Brief
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof and Japanese filmmaker O Mipo to share Tokyo Film Festival’s Kurosawa Akira Award
The award, revived in 2022 after a 14‑year hiatus, honors the two directors for their humanist cinema.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof and Japanese director O Mipo will share the Kurosawa Akira Award at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival, Variety reported on 28 September 2026.
The award was selected by a committee that included filmmakers Yamada Yoji and Lee Sang‑il, cinematographer Ashizawa Akiko and TIFF programming director Ichiyama Shozo. Capcom Co., Ltd. backed the award’s return in 2022 after a 14‑year gap; last year it went to Lee and Chloé Zhao.
Rasoulof, who fled Iran in 2024 after an eight‑year prison sentence, previously won the Golden Bear at Berlin in 2020 for “There Is No Evil” and earned a Cannes Special Jury Prize in 2024 for “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” O Mipo began as a script supervisor and has directed award‑winning films such as “The Light Shines Only There” (2014) and “Being Good” (2015).
Rasoulof said receiving the award was “a great honor,” while O Mipo expressed gratitude for winning on the 20th anniversary of her debut.
Key facts
- Mohammad Rasoulof and O Mipo will share the Kurosawa Akira Award at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival. (variety.com)
- The award was chosen by a committee that included Yamada Yoji, Lee Sang‑il, Ashizawa Akiko and Ichiyama Shozo. (variety.com)
- Capcom Co., Ltd. backed the award’s revival in 2022 after a 14‑year hiatus. (variety.com)
Sources
- [1] variety.com — originally reported as “Mohammad Rasoulof, O Mipo to Receive Tokyo Film Festival’s Kurosawa Akira Award”
