Turkish actress nominee in Asian film awards

ISTANBUL

For her role in “Sibel,” Turkish actress Damla Sönmez has been nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in the 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA). Sönmez will compete against two-time Oscar nominated actress Rooney Mara for “Mary Magdalene,” 2018 Cannes Best Actress winner Samal Yeslyamova for “Ayka,” Chinese actress Zhao Tao for “Ash is Purest White” and Kazakh actress Laura Koroleva for “Sveta.” 

The APSA, which celebrates cinematic excellence and cultural diversity in the region of Australia, has unveiled a full list of nominations for the 12th edition. 

In 2018, films from Japan and the People’s Republic of China lead the tally with seven nominations each, while films from Australia, India and Kazakhstan each received five nominations and Uzbekistan has received a nomination for the first time. 

Nominations go to a total of 46 films from 22 countries from the vast region, comprised of 70 countries and areas and responsible for half of the world’s film output. 

Also from Turkey, “Güvercin” (The Pigeon) has been nominated for Best Youth Feature Film along with “Ava,” “Nervous Translation,” “Passage of Life” and “Village Rockstars.”

The 12th APSA ceremony will take place on Nov. 29 in Brisbane, Australia, with nominees and special guests attending from across the region and world.