Shanghai Film Festival: Japan's Yoko wins big award

The Shanghai Film Festival 2023 recently concluded with the Japanese feature Yoko picking up the Golden Goblet best picture award. While Japan took home the best, the jury Grand Prix went to Spain’s Muyeres. China’s Liu Jin took home the best director prize. The three films went on to win other awards at the ceremony too.

Directed by Kumakiri Kazuyoshi, Yoko is a road film and is a journey of self-discovery of a woman who had been socially isolated in her apartment for many years. Portrayed by global star Rinko Kikuchi, the woman is forced to confront the real world, and herself, when she takes a 658-kilometre cross-country journey to her father’s funeral. Without a cell phone or the money for public transport, she finds herself having to hitchhike. Kikuchi also earned the best actress award.

Meanwhile, Muyeres is a documentary exploration of song preservation in the Asturian region of Spain. Shot in black and white, it focuses on the old women of a rural area where the oral traditions are in danger of extinction through migration and changes in values.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Check out the full list of winners at the Shanghai Film Festival 2023 here:

Best Feature Film
Yoko dir. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi (Japan)

Jury Grand Prix
Muyeres dir. Marta Lallana (Spain)

Best Director
Liu Jiayin for All Ears (China)

Best Actor (joint winners)
Hu Ge in All Ears (China) dir. Liu Jiayin
Da Peng in Dust to Dust (China) dir. Jonathan Li

Best Actress
Rinko Kikuchi in Yoko (Japan) dir. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi

Best Screenplay
Muroi Kosuke/Namiko Sou for Yoko (Japan) dir. Kumakiri Kazuyoshi

Best Cinematography
Toni Vidal for Muyeres (Spain) dir. Marta Lallana

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

Best Documentary Film
Anxious in Beirut dir. Zakaria Jaber (Jordan/Lebanon/Qatar/Spain)

Best Animation Film
Four Souls of Coyote dir. Áron Gauder (Hungary)

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

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