‘Guria’ Wins Best Film at 2026 Asia Pacific Screen Awards

Guria took the top prize at the 2026 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, earning Best Film during the ceremony at The Star Gold Coast in Australia on Friday. The international production was directed by Georgian filmmaker Levan Koguashvili and produced by Koguashvili, Olena Yershova and Boris Frumin.

The win placed the Georgian-led drama at the center of a wide-ranging awards night that honored work from across Asia and the Pacific. This year’s competition featured 36 nominated films representing 32 countries and regions, reflecting the organization’s emphasis on cinema made across an unusually broad cultural and geographic area.

‘9 Temples to Heaven’ earns directing honors

Sompot Chidgasornpongse won Best Director for 9 Temples to Heaven, a multinational production led by Thailand. Myanmar filmmaker Aung Phyoe received a special mention in the same category for Fruit Gathering, while Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat received the Jury Grand Prize for No Good Men.

Other major winners included Big Girls Don’t Cry for Best Youth Film, The Violinist for Best Animated Film and One in a Million for Best Documentary Film. Pushpa Thing Lama won Best Performance for Elephants in the Fog, and Sim Su-bin was named Best New Performer for The World Before.

A regional showcase with global reach

The ceremony marked the 19th edition of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Beyond the competitive prizes, the event announced five recipients of the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund. Each selected project will receive a $10,000 development grant, extending the awards’ role beyond recognition into support for new work.

Guria itself reflects that international reach. Its listed production countries span Georgia, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Norway and Saudi Arabia. That collaborative footprint made the film an apt winner for an event built around cross-border filmmaking.

The result also gives Koguashvili’s film a prominent distinction as the awards calendar gathers pace. For APSA, the night presented a snapshot of a region where emerging artists, established filmmakers and international co-productions increasingly share the same stage.