Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau is presiding over the Jury at the 2012 Asian Film Awards. Today the jury announced the nominees, which include a number of genre films from all over Asia. Says Andy Lau: “Asian films are spreading across the globe because of their diversity and innovation.”
Nominees for Best Picture include Johnnie To’s “Drug War,” starring Louis Koo; Takeshi Kitano’s sequel to his violent Yakuza thriller “Outrage,” titled “Outrage Beyond”; and the latest from Korean badboy Kim Ki-duk, titled “Pieta.”
In addition, veteran Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka-Fai is up for Best Actor award for his role in the Chinese cop thriller “Cold War.” Korean mega-hits “The Thieves” and “Nameless Gangster” were up for plenty of Actor-related awards as well.
For the full rundown of nominees, be sure to check Chinese Films. The awards ceremony will take place in Hong Kong on March 18th, 2013.