Grand Prix (Best Picture Award)

Bound in Heaven

Jury Comments

While the themes that films depict are becoming more diverse, we were struck by the passion and intensity of this truly classic-style love story, which is not often chosen for film festivals. The destiny of the two leads immerses us unquestionably in the world of the film, and we are fascinated by the world that allows us to share in the cinematic joy of the film.

Most Promising Talent Award

PARK Ri-woong

박이웅

The Land of Morning Calm Director

Jury Comments

Most Promising Talent Award goes to Park Ri-woong. For his ability to see the good in people and his keen attention to details that reveal societal issues.

Special Mention

The Way We Talk
看我今天怎麼說

Jury Comments

We treasure this immense kindness of the director’s team and their non-judgemental perspective makes the film a gem. It offers a heartfelt, immersive invitation for the audience to engage in the inner world of the deaf.

Best Actor Award

Tuvshinbayar AMARTUVSHIN
Silent City Driver

Tuvshinbayar AMARTUVSHIN

Jury Comments

Tuvshinbayar AMARTUVSHIN has demonstrated a non-disturbing, tranquil masculinity that resonates deeply with the cinematic realm. He’s able to convey inner feelings and capture the intricate complexity and solitude of his character in this serene but dark world.

JAIHO Award

404 Still Remain

404 Still Remain

Jury Comments

The story unfolds at a brisk pace, and the two main characters give fresh performances. The scenery they see from the bus window is intertwined with the music and leaves a beautiful aftertaste. And then the boy becomes an adult. A masterpiece of “boy meets boy” cinema.

Yakushi Pearl Award

Alexia KAO 高伊玲
LAN Wei-Hua 藍葦華
TSENG Jing-Hua 曾敬驊
Queena HUANG 黃珮琪

from Family Matters 我家的事

Jury Comments

The Yakushi Pearl Award for Best Performer is presented to the four actors who portrayed the main family members in Family Matters: Alexia KA, LAN Wei-Hua, TSENG Jing Hua, and Queena HUANG. They expressed the complex emotions of each family member with a superb ensemble performance and contributed to the creation of a great masterpiece by the feature-film debut director.

JAPAN CUTS Award

So Beautiful, Wonderful and Lovely
素敵すぎて素敵すぎて素敵すぎる

Jury Comments

We are pleased to present the JAPAN CUTS Award to OKAWARA Megumi’s So Beautiful, Wonderful and Lovely, a rapid-fire demonstration of versatile editing and camera techniques, playfully absurd humor and heartfelt storytelling. Imbued with a sense of real youthful energy at its core, writer/director/editor and lead actor OKAWARA packs the film with a tumult of creative ideas and ambition over the course of its brief yet consequential runtime.

Housen Short Film Award

WAShhh
洗浄

Jury Comments

Almost like a real-time experience, the film skillfully immerses the audience with limited space
and time and efficiently puts them in the shoes of female characters. With its black-and-white
cinematography, the film creates an intensity without sensationalizing. It is a both realistic
and symbolic work that accuses the absurdity of the system, challenging the taboo.

Special Mention

The Melancholy of a Brass Player for Brass Quintet
金管五重奏の為の喇叭吹きの憂鬱

Jury Comments

I am totally energized. (Adam WONG)

Editing, sound design, and tempo — I’ve never seen anything like it before. It doesn’t make any
sense but also makes perfect sense. (John HSU)

It achieves anarchy like a silent film. (KINOSHITA Chika)

Audience Award

The Tales of Kurashiki
蔵のある街