YOKO

Source: Culture Entertainment

‘Yoko’

Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s Japanese drama Yoko scored a hat-trick of prizes at the Shanghai International Film Festival’s (SIFF) Golden Goblet Awards including best film.

The film’s Japanese lead Rinko Kikuchi was named best actress for her performance of Yoko, a 42-year-old single woman who embarks on long journey to her hometown after the death of her estranged father. The film also won the best screenplay prize.

Scroll down for full list of winners

Kikuchi previously received an Oscar nomination for 2006’s Babel and worked with director Kumakiri on Hole In The Sky in 2001. Yoko marks the second film in this year from director Kumakiri, whose suspense thriller #Manhole recently premiered in Berlinale Special.

Spanish documentary Muyeres by Marta Lallana took both the jury grand prix and best cinematography. Shot in black and white, the film follows two women who are one of the last living bearers of the Asturian oral tradition.

A trio of Chinese films were recognized at the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony, which was held on Saturday (June 17) at Shanghai Grand Theatre. The best director award went to Chinese director Liu Jiayin for All Ears and the film also earned the best actor award for Hu Ge, who plays a mediocre screenwriter writing eulogies to make ends meet. All Ears marks the first film for director Liu since her two Oxhide films – experimental hybrid documentaries that played in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, Rotterdam and the Berlinale.

Hu shared his best actor award with Da Peng for his performance in Jonathan Li’s crime thriller Dust To Dust, while Chen Shizhong’s directorial feature debut Good Autumn, Mommy received the outstanding artistic achievement award.

The Asian New Talent, which became part of the Golden Goblet Awards from this year, presented the prizes earlier on June 15. Shokir Kholikov’s Sunday from Uzbekistan was named best film, while two winners were named in the best director category: Kazakhstani director Aisultan Seit of Qash and the Chinese director Luo Dong of May.

During the 10-day event, SIFF was well attended by local and international filmmakers and stars, including 91-year-old Japanese director Yoji Yamada who travelled to Shanghai for the world premiere of his 90th film, Mom Is That You?, and Italian director Paolo Genovese who made his fourth SIFF appearance with his latest film, The First Day Of My Life.

25th SIFF Golden Goblet Awards

Best Feature Film
Yoko (Japan)
Dir. Kazuyoshi Kumakiri

Jury Grand Prix
Muyeres (Spain)
Dir. Marta Lallana

Best Director
Liu Jiayin for All Ears (China)

Best Actor
Hu Ge in All Ears (China)
Da Peng in Dust To Dust (China)

Best Actress
Rinko Kikuchi in Yoko (Japan)

Best Screenplay
Muroi Kosuke, Namiko Sou for Yoko (Japan)

Best Cinematography
Toni Vidal for Muyeres (Spain)

Outstanding Artistic Achievement
Good Autumn, Mommy (China)
Dir. Chen Shizhong

Best Documentary Film
Anxious In Beirut (Jordan/Lebanon/Qatar/Spain)
Dir. Zakaria Jaber

Best Animation Film
Four Souls Of Coyote (Hungary)
Dir. Áron Gauder

Best Live Action Short Film
The House We Had (Russia)
Dir. Andrey Krechetov

Best Animated Short Film
Chasing Birds (Iceland/Canada)
Dir. Una Lorenzen

Golden Goblet Awards for Asian New Talent

Best Film
Sunday (Uzbekistan)
Dir. Shokir Kholikov

Best Director
Aisultan Seit, Qash (Kazakhstan)
Luo Dong, May (China)

Best Actor
Yue Hao, Day Dreaming (China)

Best Actress
Sorour Peyrovani, 1.5 Horsepower (Iran)

Best Scriptwriter
Chen Xiaoyu, Gone With The Boat (China)

Best Cinematographer
Davood Malek Hosseini, Cause of Death: Unknown (Iran)