Winners of the Tokyo Film Festival: "Snow Leopard" By Late Tibetan Director Pema Tseden Wins Main Award.
The Tokyo Grand Prix, the top honor at the Tokyo International Film Festival this year, went to the family drama Snow Leopard, which was helmed by the late Tibetan director Pema Tseden. To view the complete list of winners, scroll down.
In the film, a rural family debates whether to kill a snow leopard that broke into their home and murdered nine sheep.
The film is also nominated for three Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The video explores the connection of humans and animals via the imaginative encounter of a young Tibetan monk and a leopard in a mountain community home to white leopards.
Tseden, a Chinese national, was 53 years old when he passed away in May, but he was working on two projects, including Snow Leopard. Chinese media reported on his death. Although a heart attack was reported in unreliable Chinese media reports, no official cause of death was announced.
Courtesy: 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (2023)
Regarded as China's foremost director working in the Tibetan language, Tseden's credits included the Wong Kar Wai-produced feature Jinpa, which took home the best screenplay award at its Venice Horizons debut in 2018.
A cash reward of 3 million yen is awarded to the winner of the Tokyo Grand Prix. In another instance, Tatami by Zar Amir and Guy Nattiv took home the Special Jury Prize, which carries a monetary award of 500,000 yen. Zar Amir got the Best Actress award for the movie as well.
The Venice premiere follows a judo competitor and her coach as they are compelled to pull out of a match against an Israeli competitor by Iranian officials.
Kishi Yoshiyuki, a Japanese director, won the Best Director prize for his film (Ab)normal Desire, one of three Japanese films competing in Tokyo this year.
Courtesy: 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (2023)
For his performance in Roxana, an Iranian actor won the Best Actor prize. Over the course of ten days, the Tokyo Film Festival took place mostly in the affluent cultural area of Hibiya-Ginza, screening 219 films and drawing 74,841 visitors.
There were more admissions than the 179 films that aired at 59,541 last year. At this year's festival, women directed 38 out of 219 films, or 22.4% of the total.
Wim Wenders chaired the competition jury, which also comprised Albert Serra, Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, Kunizane Mizue, and Zhao Tao. The world premiere of Toho's Godzilla Minus One, which was helmed by Japanese director Takashi Yamazaki, will bring Tokyo to a close this evening.
Courtesy: 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (2023)
