MANILA -- "Hello, Love, Goodbye," starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, has been nominated for the best Asian film award at the 2019 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA).

Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, the Star Cinema film highlights the challenges faced by OFWs living in Hong Kong through the lens of a budding love story between a domestic helper and a bartender.

It features the first-ever team up between Bernardo and Richards, and it became the highest grossing Filipino film of all time (earning more than P880 million) after its premiere last July.

It was described as a "highly relatable romantic comedy" by AACTA in its announcement of its nomination this Tuesday.

"Hello, Love, Goodbye" will face off against entries such as South Korea's "Parasite" (a Cannes Palme d'Or winner) and "Ne Zha," which is China's official submission to the 2020 Academy Awards best international feature film category, for the award.

The other entries are from India and Japan.

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The Best Asian Film winner will be announced in Sydney, as part of an awards ceremony scheduled for December 4.

This is the third year that AACTA will be handing out the award, which is part of their Asian Engagement Program.

The initiative aims to recognize excellence in filmmaking throughout the Asian region, and is billed as a reflection of the growing popularity and importance of Asian films in Australia.