LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- Japanese films dominated the 2009 Asian Film Awards , as Kiyoshi Kurosawa won Best Film and Best Screenwriter for `` Tokyo Sonata . '' Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa , who won Best Film and Best Screenwriter for `` Tokyo Sonata '' at the Asia Film Awards . After winning the Oscar for Best Foreign Film earlier this year , the Japanese hit `` Departures '' clinched a Best Actor award for Masahiro Motoki for his role as cellist turned mortuary embalmer . Meanwhile Japan 's Hirokazu Koreeda won Best Director for `` Still Walking . '' `` Tokyo Sonata , '' the emotional story of a contemporary Japanese family beat out the night 's top contender , `` The Good , the Bad , the Weird , '' a quirky South Korean Western . The award for Best Actress went to China 's Zhou Xun for her performance in the psychological thriller `` The Equation of Love and Death . '' Do you agree with the judges choices ? Which films do you think should have won that did n't ? Tell us below in the SoundOff box . A special award , the Nielsen Box Office award for outstanding contribution to film was also given to Indian actress , Priyanka Chopra by The Hollywood Reporter . In total , 36 films from across Asia competed in 13 categories . Awards were given by a jury of international film critics and professionals , presided over by Malaysian-born actress , and former Bond girl , Michelle Yeoh . The third annual awards show ceremony was held in conjunction with the 33rd Hong Kong International Film Festival . The event draws film stars and entertainment heavyweights from around the world , including American director Oliver Stone , who presented the award for Best Director .
`` Tokyo Sonata '' wins for Best Film and Best Screenwriter . The film was directed by the legendary Akira Kurosawa who also wrote the screenplay along with his son Toshiro Mifune (who would later become a famous director of Japanese films).