Asian World Film Festival Sets Honorees Including ‘Josephine’ Star Mason Reeves, Packed Lineup of Oscar Contenders

The Asian World Film Festival has announced its honorees, recognizing their accomplishments in bringing Asian stories to audiences worldwide.

The fest is honoring Mason Reeves, the young star of “Josephine,” with the Snow Leopard Rising Star Award.

Irene Tsu will be honored with the Snow Leopard Outstanding Cinematic Achievement Award. The Shanghai-born actress who, after her family immigrated to America, forged a career in TV series, on the New York stage and in more than 30 film, including “Flower Drum Song.”

Artykpai Suyundukov, Kyrgyz film pioneer and multi-award-winning writer and director, will receive the Snow Leopard Lifetime Achievement Award.

Diana Lee Inosanto, actress, director and martial artist, will be honored with the Bruce Lee Award.

“Our honorees remind us that the vitality of Asian cinema rests with the artists whose work has shaped generations and the new talents who are beginning to make their mark,” said Georges N. Chamchoum, AWFF’s executive director. “We are proud to celebrate their creativity, imagination and achievements.”

Awards will be presented at the festival closing ceremony Nov. 19 at the Culver Theater. Winners of the festival‘s film competitions will also be recognized at the gala.

It’s 16-film Snow Leopard competition comprises films that are all representing their countries in the international Oscar race, including festival hits “A Foggy Tale” (Taiwan), “Citizen Osama” (Palestine), “Filipiñana” (the Philippines), “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East” (China) and “Gondhal” (India).

Other Oscar contenders screening in the fest: Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden” and Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur.” Also screening in the section is “Elephants in the Fog,” from director Abinash Bikram Shah. The film won a Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.

Peter Ho-Sun Chan‘s “The Road Not Taken“ closes the festival Nov. 19. The drama explores the impact of early-onset Alzheimer‘s on a marriage that is itself falling apart.

The Asian Vision sidebar spotlights films that don’t necessarily have the financial backing of their governments or Oscar campaigns, while the fest also programs a robust short lineup.

The festival opened Nov. 12 with “Kassandra,” the official international feature Oscar submission from Kyrgyzstan. Directed by Bekzat Pirmatov, the film is a folk horror tale about a grieving woman plagued by an unseen but violent presence.

Visit asianworldfilmfest.org for the full festival slate and schedule.