By Neena Bhandari

Gold Coast (Australia), 12.11.2007 (IANS):  “Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an idea whose time has come, both politically and culturally. It is only fair that Asian cinema which comprises nearly three-fourths of the world cinema is properly recognised and represented”, says acclaimed actress and activist Shabana Azmi.

Shabana is in Gold Coast, one of the favourite tourist destination for Indians, as president of the international jury for the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) being held here.

In an exclusive interview to IANS in the plush Sheraton Mirage, where the awards will be presented on Tuesday, Shabana said, “What has happened with Oscars, assuming the importance that they have over the years, the Oscar awards seems to be the definitive award filmmakers aspire for. We are going to create in the times to come an alternative to that so that Asian cinema gets the recognition it deserves,”

APSA is showcasing over 100 films from 30 countries across the Asia Pacific region. However, there has been only one Indian film, which is one of the five nominated in the Best Screenplay category.

Shabana says, “I think there could have been much greater representation from India. The film that is here Gandhi, My Father is an excellent film and I am glad it is here. There were efforts to get Chak de India. It didn’t happen because producer Yash Raj had concerns about piracy as the film hadn’t released in cinemas, which APSA was very happy to respect.”

“Given that India has the largest film industry in the world, hopefully, next time around there will be broader representation from India,” she adds.

APSA has brought together films from the classical and traditional to the experimental and cutting edge industries – from the stylised horror genres of Japan, to the allegorical tragedies and comedies of Korea. It will also showcase the extraordinary tapestry of Chinese cinema, the multifaceted industries of India, the poetry and reality of Persian cinema and visionary narratives of the Middle East.

Shabana, looking her gorgeous best, says “Most important thing about APSA is that as the world shrinks and becomes a global village, it is important that cultures are understood within their own paradigms and not as yardsticks imposed by the West on the East.”

“What APSA is doing is a step in that direction and that is why it is very important. It is a great opportunity and window into the cultures of the world. What has been available has been Hollywood.  All these countries – Lebanon, Korea, Palestine — making all these films, where do we see them?

Hope APSA will be able to become the means to create the market and distribution networks for these films,” she adds.

APSA engages CNN International, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in a unique partnership to acclaim films that best reflect their cultural origins and cinematic excellence.

On the future of Australian-Indian film connection, Shabana says, “Co-productions should always be encouraged. Australia has such fabulous locales and Australia is offering and giving lots of incentives to Indian cinema. I know my son, Farhan Akhtar, shot his very first film Dil Chahta Hai in Sydney and he was very happy. All the facilities here were great.”

“Anywhere in the world, films have the capacity to be the greatest ambassadors in the world of inter-cultural relations, trade, political and other bilateral relations between countries”, she adds.

So what has been the quality of submissions for APSA? The versatile actress says, “Some of the films are very good and some not so good. This is bound to happen because it is the first such awards.”

She emphasises, “It was very important for the jury to recognise that even though this was the first awards, that what we were judging was purely on merit. We were not going to look at films with kid gloves or patronising in any way. We had to meet the standards of excellence in international cinema and decisions have been made on that basis.”

Her absolute favourite has been a film from Israel, The Band’s Visit. “It is an exquisite film that has deeply, deeply, deeply touched my heart. The film demonstrates how cinema has the ability to enter your hearts and touch across all cultures and classes and there is something universal about it.”

For her fans awaiting the next Shabana starrer, there are two being released one on November 23 and the other in December. We will also be seeing her again with Naseeruddin Shah. “In Das kahaniyan, there are 10 different stories strung together. It is produced by Sanjay Gupta and directed by Rohit Roy, who managed to get Naseer and me together after 15 years in one episode. It releases on November 23.”

“I have done a film for my son with Boman Irani called Positive, it is a film about HIV/AIDS produced by Mira Nair and funded by the Bill Gates Foundation. It releases in December,” she adds.

For now, she is enjoying being in Australia. “I am here with my two school friends. No husbands, no children. We are having a great time. I love Australians, who are warm, happy, friendly and generous people”.

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