Grand Prize Ann Hui Film Director Hong Kong : Film In San Francisco in 1991 while attending a conference for filmmakers Obtaining a fellowship from Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1997 On location in HK shooting "Ordinary Heroes" (1998) Ms. Ann Hui is a leading film director at the forefront of the contemporary Hong Kong film industry, and is one of the most important figures in international cinema. She is especially highly regarded for her contribution as a pioneering Asian female film director. She has made an indelible impression through the social relevance of the themes she has tackled, the variety of genres in which she has worked, and the sheer excellence of her directing. Ms. Ann Hui (originally, Hui On Wah, Ann) was born in Anshan, Liaoning Province, China in 1947 to a Chinese father and a Japanese mother. The family emigrated to Hong Kong in her childhood. After graduating from the University of Hong Kong, she went to the U.K., completed a two year special course on film, and then returned to Hong Kong. She produced a number of documentaries and dramas as a TV director, as well as working as assistant to King Hu (Hu Jinquan) who was a master of 'wuxia' (literally, martial arts heroes) films. In 1979, she made her debut as a film director with 'The Secret'. Joining the galaxy of new talent which has included Tsui Hark (Xu Ke) and Patrick Tam (Tan Jiaming), she started her creative work as a standard-bearer for the 'Hong Kong New Wave'. This movement coincided with other 'new waves' which appeared in various places in the East Asia. The interaction between these simultaneous movements enhanced global promotion not only of Asian films, but also of Asian art and culture. Hui's work is primarily characterized by her constant and daring engagement with current issues, ranging from current topics like Vietnamese refugees to the isolation of elderly people, senile dementia, and gender. Central to much of her work are such themes as emigration, wandering and displacement, all of which are very intimate to Hong Kong people. 'Song of the Exile' relates her own personal experience of emigration and displacement. The second characteristic of her films is the wide variety of their themes. She has not pursued one particular genre, but has worked on horror stories, comedies, historical epics, soap operas and stories of ordinary people. All of these - from her debut film, 'The Secret' which is a horror movie using an experimental visual technique, to the recent work, 'The Postmodern Life of My Aunt', which adopts the perspective of a woman of her own generation to present the daily life of ordinary people in an unemotive way - have been characterized by a deep sensitivity, thanks to the high standard of her direction, while also attracting a wide and loyal audience, thanks to their accessibility and enjoyability. This is a clear evidence of her outstanding talent. From 1980s to today, Ms. Ann Hui has made an enormous contribution to the progress of Hong Kong films. She has fearlessly chosen even highly controversial subjects for her films, whose broad appeal, supported by her own outstanding direction, have earned her critical success across the world. Thus she is truly worthy of the Grand Prize of the Fukuoka Prize. Special Discussion: 'The Worlds of Cinema and Literature' Date &Time : 13:30 - 16:35 Sat., September 13, 2008

	Academic Prize Savitri Goonesekere Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Colombo Sri Lanka : Law With parents at enrollment as an advocate of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka (1965) With family members (1970s) With CEDAW expert members (2000). Chikako Taya (Japan's representative) in front-right Professor Savitri Goonesekere is one of the most eminent jurists in Sri Lanka, and also an outstanding educator who has contributed to reform of higher education. As an academic, she has made a great contribution to research into family law in South Asia, human rights for women and children and the history of legislation in this area, and as a social activist, she has worked for UN institutions and NGOs. She is committed to training young researchers and activists to work in the overlapping spheres of academic research and human rights protection, and also involves herself directly in protecting the rights of the socially disadvantaged. Professor Goonesekere graduated from the Faculty of Law of the former University of Ceylon (now, University of Peradeniya) in 1961 with first class honours, and was qualified as Attorney-at-Law. In 1962, she went to Harvard Law School to study and obtained LL.M.(Master of Laws). After returning to Sri Lanka, she first taught at the Faculty of Law, University of Ceylon, and then, from 1977 to 1982, at the Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. Subsequently, she rendered the great service of founding a correspondence course for higher education in Sri Lanka. As a result, in 1983, the Open University of Sri Lanka was established. She became the first Head of Department of Law of this university, and later on, Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Acting Vice Chancellor. In 1999, she was appointed Vice Chancellor (chief executive) of the University of Colombo, the oldest university in Sri Lanka. She was the first woman in Sri Lanka to become a Vice Chancellor, and therefore became a role model for women wanting a career in academia or specialist research. Meanwhile she has often been invited by a number of research institutions all over the world, including the United Nations University, and has also been asked to give advice to international organizations like ILO and UNICEF. Besides all this work, she became a member of the board of the Centre for Women's Research (CENWOR), and was involved in grassroots movements for improving women's status. Professor Goonesekere's main research achievement lies in the field of women and children's legal status and rights. One of her well-known books, 'Children, Law and Justice: A South Asian Perspective' (1998), has been highly praised both abroad and at home. Her social involvement is not limited to the academic field. When the old penal code, which had been established during the colonial period, was revised drastically in 1995, she made sure that women and children's rights would be guaranteed. After the catastrophic Tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004, she made every effort to support women victims in the coastal areas with funding from UNIFEM. Professor Goonesekere has gained international acclaim both for her academic research into women and children's legal rights in South Asia, especially Sri Lanka, and for her work to protect the socially vulnerable. She is truly worthy of the Academic Prize of the Fukuoka Prize. Asian Values and Human Rights Date &Time : 16:00 - 18:00 Sun., September 14, 2008

