During the recent MPA American Film Night at the Shanghai International Film Festival, the 15th annual MPA APSA Academy Film Fund was announced open for submissions. This prestigious fund, available exclusively to members of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and their collaborators, provides four script development grants of US$25,000 each year. So far, the Fund has backed 56 films from 27 different countries and regions across Asia Pacific.The announcement was made by APSA Academy member and past Fund recipient, the distinguished Australian filmmaker Rolf de Heer, who is currently on the Jury of the Shanghai International Film Festival, alongside Australian Consul-General to Shanghai, Mr. John Williams.
Since its establishment in 2010, the collaboration between the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy (APSA) through the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund has championed diverse and compelling storytelling throughout the region. The fund has supported 56 feature films, many of which have earned accolades at top-tier film festivals and awards, including the Academy Awards, the Silver Bear, and the International Emmy. These films have been showcased at major festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Toronto. In 2024, the MPA-supported Vietnamese film “Việt And Nam” which was selected for the prestigious Un Certain Regard programme at Cannes.
According to Bianca Balbuena, producer of “Việt And Nam, the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund jumpstarted the journey of their 8-country coproduction film, ‘Việt And Nam.’ They managed to revise the script, immerse themselves in locations, and conduct an extensive search for the cast. They stayed true to their core values of authenticity and truth in cinema. Thanking APSA and the MPA, for believing in their project from the start, it was a wonderful experience that the film screened at Cannes.
Over the last 15 years, the Fund has received over 1,450 exceptional projects from the diverse cultures within APSA, making the selection process incredibly challenging. APSA also announced the retirement of Andrew Pike OAM as the chair of the Film Fund Jury, with Kiki Fung, a curator, film critic, and Programme Consultant for the Hong Kong International Film Festival, taking over the role. According to Kiki Fung, a regular member of the APSA International Nominations Council, The MPA APSA Academy Film Fund has consistently supported extraordinary films at the development stage, many of which have been praised globally.
The MPA and APSA expressed their gratitude to Andrew Pike for his significant contributions to the fund’s establishment and stewardship, and they expressed excitement for the new projects to be supported under Kiki Fung’s leadership.
According to Belinda Lui, President and Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Motion Picture Association, the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund has been a beacon for emerging filmmakers in the Asia Pacific region and the MPA’s partnership with APSA has helped discover and nurture unique voices and compelling stories that resonate globally.
The 16th Asia Pacific Screen Awards will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, on November 2nd. This highly anticipated event will celebrate the Award nominees and their remarkable contributions to cinema, and announce the recipients of the coveted MPA APSA Academy Film Fund. In addition to the Awards, the Asia Pacific Screen Academy hosts an annual industry forum. The Asia Pacific Screen Forum invites all filmmakers to gather on the Gold Coast for five days of industry-led events, screenings, and networking.
For more information on the fund, please visit: https://www.asiapacificscreenawards.com/about-academy/mpa-apsa-academy-film-fund