The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) has held its launch in Cannes, announcing producer Lord David Puttnam (Chariots of Fire) as the head of the International Jury this year. The awards are open to films from 70 countries, which means Lord Puttnam has the unenviable job of disappointing 69 of them.
Stepping outside of the Asia-Pacific region for the first time in seeking a jury head, the Queensland-based sun, surf and sprocket junket selected Lord P for his sympathetic portrayals of foreign subjects and subject matter over his long career. Midnight Express did wonders for Turkey’s tourism industry in the 70s, as did The Killing Fields for Cambodia almost a decade later. As for Memphis Belle …
