Milcho Manchevski’s Sister Brother Manhole Cover won the Grand Prix at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival, which concluded after 10 days in Tokyo. The award includes a cash prize of 3 million yen ($19,000).
The film explores fraternal and maternal love among people living on society’s margins. It is Manchevski’s first feature since Kaymak, which also competed at the festival in 2022. Lead actors Sara Klimoska and Filip Trajkovikj attended the ceremony, while producer Kortoshev accepted the award on the director’s behalf. Manchevski, who had already left Tokyo, sent a video message.
Lisandro Alonso won best director for Double Freedom, and Sun Xun’s Magic Atlas received the special jury prize. The animated film took more than a decade to complete and was the first animation selected for the festival’s main competition. Hu Ling won best actress for The Night That Binds Us, a France-Hong Kong co-production, while Narita Ryo received best actor for Japan’s Two Cigarettes, Three Nights.
Teodora Ana Mihai’s Heysel 85 won the audience award. Set against the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, in which 39 supporters died during the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus, the film was recognized by festivalgoers. In the Asian Future competition for emerging regional filmmakers, Tareq Daoud’s Serife Tavsan won the top prize and a cash award of 1 million yen ($6,325).
The festival reported more than 69,000 admissions to screenings of 204 films across Tokyo’s Hibiya, Marunouchi, Yurakucho and Ginza areas. The figure was slightly higher than last year’s attendance.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter.