Film awards presented in Myanmar for past two years

The Myanmar Motion Picture Association presented 18 Film Academy Awards for a combined years of 2014 and 2015 to the country's successful artists at the Myanmar Event Park on Sunday night.

Aimed at encouraging domestic film production and bringing up its quality, the awards were given to outstanding movies chosen from some 30 produced during the past two years.

The awards include best director, music, editing, manuscript, film, photography, child actor, supporting actor and actress, and actor and actress.

The Film Academy Award presentation ceremony was inaugurated by patron of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) U Tin Oo.

Actress Tun Endra Bo read a message sent from Aung San Suu Kyi, who described the film industry as the most penetrative and influential mass communication, expressing hope for improvement in the areas of art and technology as the film industry has undergone changes and accumulated experience.

Suu Kyi, who is the minister of Foreign Affairs, President's Office, Education and Electric Power and Energy, attributed the success of films to the hard work and joint efforts among people in the industry.

She noted that Myanmar's film industry will mark its 100th anniversary in 2020.

Minister of Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko, in his opening speech, urged all people in the film industry and other artistic fields to cooperate with the government to achieve the government's goal of establishing a genuine federal union that can guarantee democracy, fundamental human rights, national reconciliation and eternal peace.

Last year's event for 2013 was held in Yangon in December.

Myanmar's Film Academy Awards have been presented by the Information Ministry annually since 1952.