Thirty-one documentary, animated, children's and feature films from 15 countries and areas were nominated on Monday for Asia-Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), one of the most influential film awards in the region.

According to a press briefing by APSA, the film Aftershock from China received a record six nominations in the 2010 APSA, unanimously praised by the APSA Nominations Council for its ability to deftly balance a large scale epic story with the intimate drama of one family dealing with the aftermath of the devastating 1976 Tangshan earthquake that took the lives of 240, 000 people.

Aftershock, the highest grossing domestic film of all time in China, has been nominated for Best Feature Film, Achievement in Directing, Achievement in Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress. The film was directed by a well-known Chinese film director Feng Xiaogang.

The second most nominated film in the 2010 APSA is Shi (Poetry, Republic of Korea), written and directed by Lee Chang-dong, which has received four nominations: Best Feature Film, Achievement in Directing, Best Screenplay and Best Performance by an Actress for Yun Jung-hee.

Mengjia (Monga), the stylish gangster film and box office success in Taiwan, directed by Doze Niu Chen-zer and produced by Lee Lieh and Doze Niu Chen-zer, has received three nominations: Best Feature Film, Achievement in Directing and Achievement in Cinematography.

Winners in the fourth annual APSA will be determined by an International Jury and announced at a Ceremony on Australia's Gold Coast in Queensland state on Dec. 2. These awards, an initiative of the Queensland Government in 2007 in unique collaboration with UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations, acclaim films from 70 countries and areas; one third of the earth; and half the world's film output.

Films are judged on cinematic excellence and the way in which they attest to their cultural origins. A total of 239 films were entered in the competition by Official Submitting Organizations from the region and by invitation from the APSA Nominations Council and APSA Chairman.

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