Sister Brother Manhole Cover Takes Tokyo Film Festival’s Top Prize

The film follows siblings in post-Communist Macedonia who steal bronze busts and manhole covers for a living. After an injury, they become entangled with the underworld. The Tokyo Grand Prix, also known as the Governor of Tokyo Award, was selected by a jury led by Australian filmmaker Rolf de Heer from 15 competition entries.

Sun Xun’s animated feature Magic Atlas received the Special Jury Prize and 500,000 yen. The best-director honor went to Lisandro Alonso for Double Freedom, about a woodcutter who must take in his sister after the psychiatric facility where she lives closes. Hu Ling was named best actress for The Night That Binds Us, while the best-actor award went to Narita Ryo for Two Cigarettes, Three Nights. Each of those three awards came with 300,000 yen.

Jelena Maksimović’s Until the Day Ends won for artistic contribution, and Teodora Ana Mihai’s Heysel 85 received the audience award. In the Asian Future section, Tareq Daoud’s Serife Tavsan took best film; Ariani Darmawan’s Jani Be Good earned a special mention.

The festival also presented prizes in its Japanese cinema and student film sections. Silver Express, directed by Tanaka Miki, won Nippon Cinema Now’s best film award. Running Wild in the Sun, by Nguyen Vu Hien Chi, was named best film in the Asian Students’ Film Conference. Mohammad Rasoulof and O Mipo received the Kurosawa Akira Award. The festival ran from October 26 through November 4.