MUMBAI: Indian films have received five nominations in the 2010 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the region’s highest accolade in film.

Tesjaswini Pandit, who delivers a deeply moving performance in the Marathi language film I am Sindhutai Sakpal, has been nominated for Best Performance by an Actress.

Atul Kulkarni has been nominated for Best Performance by an Actor for Natarang, in which he plays a village laborer who overcomes gender politics to achieve his dream of becoming a theatre performer.

Two films have received Best Achievement in Cinematography nominations. Nominated for Vihir (The Well) is Sudhir Palsane; and nominated for Raavan are Santosh Sivan and V. Manikandan. Santosh Sivan’s earlier film Tahaan was nominated in the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Best Children’s Feature Film, receiving a High Commendation. The Well, directed by Umesh Kulkarni, has been feted globally following its World Premiere at the 2010 Berlinale.

Udaan has been nominated in the Best Children’s Feature Film category. Nominated Producers are Sanjay Singh, Anurag Kashyap and Ronnie Screwvala and Co-Producers are Aarti Bajaj, Zarina Mehta, Deven Khote and Siddarth Roy Kapur.

Nominees were determined by the APSA Nominations Council, Chaired by Professor Hong- Joon Kim from the Republic of Korea.

These awards, an initiative of the Queensland Government, Australia in unique collaboration with UNESCO and FIAPF-International Federation of Film Producers Associations – acclaim films from 70 countries and areas; one third of the earth; and half the world’s film output. Films are judged on cinematic excellence and the way in which they attest to their cultural origins. A total of 239 films were entered in the competition by Official Submitting Organisations from the region and by invitation from the APSA Nominations Council and APSA Chairman.

APSA Nominations Council member Maithili Rao, speaking of Tesjaswini Pandit’s performance in I am Sindhutai Sakpal, said: “Tesjaswini Pandit holds the film together with a very strong and sincere performance.”

Of Atul Kulkarni’s performance in Nataring, APSA Nominations Council member and Variety critic, Russell Edwards, said: “It’s a virtuoso performance that shows a magical transformation…it’s startling.”

A total of 31 films from 15 countries and areas across Asia-Pacific have been recognised in 2010 with APSA Nominations. Films from the People’s Republic of China including one from Hong Kong received a total of 12 nominations in the Awards; films from the Republic of Korea received six nominations; Indian films received five; Japanese films received four; Israeli, Taiwanese, and Turkish films received three; and Australian and New Zealand films received two. Films from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, the Russian Federation and Cambodia each received one nomination.