HONG KONG -- Japanese cinema has dominated the third Asian Film Awards, with "Tokyo Sonata" winning best picture and Hirokazu Koreeda named best director for another family drama, "Still Walking."

Japanese actor Masahiro Motoki (R) and Chinese actress Zhou Xun celebrate with their trophies after winning the Best Actor and Best Actress awards at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong March 23, 2009. [Agencies]

Riding on the success of its recent best foreign film win at the Oscars, a third Japanese movie, "Departures," clinched best actor at Monday night's ceremony for Masahiro Motoki, who played an unemployed cellist who learns how to prepare bodies for burial.

China's Zhou Xun was named best actress for her performance in the psychological thriller "The Equation of Love and Death."

"I am very happy that Japanese film can cross borders," Koreeda told reporters backstage after his win late Monday.

All three Japanese movies revolve around family relationships. "Tokyo Sonata" describes the breakdown of a family after the father loses his job; "Still Walking" follows a family reunion to honor the death of the eldest son; in "Departures," Motoki's character comes to terms with the death of his absentee father.

"Tokyo Sonata" director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who is not related to famed late Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, said his movie is reflective of family problems in Japan.

Kurosawa said he wanted to convey through the movie that "you can never abandon hope, no matter how little hope there is."

Koreeda, who received his award from "Platoon" director Oliver Stone and "The Last Emperor" star Joan Chen, told reporters backstage "Still Walking" was a personal film because he made it after his mother passed away, but said he enjoyed the shoot because he was pleased with the cast.

"I only have fond memories of the shoot. It was always happy moments," Koreeda said.

Motoki, who received his trophy from Oscar winner William Hurt and producer Arthur Cohn, said the theme of death in "Departures" was universal.

"It's not just about the negative aspects of death. It's also about how you can accept death in a peaceful way and move on positively," he said.