NAFF's Emotional Close, Tony Rayns Dies at 77
Prizes and tears at project market closing ceremony; veteran critic and Asian festival programmer dead.
NAFF Wraps on an Emotional High
Emotions ran high as the NAFF project market closed on Tuesday.
In addition to prizegiving for the projects and works in progress there were tears when a video clip of NAFF and BiFan programming stalwart Thomas Nam receiving his recent French civilian medal was played.
Japanese black comedy project “Agape” was named the top project and winner of the Bucheon Award.
Other standouts were “Slaughterground” by Indonesia’s Sidharta Tata and “What the Darkness Keeps” by Jimmy HENDERSON and is set up as a Cambodia, Pakistan co-venture. Both picked up multiple awards at the ceremony, held at the Webtoon Convergence Centre.
The winners had been selected by a jury that included Evrim ERSOY (head programmer of Beyond Fest, LEE Dongha, CEO of Korea’s Redpeter Films, and Tia HASIBUAN, co-founder of Come and See Pictures.
“The calibre of the projects was incredibly high, and it was incredibly encouraging to see so many incredible filmmakers with unique and inventive ideas that truly make the future an exciting prospect. And it is further proof that NAFF Project Market is instrumental in keeping the Asian genre scene thriving, healthy and energised,” the three said in a statement.
19th NAFF Project Market Winners (2026)
Cash Prizes
(Category, Project title, Director, Country)
Bucheon Award
“AGAPE” MIYAHARA Takuya, SAKUMA Keisuke (Japan)
CNC Award
“Strange Root” LAM Li Shuen, Mark CHUA (Singapore (Indonesia, Germany Netherlands Philippines)
NAFF Award
“Whistler” Gudmund HELMSDAL (Faroe Islands)
Asian Discovery Award
“My Missing Half” Rodiell VELOSO (Philippines, Japan)
Korean Discovery
“Dawn Chorus” CHOI lida (Korea)
Hive Filmworks Award
“Slaughterground” Sidharta TATA (Indonesia)
VIPO Award
“Dawn Chorus” CHOI lida (Korea)
Post-production Support Awards
SBA Awards (3)
“Dangling” CHANG Jung-chi (Taiwan)
“Ella Arcangel: Ballad of Tooth and Claw” Mervin MALONZO (Philippines)
“What The Darkness Keeps” Jimmy HENDERSON (Cambodia, Pakistan)
Mocha Chai Award (2)
“Slaughterground” Sidharta TATA (Indonesia)
“What The Darkness Keeps” Jimmy HENDERSON (Cambodia, Pakistan)
Kantana Post Award
“No Vampires in Korea” PARK Hyung Chul (Korea, Japan)
Abnormal Studio Award
“Slaughterground” Sidharta TATA (Indonesia)
Badclay VFX Innovation Award
“My Missing Half” Rodiell VELOSO (Philippines, Japan)
Support in Kind
Sitges FanPitch Award
“Liar’s Paradox” Zaida BERGROTH, Finland, France
TCCF Award
Idols” Matt HALSALL (Korea, Japan, UK)
Ventana Sur Fantastic! Award
“Only Rudolf Knows” LEE Yoon Jung (Korea)
Tony Rayns: RIP
Tony Rayns, a journalist and critic known for his expertise on Asian cinema, has died. He was 77 and had been ill for several months.
UK-based Rayns contributed for many years to the BFI-operate monthly critical magazine “Sight and Sound”, but also wrote reviews and criticism for Artforum and Film Comment.
He wrote or edited books on East Asian cinema including those on Jang Sunwoo and Wong Kar-wai as well as essays on Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Garin Nugroho, Edward Yang and Jia Zhangke. In another discovery role, he co-directed the 1989 documentary “New Chinese Cinema”.
For non-specialist audiences Rayns may have been best known for commentaries and bonus tracks on dozen of DVDs issues by Criterion, Masters of Cinema, Arrow.
At different times, he also worked as a programme advisor at the BFI London Film Festival. He was a programme advisor to the Vancouver International Film Festival from 1998-2006, coordinating its Dragons and Tigers competition.