Mohammad Rasoulof and O Mipo to receive Kurosawa Akira Award

Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof and Japanese director O Mipo will be honored with the Kurosawa Akira Award at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival.

Rasoulof, recognized for his social critique and humanist perspective, gained international prominence with 'There Is No Evil' and 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig.' The latter won the Special Jury Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and served as Germany’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature. Rasoulof’s career has been marked by legal challenges in Iran, including an eight-year prison sentence, which led to his covert departure from the country in 2024.

O Mipo will share the accolade following a career that includes 'The Light Shines Only There,' which won Best Director at the Montreal World Film Festival. The selection committee for the award includes industry figures such as Yamada Yoji, Lee Sang-il, Ashizawa Akiko, and Ichiyama Shozo.