Chloé Zhao and Lee Sang-il Honored with Kurosawa Akira Award at Tokyo Film Festival

The Tokyo International Film Festival has selected two renowned directors from different parts of the Pacific to receive the Kurosawa Akira Award: Lee Sang-il, who has won the Japan Academy Prize, and Chloé Zhao, an Oscar-winning director.

The review panel featured experienced Japanese director Yamada Yoji along with Narahashi Yoko, Kawamoto Saburo, and TIFF programmer Ichiyama Shozo.

For Lee, this acknowledgment follows his most successful cinematic release yet. His new movie "Kokuho," which takes place within the realm of Kabuki theater, had its global debut at the Cannes Directors' Fortnight and later became a massive hit at the Japanese box office, surpassing the JPY10 billion ($67.7 million) mark and setting new benchmarks for live-action attendance.

For twenty years, the director has consistently appeared on the award scene, beginning with his graduate project "Chong," which earned four accolades, including the Grand Prize at the Pia Film Festival in 2000. His major success was marked by "Hula Girls" (2006), which dominated the Japan Academy Film Awards, taking home honors for best director, script, and movie. This was followed by five awards for "Villain" (2010), continuing with victories for "Unforgotten" (2013), "Outraged" (2016), and "The Drifting Moon" (2022).

Zhao's film "Nomadland" dominated award ceremonies throughout 2020, winning the Golden Lion at Venice, as well as the Golden Globe, BAFTA, DGA, and PGA accolades, along with three Academy Awards, which included best director, best actress, and best picture. Prior to establishing her own production firm called Book of Shadows in 2023 alongside business partner Nic Gonda, the director had worked on the Marvel Cinematic Universe with "Eternals."

Her upcoming film is "Hamnet," featuring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.

Kurosawa Akira's name stands at the pinnacle of film history," Lee stated. "His deep examinations of humanity keep showing how powerful movies can be for both society and people. I'll keep thinking about what it signifies to carry this award dedicated to him.

Zhao stated, "The movies of Kurosawa encompass both the grandest scale of nature and the most profound insights into the human mind. Being part of this tradition is genuinely modesting."

The evaluation panel commended Lee for "regularly portraying significant issues related to societal conflicts and human misdeeds, transforming them into heartfelt plays that strongly connect with viewers." They noted that "Kokuho" has received high praise from global film events as well as broad market popularity.

According to the committee, Zhao's "poetic and realistic creations have distinguished themselves from standard Hollywood movies," with the triumph of "Nomadland" encouraging "other Asian women filmmakers."

The winners of the Kurosawa Akira Award from last year included directors Miyake Sho for "Two Seasons, Two Strangers" and Fu Tien-yu for "Day Off."

The awards will take place during TIFF's 38th season, which runs from October 27 to November 5, with the formal presentation scheduled for November 3.