The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) received the Angel Benefactor Award from the Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) in the festival’s closing night gala held November 11, 2021 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

HFPA President Helen Hoehne and member Lena Basse, who served as the president of the jury for the short film category at the AWFF, accepted the award on behalf of the Association. The inaugural award recognizes an outstanding organization or individual who has supported the AWFF through the years.

The festival, which is in its seventh year, recognizes the best of Asian cinema by bringing films from over 50 countries across Asia, Russia and the Middle East to the greater Los Angeles area.

Hoehne said in her acceptance speech, “On behalf of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, please accept our thanks for this gracious Angel Award. We have been so pleased to support the Asian World Film Festival and congratulate you on this special evening at another successful festival. We look forward to seeing your star shine brightly in a Hollywood enriched with a whole world of great culture and cinema.

“When our organization was formed 78 years ago, we were a small group of foreign journalists who had to fight for the right to cover the art and business of motion pictures. We banded together to secure that right. From that small beginning, we grew into the sponsor of the Golden Globe Awards and a philanthropic organization that has given more than $50 million to young filmmakers and film preservation over the last 28 years.

“From such small beginnings, great things can grow … as we are seeing with the emergence of the Asian World Film Festival. It represents our mutual love of film and desire to build bridges across cultures and nations. The HFPA is pleased to support your efforts. You remind us that talent and vision know no borders – and that American filmmakers and critics have a lot to learn, as well as a lot to share, with the world.”

“The connections you build and the visions you bring will keep Hollywood standing tall at the center of a culturally vibrant film world. You keep us connected to Asia’s innovative filmmaking, piercing insights and great performances.”

Basse also remarked, “I feel enormously honored to be the president of the jury for short movies and worked together with six amazing professionals to choose the winner for the award that was sponsored by HFPA. As a member of HFPA, I can assure you that our philanthropic work for supporting young artists makes me especially proud and I hope that these efforts will be continued in the future. We need art, we need stories to share.

“We saw 13 shorts that were represented by 10 different countries. Through these movies, we were not only able to take a glimpse into the lives of many different people but also to learn about the struggles and joys of people who we may not meet in real life. We saw through the lens of young filmmakers who put into their films their artistic passion and professional craft.”

AWFF has been the recipient of the HFPA grants since 2015, which led to the genesis of the organization’s festival. In 2019, the HFPA and AWFF together debuted the Snow Leopard Short Film Award Scholarship, in which $5,000 is awarded annually to a new Asian filmmaker.

This year’s recipient of the scholarship was On the Silk Road director Sherzod Nazarov from Uzbekistan.

Other awardees during the event included Brighton 4^th (Georgia) directed by Levan Koguashvili, which garnered the Snow Leopard Award for Best Film; Tolepbergen Baisakalov for Fire (Kazakhstan) for Best Actor; Arawinda Kirana for Yuni (Indonesia) for Best Actress; and Eran Kolirin of Let it Be Morning (Israel) for Best Director.

Director Chloé Zhao and HFPA member and actress Lisa Lu both received the Snow Leopard Award for Outstanding Cinematic Achievement.

“It’s especially gratifying to announce AWFF’s top honors after a festival that showcased such an abundance of great Asian content,” said Georges N. Chamchoum, the festival’s executive director. “The film community overcame unprecedented challenges over the last year, and it’s a privilege to play our part in shining a light on their stellar accomplishments.”