Entertainment
Milcho Manchevski’s ‘Sister Brother Manhole Cover’ Wins Top Prize at Tokyo Film Festival
Reading in data-saving mode. Read full article from Variety website.
Published 11/4/2026 3:48:37 AM
'Sister Brother Manhole Cover' Wins Top Prize at Tokyo Film Festival
Milcho Manchevski’s “Sister Brother Manhole Cover,” a comic allegory about two siblings who strip scrap metal from the streets of Skopje, won the Tokyo Grand Prix at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival on Wednesday.
A steady drizzle failed to dampen the spirits of a full house at Hulic Hall for closing night, a gentler send-off than the downpour that greeted the festival’s opening on Oct. 26.
Jury president Rolf de Heer said the jury chose the film “for the humanity and compassion shown towards its characters” and for being “a complex, coherent film that manages to be both touching and playful.” The prize carries JPY3 million ($19,000). Viktor and Malina make their living stealing manhole covers and copper busts. When a pilfered bronze bust of a national hero lands on Viktor’s foot, the pair tumble into the lowest depths of the North Macedonian capital. The film is a co-production between North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Italy and the U.K., and it is Manchevski’s first fiction feature since “Kaymak.”
With Manchevski having left Tokyo already, producer Jane Kortoshev and the film’s leads, Sara Klimoska and Filip Trajković, accepted the prize. Tokyo Vice Governor Yamashita Satoshi presented the Governor of Tokyo Award, standing in for Governor Koike Yuriko, who could not attend.
“We came here to Tokyo with a manhole cover, and we are going back to Macedonia with a beautiful award,” Kortoshev said. “I’d say it’s a pretty good deal, huh?”
Manchevski appeared by video message.
“This award is a little vindication for a quirky film that almost did not happen,” Manchevski said. “A film about unusual families, and about the haves and have-nots. A film not about messages, but about people.”
Rolf de Heer’s fellow competition jurors were producers Alex Lo and Oh Jungwan, actor Watanabe Makiko and colorist Yov Moor. In his overview, de Heer said the 15 competition titles had so little in common that they were hard to judge against each other.
“It was like programming director [Ichiyama] Shozo was playing a trick on us in his selecting the films, or giving us a test,” de Heer said.
The Special Jury Prize, worth JPY500,000 ($3,200), went to Sun Xun’s “Magic Atlas” from Singapore, an animated feature the Chinese-born artist spent about a decade making. In it, an orphan inherits a magician’s book and uses it to recover the memories an authoritarian empire has buried. The animation moves from ink-wash painting to medieval European engraving. Juror Oh Jungwan cited the film’s “remarkable craftsmanship.” Speaking through an interpreter, Sun said that being selected for the competition had been a huge surprise and that winning was a bigger one.
Lisandro Alonso won best director for “Double Freedom,” which the festival presents as a kind of sequel to his 2001 debut “La Libertad.” A solitary woodcutter’s life in the forest unravels when he has to take in his sister after her psychiatric facility closes. Juror Alex Lo praised the film’s “minimalist yet efficient cinematic language,” which, they said, “captures the weight and passage of time with precision.” Alonso was unable to travel. In a video message, he said he hoped to come to Tokyo “sometime in the future, with another film.” The directing, acting and artistic contribution prizes each carry JPY300,000 ($1,900).
Japan’s onlly win in the main competition came in the acting category. Narita Ryo was named best actor for Mishima Yukiko’s “Two Cigarettes, Three Nights.” He plays a longtime friend who reconnects with a stalled Kyoto illustrator, played by Matsuoka Mayu, across three nights in three cities. Narita was not at the ceremony, and Mishima accepted on his behalf.
“There was one day when we badly needed snow, and it just wouldn’t come,” Mishima said. “I was looking up at the sky saying, ‘I wish it would snow,’ and Narita, standing next to me, shouted at the sky, ‘Snow, fall!’ And it snowed.”
Best actress went to Hu Ling for Wang Jiangyong’s first feature, “The Night That Binds Us.” She plays a grieving Shanghai dormitory manager who falls for a younger student whose parents have been arrested on suspicion of fraud. A visibly emotional Hu thanked her alma mater, the Beijing Film Academy.
