Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s Evil Does Not Exist was hailed as the Best Picture at the 17th edition of the annual Asian Film Awards. 

The awards ceremony, which took place on 10 March at the Xiqu Center in Hong Kong, recognized and honored artists, filmmakers and film professionals in Asian cinema. 

Evil Does Not Exist, which bagged six nominations, won the most prestigious prize of the night. The Japanese film bested 12.12: The Day (South Korea), Paradise (Sri Lanka and India), Perfect Days (Japan) and Snow Leopard (China). It also won Best Original Music. 

The drama that examines the relationship between human and nature is also a recipient of top recognition at various film festivals, including the Jury Grand Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and five awards at the Venice Film Festival.

Aside from Evil Does Not Exist, South Korea’s 12.12: The Day also earned six nominations, with Park Hoon winning Best Supporting Actor and Kim
Sang-bum bagging the Best Editing award. 

Park starred in popular drama series Descendants of the Sun (2016) and Memories of the Alhambra (2018), as well as in the movie Confidential Assignment 2: International (2022). 

Thai superstar Win Metawin also stood out in the awards show as he received the AFA Rising Star Award. Metawin, who was spotted with Janella Salvador on the red carpet, co-stars with the Filipina actress in the movie Under Parallel Skies.

Also turning up at the awards show were A-listers and luminaries in the film industry, including Cannes-winning Hong Kong actor Tony Leung, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, Blue Dragon Film awardee Lee
Young-ae, Thai actor Mario Maurer, South Korean singer Kwon Yuri of Girls Generation, and a lot more. 

Here’s the full list of winners at the 17th Asian Film Awards:

Best Film: Evil Does Not Exist (Japan) 

Best Actor: Koji Yakusho, Perfect Days (Japan)

Best Actress: Jiang Qinqin, Dwelling by the West Lake (China) 

Best Supporting Actor: Park Hoon, 12.12: The Day (South Korea) 

Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Leung, In Broad Daylight (Hong Kong) 

Best Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda, Monster (Japan) 

Best New Director: Nick Cheuk, Time Still Turns the Pages (Hong Kong) 

Best Newcomer: Tergel Bold-Erdene, City of Wind (Mongolia) 

Best Screenplay: Pema Tseden, Snow Leopard (China) 

Best Cinematography: Matthias Delvaux, Snow Leopard (China) 

Best Editing: Kim
Sang-bum, 12:12: The Day (South Korea) 

Best Production Design: Eric Lam, The Goldfinger (Hong Kong/China) 

Best Visual Effects: Lim Chung Man, The Goldfinger (Hong Kong/China) and Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima, Godzilla Minus One (Japan) 

Best Original Music: Eiko Ishibashi, Evil Does Not Exist (Japan) 

Best Sound: Natsuko Inoue, Godzillla Minus One (Japan) 

Excellence in Asian Cinema Award: Suzuki Ryohei (Japan) & Lee Young-ae (South Korea) 

AFA Rising Star Award: Win Metawin (Thailand) 

AFA Next Generation Award: Zhao Liying (China) 

Lifetime Achievement Award: Zhang Yimou (China)

2023 Highest-grossing Asian Film Award: Full River Red (China).