Gabai. 'Surprised and excited'
Photo: Rafi Deloya
Sasson Gabai up for Asian Oscar
Israeli actor nominated for Asia Pacific Screen Award for his role in 'Restoration'. Israeli production 'Mabul' nominated in Best Children’s Feature Film category
Israeli actor Sasson Gabai has been nominated in the Best Performance by an Actor category at the fifth annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards, considered the Oscar ceremony of Asia and Oceania, for his role in "Restoration".
The winners will be announced on November 24 in Australia.
Gabai will be competing against four other actors: Peyman Moadi for his role in "A separation" from Iran, Daniel Connors for "Toomelah" from Australia, Fa'afiaula Sagote for "The Orator" from New Zealand, and Wang Baoqiang for "Mr. Tree" from China.
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Gabai, who in 2007 won Best Actor in the European Film Award for his role in "The Band's Visit," said in response: "I am surprised and excited. It's a great honor to be nominated in this category.
"It's always exciting to see a movie you are part of touch people in different places in the world, and in this case it's something special: The Asian cinema has a huge tradition, and we in Israel sometimes forget that we're part of Asia."
"Restoration," which was directed by Joseph Madmony and written by Erez Kav-El, won the World Cinema Screenwriting Award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was purchased for distribution in the United States.
In July, the film won the top prize at the 46th International Film Festival in the western Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary. It also won the Best Feature Film award at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
"Restoration" is a psychological study of characters in the contemporary Israeli society. It examines problems of an owner of an antique furniture restoration shop with his son and business after his business partner dies.
Another Israeli film, "Mabul," directed by Guy Nattiv, is nominated in the Best Children’s Feature Film category against four films from Australia, Taiwan, China and Azerbaijan.
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