Jelena Maksimović’s first feature, “Until the Day Ends,” took the award for best artistic contribution. In it, a student activist and a young government supporter take to the road together during Serbia’s 2024 protests. Maksimović dedicated the prize to the students and citizens of Serbia who have spent the past two years fighting for freedom.
Festival director Hisamatsu Takeo presented the audience award, which carries no cash prize, to Teodora Ana Mihai’s “Heysel 85.” The film recreates the 1985 Brussels stadium disaster, in which fan violence before the European Cup final killed 39 people.
“There is always a bit of fear that it will not, you know, be received well,” Mihai said. “So this is so special.”
In the Asian Future section, Tareq Daoud’s Swiss-Turkish “Serife Tavsan” won best film and JPY1 million ($6,300). In it, a recently widowed woman in her 70s sets out to please herself, and her children object to her new lifestyle and friendships. Ariani Darmawan’s Indonesian film “Jani Be Good” received a special mention. Set over four days before Christmas, it follows a girl who clashes with her single mother after her older sister leaves home.
Nippon Cinema Now’s best film went to Tanaka Miki’s debut “Silver Express,” which won JPY500,000 ($3,200). In it, a young woman who has never been attracted to anyone romantically bonds with a man who is wired the same way. Matsumura Shingo’s “Between Us” took the section’s Special Jury Prize and JPY300,000 ($1,900). It follows two former child performers who meet again in their high school drama club six years after a family camping trip split them up.
Isabelle Stever’s “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming” won the TIFF Ethical Film Award and JPY200,000 ($1,300). The award was judged by a jury headed by actor Isomura Hayato. Based on a true story, the film follows a queer Ukrainian couple who are trapped when Russia invades just after one partner legally changes his gender marker, because military-service rules stop him from leaving.
In the Asian Students’ Film Conference, a competition for shorts made by students at film schools across Asia, Nguyen Vu Hien Chi’s “Running Wild in the Sun” won best film and JPY300,000 ($1,900). Nah Yi-chen’s “Everything’s Peachy” and Kim Nam-hyeon’s “All of Her” shared the Special Jury Prize and receive JPY100,000 ($630) each.
The Kurosawa Akira Award, worth JPY1 million ($6,300) to each recipient, went to O Mipo and Mohammad Rasoulof. Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, received the Global Cinema Leadership Special Award.
After the awards, the festival screened its closing film, Yeon Sang-ho’s Korean zombie thriller “Colony,” which is set in a high-rise sealed off after a bioterror attack. Yeon introduced it with star Koo Kyo-hwan, producer Yang Yoomin and Nao and Kaji Yuki, who voice the film’s Japanese dub.
“I think of the theater as a form of entertainment where you can safely immerse yourself in lives and situations you’ve never lived,” Yeon said. “In ‘Colony,’ you go through the kind of survival that would be horrifying in real life. I hope you relish it in the theater.”
Kaji said the infected’s movements were performed by contemporary dancers, not created with CGI. “Colony” opens in Japan on Jan. 1.
In his closing address, Hisamatsu looked ahead to next year’s 40th edition, which he called a milestone that would set the course for the festival’s next decade.
“Not every film is bright and cheerful,” Hisamatsu said. “But a festival should be a place to enjoy all kinds of films, those included, to talk about them and to celebrate them.”
The clock on stage, supplied by festival sponsor Rolex, may have been a first for the festival. It certainly proved that the organizers know how to run a punctiliously timed ceremony, ending within a minute of its scheduled 6:30 pm close. The second-by-second choreography, with two female helpers directing judges and winners where to stand to the millimeter, added to the clockwork precision.
Tuxes could be seen only a handful of men, including programming director Ichiyama and festival director Hisamatsu. This was in contrast with past years, when men’s formal wear was more common among TIFF VIPs.
The festival ran Oct. 26–Nov. 4.
