The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) proudly presents the inaugural Aruna Vasudev Award, honouring the best film from the Asia-Pacific region.

This award pays tribute to Aruna Vasudev (1936–2024), the "Mother of Asian Cinema," whose lifelong dedication to film criticism, curation, and advocacy helped shape the landscape of Asian cinema. She founded NETPAC, the Osian’s Cinefan Festival, and Cinemaya magazine, leaving an incredible legacy. Her seminal book, Being & Becoming – The Cinemas of Asia, remains a defining work in the field. Fun fact 2006: Vasudev visited the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) and served as the jury president.

Nominees for the NETPAC Aruna Vasudev Award:

• To a Land Unknown (Palestine-Denmark) – Dir. Mahdi Fleifel
• All We Imagine as Light (India-France-Netherlands-Luxembourg-Italy) – Dir. Payal Kapadia
• April (Georgia-France-Italy) – Dir. Dea Kulumbegashvili
• Cu Li Never Cries (Vietnam-Philippines-France-Singapore-Norway) – Dir. Lan Pham Ngoc
• My Favorite Cake (Iran-France-Germany-Sweden) – Dir. Behtash Sanaeeha & Maryam Moghadam

Two of these films, My Favorite Cake and All We Imagine as Light, were also part of last year’s PÖFF program.

The winner, selected from nearly 600 films, will be announced on February 18 at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema.