japan Foundation Asia Center
    The winner: Sotho Kulikar (Cambodia)
  • Work presented at TIFF: The Last Reel (2014)
    A lost film, buried beneath Cambodia’s killing fields, reveals different versions of the truth. A contemporary story about love, family and the ghosts of Cambodia’s past.

Sotho Kulikar commented on her film: “For me, The Last Reel is really about the overwhelming human need for storytelling as part of a healing process” She also expressed her thoughts: “Cambodia needs to find the courage to tell these stories and start a dialogue with itself and to the outside world. Films can unite generations and speak from the past to the present.” After the world premiere at the TIFF 2014, The Last Reel will be shown as the opening film of the Cambodia International Film Festival in December 2014, and will also be presented at the Singapore International Film Festival.

The Spirit of Asia Award by The Japan Foundation Asia Center
The Spirit of Asia Award, a newly created award within the Asian Future section, is to be given to an aspiring director who is expected to be internationally active beyond cultural barriers. The Winner is to be decided by two commissioners: the President of the Japan Institute of Moving Image and the President of the Japan Foundation. The winner is to receive a trophy and a short trip to Japan (or to Asia, in case of Japanese director).
For information on the other awards at the TIFF, please refer to the official website indicated above.

Contact

Contact
The Japan Foundation Asia Center
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6025
Murata (Ms.), Kumagai (Mr.)  E-mail: Yuko_Murata＠jpf.go.jp, Junichi_Kumagai＠jpf.go.jp
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Press Contact
The Japan Foundation Communication Center
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6089
Kawakubo (Ms.), Mugitani (Ms.)  E-mail: press＠jpf.go.jp
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