	Academic Prize Shamsul Amri Baharuddin Professor of Social Anthropology and Founding Director, Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA), National University of Malaysia (UKM) Malaysia : Social Anthropology Conducting his first anthropological research in an Orang Asli community in Pahang, as an undergraduate (1972) With parents and siblings after graduation for his MA degree, University of Malaya (1976) With wife and children (1987) Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, one of the leading social anthropologists in Southeast Asia, has devoted his research to tackling the problems of Malaysia, a classic example of a multi-ethnic society. The issues he has addressed include reconciliation between different ethnic groups, resolution of religious conflict and poverty mitigation. His achievement in the three fields of academic research, social criticism and education has been outstanding. Professor Shamsul was born in 1951 in Negeri Sembilan, adjacent to the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and had the very unusual experience of being brought up in a matriarchal society. He studied anthropology and sociology at the University of Malaya, and in 1983 received a doctorate in social anthropology from Monash University in Australia. For his main work, 'From British to Bumiputra Rule' (1986), he conducted field research in the villages of the western Malay peninsula where oil palm and rubber were produced, and revealed, for the first time, the complex reality of Malaysian politics as an interplay between ethnicities, religions, and governmental policies from a grassroots perspective. Professor Shamsul suggests that 'ethnic' (in this case, 'Malay') identity should be reconceived using the three criteria of colonial history, the progress of development politics, and the ordinary life of the people. This book, which combines three distinctive elements - historical research through detailed study of documents kept in the public record offices, policy study tracing the details of rural development after independence, and thorough field work in villages - won international acclaim, and is now regarded as one of the classics of Malaysian Studies. Professor Shamsul's work goes beyond academic research. He has vigorously discussed social issues in the pages of social criticism journals like those published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (the Institute of Language and Literature), and has responded to requests from international media outlets, including BBC, ABC and NHK, in order to present abroad his passionate arguments about ethnic and religious issues in Asia. His international standing is attested by the invitations he has received from universities/research institutes in Denmark, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the U.S. to be a visiting scholar. He is also unmatched as a research organizer and educator. He has raised the standard of research and education in ethnic studies by reviving the Institute of the Malay World and Civilization (ATMA) and founding the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) at the National University of Malaysia (UKM), as well as by organizing a cross-university curriculum designed to improve understanding between different ethnic groups. In these ways, Professor Shamsul has constantly been at the forefront of research in Southeast Asia into ethnic relations and the Malay world, and has helped people obtain a deeper understanding of these issues. This contribution is highly valued internationally, and deserves the Academic Prize of the Fukuoka Prize. Many Ethnicities, Many Cultures, One Nation: the Malaysian Experience Date &Time : 13:30 - 15:30 Sun., September 14, 2008

	Arts and Culture Prize Farida Parveen Singer Bangladesh : Music Backstage during Japan Tour of 2002 With a friend during stay in Japan (2002) Live performance with husband (bamboo flute player), Gazi Abdul Hakim Mrs. Farida Parveen, one of the top singers in Bangladesh, has given new life to traditional Bengali religious music, 'Baul songs'. She has performed on numerous occasions on TV and in films, and has been very active on the international stage. Mrs. Farida was born in Natore in the western part of present Bangladesh in 1954, and was brought up in Kushtia. She learned the Sargam (Indian musical scale) in her early childhood. At the age of 6, she became a pupil of a famous music master, the great Ustad Ibrahim, to learn classical music. When she became 13, she started to sing for Rajshahi radio station. In the Bengal region, mystic teachings about union between humanity and divinity have had a powerful influence on local daily life for centuries, and 'Bauls' ? mystic devotees who present these teachings in song as wandering minstrels - have played an important role. Among them, Fakir Lalon Shah was regarded as the most outstanding baul of the 18th and 19th centuries, and Rabindranath Tagore was strongly influenced by him. In Kushtia, where Lalon was mainly based, a festival dedicated to him has been held annually. Mrs. Farida's encounter with Lalon's songs there led her to collect and classify a great many songs of his at the same time she started her singing career. When she was at Rajshahi University reading Bangla literature, she established the foundation of her career by becoming a nationally popular singer with patriotic songs and songs of the Liberation War as well as Lalon's songs. She produced LP records, and sang for TV programs and films. In 1987, she received the Ekushey Padak (one of the highest civilian awards in Bangladesh), and in 1993, was given the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. The high reputation that she has won has established her as one of the most prestigious singers in Bangladesh. She has performed in many different countries, including France, the U.S., and Japan (2002), to introduce Baul songs to the world. With a solid foundation in Indian classical music, Mrs. Farida has rendered remarkable services to raise the artistic standing of traditional Bangladeshi religious music, Baul song, and to have this listed as one of UNESCO's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Her contribution to raising the status of Baul song and to its international promotion has been immense, and therefore, she is truly worthy of the Arts and Culture Prize of the Fukuoka Prize. From Bengal to the World: an Evening of Baul Songs Date &Time : 17:00 - 19:00 Sat., September 13, 2008

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