Full list of winners:
Tokyo Grand Prix / The Governor of Tokyo Award
“Sister Brother Manhole Cover,” dir. Milcho Manchevski
Special Jury Prize
“Magic Atlas,” dir. Sun Xun
Best Director
Lisandro Alonso, “Double Freedom”
Best Actress
Hu Ling, “The Night That Binds Us”
Best Actor
Narita Ryo, “Two Cigarettes, Three Nights”
Best Artistic Contribution
“Until the Day Ends,” dir. Jelena Maksimović
Audience Award
“Heysel 85,” dir. Teodora Ana Mihai
Asian Future Best Film
“Serife Tavsan,” dir. Tareq Daoud
Asian Future Special Mention
“Jani Be Good,” dir. Ariani Darmawan
Nippon Cinema Now Best Film
“Silver Express,” dir. Tanaka Miki
Nippon Cinema Now Special Jury Prize
“Between Us,” dir. Matsumura Shingo
Asian Students’ Film Conference Best Film
“Running Wild in the Sun,” dir. Nguyen Vu Hien Chi
Asian Students’ Film Conference Special Jury Prize
“Everything’s Peachy,” dir. Nah Yi-chen
“All of Her,” dir. Kim Nam-hyeon
Kurosawa Akira Award
O Mipo
Mohammad Rasoulof
TIFF Ethical Film Award
“I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming,” dir. Isabelle Stever
Global Cinema Leadership Special Award
Bill Kramer, CEO, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
§
The Japan IP Market will be back in Cannes next May for a second straight year. The Cannes Film Market and TIFFCOM, the content market of the Tokyo International Film Festival, are again teaming up on the event, and the 2027 edition will run May 14-15.
The return was revealed at TIFFCOM in Tokyo, during a conference on how Japan can forge new international partnerships after its stint as Country of Honor in Cannes. Alexandra Zakharchenko, head of industry programs at the Cannes Film Market, was among the panelists.
“The success of Japan, Country of Honor showed what can happen when a focused national presence creates lasting opportunities for the industry. The Japan IP Market is one of those outcomes: a collaboration that extends beyond a single edition and gives Japanese intellectual properties greater access to international partners,” said Guillaume Esmiol, executive director of the Cannes Film Market. “I’m delighted that we are continuing this work with TIFFCOM to create more opportunities for rights holders to connect with international producers and partners, develop new adaptations and bring their stories to global audiences.”
The Japan IP Market first ran in May 2026, one of the initiatives tied to Japan’s turn as Country of Honor at the Cannes Film Market. It put Japanese rights holders in the same room as industry professionals from abroad via pitches, one-on-one meetings and industry discussions. Kadokawa, Shochiku and Toei Company were among the companies taking part. The speaker lineup included Fujimura Tetsu, executive producer of “One Piece” and founder and CEO of Filosophia, Inc.
“The Japan IP Market is about creating the right conditions for business opportunities between Japanese rights holders and international companies,” said Zakharchenko. “By bringing them together in Cannes, we can help turn growing interest in Japanese content into concrete adaptation deals and acquisitions, while fostering new collaboration opportunities.”
Shiina Yasushi, executive adviser at UNIJAPAN and CEO of TIFFCOM, said the partnership with the Cannes market plays an important role for Japan’s audiovisual industry. He described the Cannes market as the biggest market attached to any film festival in the world. “Meeting the international professionals who gather there and creating together with them is the key to nurturing Japanese IP into global content,” he said.
Ikeda Kaori, managing director of TIFFCOM, said the first edition had shown how keen producers and partners worldwide are on Japanese IP. “Through the continued partnership linking Cannes in May with the Tokyo IP Market in October, we are pleased to offer more professionals the opportunity to meet Japanese rights holders directly and discover the rich diversity of Japanese IP,” she said.
The 2027 roster of companies and the rest of the program will be unveiled in the months ahead.
§
Mexico’s beloved Guillermo del Toro descended on the 24thMorelia Film Festival like the rockstar he is, greeted by hordes of shrieking fans that impressed even the most jaded in the crowd.
In town to present the much-anticipated 3D Re-Release of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” he was everywhere all at once, holding a masterclass where tickets were as elusive as a seat at Cannes that went on for nearly three hours and a free-wheeling press conference that extended past its time limit.
