“How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” wins audience award

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Thai-produced hit comedy “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” was announced Sunday as the winner of the audience award at the New York Asian Film Festival.

The film, from Thai director Pat Boonnitipat, stars ‘Billkin’ Putthipong Assaratanakul as a night owl who quits his job to become his grandmother’s carer. It has claimed box office records for a Thai or Asian film in several Asian territories. Both the director and the star were present at the festival.

“The 23rd edition of the New York Asian Film Festival defied expectations, proving that the appeal of Asian cinema continues to grow across the city. With our expanded lineup of nearly 100 films across 5 screens, we have seen an unprecedented 33% increase in both attendance and ticket revenue. A third of our screenings sold out within days, a testament to New Yorkers’ appetite for diverse storytelling. Our expanded Thailand and Taiwan sections were particularly important moments, while the triumphant return of major Hong Kong productions reignited the city’s love affair with this vibrant cinema,” said NYAFF Executive Director and President of the New York Asian Film Foundation , Samuel Jamier.

The runner-up for the audience award was Hong Kong actor Choi Cheung of Twilight Warrior: Walled In, who also performed as the closing act. Third place was tied between Taiwanese director Leo Wang’s “Breaking and Re-enting,” a reverse heist action comedy, and Japanese Shiraiishi Kazuya’s samurai epic “Bushido.”

The festival’s best Uncaged film award, decided by a jury, went to ‘Snow in Midsummer’. The film is a Southeast Asian co-production directed by Chong Keat Aun, which tentatively examines the 1969 anti-Chinese riots in Malaysia. The slow-moving drama has won several awards on the international festival circuit and recently went into commercial release in Malaysia, where it has been heavily censored.

A special jury prize was also awarded to ‘Women from Rote Island’, directed by Jeremias Nyangoen from Indonesia.

The award for best short film went to “Cross My Heart and Hope to Die” by Filipino Sam Manacsa. Two additional special mention awards were also announced, for “The Boys and the Donkey,” by China’s Tsering Yangjyab, and “White Butterfly,” by Vietnamese-American director Catherine T. Nguyen.

The New York Asian Film Festival was co-presented by the New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center. Ran in various locations July 12-28, 2024.