KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Award-winning Malaysian film Abang Adik picked up three more awards to add to its collection, this time at the inaugural Cinema at the Sea Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival.

Abang Adik, the first feature film of Perak-born director Jin Ong, won Best Lead Performance, Jury Award and Audience Award, beating eight other films in the competition division.

The awards, given by a jury committee of experts from Japan and other countries, are the seventh international film festival win for Abang Adik this year.

"I didn’t expect the Japanese to love this film,” said the 48-year-old veteran producer of the Malaysian Chinese entertainment industry.

"I’m happy to receive the audience choice award because it’s quite difficult to win it, you don’t really know what to expect from the audience.

"During the Q and A, a member of the audience was crying as she kept asking questions,” said Ong, adding that her reaction affected him profoundly.

Prior to this, the poignant film in Cantonese, Mandarin, Malay and sign language about two grown-up orphan brothers won Most Anticipated Chinese-Language Film at China’s Golden Rooster International Film Festival held from November 1 to 4.

Abang Adik is scheduled for release in Malaysia on December 14 with its premiere in Taiwan on December 1 and Hong Kong on December 7, respectively.