It was his third time at the fest, 20 years after his multi-Oscar winning “Pan’s Labyrinth’ first played there and years later with his 2018 best picture Academy Award winner “The Shape of Water.”
Before the presser kicked off, Del Toro, an Honorary Doctorate recipient from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), received the Filmoteca UNAM Medal, an honor also bestowed on Alfonso Cuarón, in town to support his son Jonas Cuarón’s opening night film, “Campeón Gabacho,” which he produced.
Alongside Del Toro were festival director Daniela Michel, “Pan’s Labyrinth” producer Bertha Navarro, his then young lead Ivana Baquero and DP Guillermo Navarro, who took home the cinematography Oscar for his stunning work on the anti-fascist fable.
Reflecting on a question posed midway through the press conference about what has stayed the same and what has changed over the 20 years since “Pan’s Labyrinth,” del Toro responded with tears.
“The state of our species and society today goes beyond anything we could have imagined back then. But I recognize the same sadness and despair. It pains me deeply to see one, two, or three generations fail the next. We’re handing down a world in ruins, morally, socially and spiritually fractured, with the very fabric that once allowed us to tell fables and parables falling apart.”
Asked whether he knew beforehand if “Pan’s Labyrinth” would be well received, Del Toro recounted how his collaborations with both Navarros sustained him through all the challenges they faced.
“We embarked on an adventure that was financially horrifying but cinematically beautiful,” he said.
“You never know how a film will be received. We only found out when we screened it for the first time at Cannes. We got that famous standing ovation that lasted more than 22 minutes, and from that moment on, everything changed. It changed our lives.”
“I think ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ marked a before and after for me. In terms of creative freedom, possibilities and everything else, I’m where I am today because of that film. But none of it would have been possible without the faith of my immediate family, Bertha and Guillermo.”
Said DP Navarro: “Guillermo and I share the belief that cinematic language is storytelling through images that convey emotion and narrative. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is the ultimate expression of that. The camera is constantly searching, discovering and communicating.”
“It was also an incredibly difficult shoot. We had a limited budget, had to find unconventional solutions and took risks that could easily have failed. But we gambled and we won. Without a doubt, it’s my best film, and I hold that experience close to my heart. I hope new generations will continue to discover and appreciate it. And now, 20 years later, it returns. Olé!”
Producer Navarro, who also backed Del Toro’s career-launching feature debut “Cronos” and his much-lauded “The Devil’s Backbone,” said: “When he gave me the screenplay for ‘Cronos,’ I was absolutely fascinated. Talent shines, and you have to know how to recognize that light. That’s what I saw in Guillermo.”
“It’s been an incredible privilege to have made those three great films with Guillermo. I’ve produced many films throughout my life, but those three hold a much deeper significance for me. They changed my life.”
Baquero concurred: “’Pan’s Labyrinth’ undoubtedly opened doors for me, both into the genre and in my career. We’ve talked this afternoon about how much the film changed our lives, professionally and personally. For me, acting went from being a hobby – I had worked before ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ – to becoming my profession. Without that film, I might not be here today. It unquestionably marked a turning point in my career.”
Reflecting on its impact on young audiences. Del Toro noted: “There’s an urgency and a fragility and ferocity that coexist in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ And somehow, I think it’s an urgent moment to speak, for the film to speak to a new audience.”
Local politics also crept into the conference, with a journalist asking him what he would say to the young people protesting in his hometown of Guadalajara over its current issues of contaminated water, repression and the alleged kidnapping of protesters on Oct. 11.
He responded:“This morning at my masterclass, I gave young people the floor to speak about these issues. It’s terrifying that something so fundamental should have to be fought for instead of being resolved through basic humanity and responsible leadership.”
“I said it clearly: “Their voices must be heard, and I stand with them 100%. It’s unacceptable that this remains unresolved or that anyone would try to silence them. Speaking out, protesting, and demanding a solution are fundamental rights – anytime, anywhere.”
The Morelia Film Festival began on Oct. 16 and wraps Oct. 25.
