Mipo O and Mohammad Rasoulof to Receive Kurosawa Akira Award at Tokyo Film Festival

The Tokyo International Film Festival will present its Kurosawa Akira Award to two filmmakers this year: Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof and Japanese‑Korean filmmaker Mipo O. The award, named after the legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, recognises individuals who have made significant contributions to world cinema. Both honorees are slated to receive the accolade during the festival’s opening ceremony.

In addition to the awards presentation, the festival announced that veteran Australian director Rolf De Heer will serve as the head of the competition jury. De Heer will lead a panel that evaluates the entries in the main competition, which features a selection of new international films.

The programme also includes a special “Australia Spotlight” segment, featuring the film *The Survival of Kindness*. The movie will be screened as part of the festival’s effort to showcase contemporary Australian cinema to Japanese audiences.

Separately, the festival’s Tokyo Gap financing market unveiled a slate of 24 new film projects. The market, which connects filmmakers with potential investors, announced a partnership with Canada’s Frontières organization to facilitate co‑production opportunities and support the development of the selected projects.

These announcements were made as the festival prepares for its upcoming edition, highlighting both artistic recognition and industry development initiatives within the international film community.