Mitsuhiro Mihara’s ‘Takano Tofu’ wins top prize at Udine’s Far East Film Festival

Mitsuhiro Mihara’s Takano Tofu won two awards including the top Golden Mulberry prize at the closing of Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy, where the honours were dominated by titles from Japan and South Korea.

The family drama centres on a father and daughter who run a tofu store, and stars Tatsuya Fuji and Kumiko Aso. It received its European premiere at FEFF, where director Mihara accepted the award, decided by audience votes, on Thursday (May 2).

The film also won the Purple Mulberry Award, selected users of Italian film fan platform MYmovies. The online component of FEFF, hosted on the MYmovies ONE platform, saw Takano Tofu rank as the second most-streamed film after South Korea’s Alienoid.

The Silver Mulberry was awarded to Confetti, a Japanese coming-of-age drama that marks the feature directorial debut of Naoya Fujita, and the Crystal Mulberry went to Time Still Turns the Pages by first-time Hong Kong director Nick Cheuk.

Shiraishi Kazuya’s samurai movie Bushido added another win for Japan, picking up the Black Dragon critics prize.

In the first feature section, the White Mulberry was awarded to South Korean romance Mimang by Kim Tae-yang while the Mulberry for best screenplay went to action comedy Citizen Of A Kind by South Korean director Park Young-ju.

As previously announced, Chinese director Zhang Yimou attended to receive a lifetime achievement award. It marked the first visit to the festival for the acclaimed director of Red Sorghum, Hero, House Of Flying Daggers and more recently Full River Red.

Speaking to a sold-out audience at Udine’s Teatro Nuovo, Zhang said: “You know, it’s rare today to find 1,200 people attending a film screening. It’s rare anywhere in the world. And I am deeply moved to see such a full cinema, without empty seats, and to see how much you love our work.”

Earlier in the day, the filmmaker attended the world premiere of 4K restoration of his 1991 period drama Raise The Red Lantern and later took place in a masterclass discussion. The presentation of his award was followed by the premiere of a 4K restoration of To Live, Zhang’s 1994 drama that won three prizes at Cannes.

FEFF said that it achieved new attendance records during its 26^th edition, which included 65,000 spectators and 3,000 guests. There were also 1,700 pass holders, comprising enthusiasts, journalists, experts and professionals – up 25% on 2023. A further 130 cinema students from Italy, the UK, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Singapore also attended. The festival screened 74 Asian films from 11 countries, including 15 world premieres.

More than 200 professionals attended FEFF’s Focus Asia industry sessions, which ran over three days, showcasing 11 projects in development and six works in progress. On Wednesday (May 1), the TAICCA/Focus Asia Co-Production Award of €10,000 went to Polaris, the next feature of Japanese filmmaker Yoko Yamanaka, whose second film Desert Of Namibia will premiere in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes later this month.

More than 200 professionals attended FEFF’s Focus Asia industry sessions.

Organisers added that the 27^th edition of the festival will run from April 24 to May 2.

Far East Film Festival Awards 2024

Golden Mulberry: Takano Tofu (Japan)

Silver Mulberry: Confetti (Japan)

Crystal Mulberry: Time Still Turns the Pages (HK)

Black Dragon Audience Award: Bushido (Japan)

White Mulberry (first time director): Mimang, Kim Tae-yang (S Kor)

Mulberry Award (best screenplay): Citizen of a Kind, Park Young-ju (S Kor)

MYmovies Purple Mulberry Award: Takano Tofu (Japan)

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