09 December 2006.
Royston Tan's '4:30' scooped the best film awards at the 8th IFF BRATISLAVA 2006 (Slovak Republic) and the 4th ROME Asian Film Festival, on the same day. 

8th Iff Bratislava 2006 Grand Prix for the Best Film:
4:30 (Director Royston Tan; Singapore/Japan)
- for pervasive depiction of man's loneliness, who despite it, is able to sustain his human integrity.

4th Rome Asian Film Festival for Best Film:
4:30 (Director Royston Tan; Singapore/Japan)
- for the intimate ability to express the uncommunicative theme in the modern society through the innocent eyes of a boy.

Royston Tan’s “4:30” wins two top awards at 8th IFF Bratislava and the 4th Rome Asian Film Festival on the same day

11 December 2006 – It was double happiness for Royston Tan as his second feature “4:30” won the Grand Prix Award for Best Film at the International Film Festival Bratislava (Slovakia Republic) as well as the Best Film Award at the Rome Asian Film Festival, both on Sunday. “4:30” tells the story of Xiao Wu, a lonely eccentric 12- year old latchkey kid and his fascination with the male Korean tenant in his apartment, getting up at 4:30am everyday to spy on him.

Antonio Termenini, festival director of the Rome Asian Film Festival said, “The jury felt that the film was able to express the theme of the incommunicability in the modern society and that the film considers the universe of the youth".

“4:30” won the Best Film Award beating other films like “I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone” by Tsai Ming Liang, “Exiled” by Johnnie To, “Loft” by Kiyoshi Kurosawa and “The Peter Pan Formula” by Cho Chang Ho.
Over at the IFF Bratislava, the film bagged the Grand Prix Award for Best Film. Roman Gutek member of the jury said, “I’ve been aware of his works (short films and first feature film) over the years and the jury awarded the film for the pervasive depiction of Man's loneliness, who despite it, is able to sustain his human integrity.
The Grand Prix Award is given under the First and Second Feature Film Competition and this year there are a total of twenty entries spanning from countries like Romania, Italy, Argentina, Denmark, Russia, China, France and Germany. The award is presented to first and second time feature film directors.

“It’s wonderful that “4:30” can get this recognition and it’s the first time that I’ve actually won two awards at the same time at two different places, so it’s exhilarating for me. It’s not been a really good year for me personally so I am glad I can take this as the start of a new beginning for next year”, said Royston Tan.

He also adds, “430 is a film made from the perspective of a child, so when I received the award at Bratislava to a standing ovation from the audience, I felt like a child getting his candy, the sweets of his labour”.