Crocodile, directed by the Philippines’ Francis Xavier Pasion, won the Grand Prize at this year’s Tokyo Filmex film festival (November 22-30).

Set in the southern Philippines, the film follows a mother’s search for the body of her daughter who was attacked by a crocodile. The Filmex jury, headed by Chinese director Jia Zhangke, said that “the film’s strength lies in its honest and cohesive directorial style and the vivid expressiveness of its cast”.

The film won also won four awards, including best film, at this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

The special jury prize went to Israeli filmmaker Asaf Korman’s Next To Her, which also picked up the student jury prize. The film, which revolves around two sisters living in Haifa, premiered in this year’s Cannes Directors Fortnight section. 

A special mention went to Shadow Days, from China’s Zhao Dayong, which premiered in this year’s Berlin Forum, while Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s The President won the audience award.

The festival’s competition section focused on films from Asia and the Middle East. Shinya Tsukamoto’s war drama Fires On The Plain screened as the opening film, while David Cronenberg’s Maps To The Stars closed the festival.

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