Winners of the 27th Nihon Eiga Professional Taisho (2017)

This award is decided by a panel of judges made up of movie directors, scriptwriters, producers, PR personnel and critics where they vote for the best works and actors for the year. This year's prize giving ceremony will be held at Theatre Shinjuku on 26 April 2018:

Best 10 Movies
1) Katte ni furuetero
2) Osanako warera ni umare
3) Kanojo no jinsei wa machigai janai
4) Gukoroku
5) Vigilante
6) Bangkok Nites
7) Kanojo ga sono na wo shiranai toritachi
8) MUKOKU
9) Hikari
10) Kabocha to Mayonnaise

Best Movie: Katte ni furuetero

Best Leading Actress: Matsuoka Mayu - Katte ni furuetero

Best Leading Actor: Asano Tadanobu - Osanako warera ni umare

Best Director: Hiroki Ryuuichi - Kanojo no jinsei wa machigai janai

Best Newcomer Director: Ishikawa Kei

Best Female Newcomer: Takiuchi Kumi - Kanojo no jinsei wa machigai janai

Best Male Newcomer: Murakami Nijirou - MUKOKU

Audience's Award: Aa, Kouya

Source: Natalie

Winners of the Osaka Cinema Festival 2018

Individual Awards
Best Leading Actor: Suda Masaki (Hibana / Aa, Kouya / Teiichi no Kuni) / Kiritani Kenta (Hibana / Vigilante)

Best Leading Actress: Aoi Yu (Kanojo ga sono na wo shiranai toritachi)

Best Supporting Actor: Yusuke Santa Maria (Aa, Kouya)

Best Supporting Actress: Tanaka Rena (Osanako warera ni umare)

Best Male Newcomer: Kitamura Takumi (Kimi no suizou wo tabetai)

Best Female Newcomer: Ishibashi Shizuka (Yozora wa itsudemo saikou mitsudo no aoiro da)

Winners of the 39th Yokohama Film Festival (2017)

Best Movie: Yozora wa itsudemo saikou mitsudo no aoiro da

Best Director: Shiraishi Kazuya (Kanojo ga sono na wo shiranai toritachi / Mesunekotachi)

Best Newcomer Director: Ishikawa Kei (Gukoroku) / Morigaki Yukihiro (Ojiichan, shinjattatte)

Best Script: Ishii Yuya (Yozora wa itsudemo saikou mitsudo no aoiro da)

Best Cinematography: Kamakari Youichi (Yozora wa itsudemo saikou mitsudo no aoiro da)

Best Leading Actor: Ikematsu Sousuke (Yozora wa itsudemo saikou mitsudo no aoiro da)

Best Leading Actress: Aoi Yu (Kanojo ga sono na wo shiranai toritachi)

Best Supporting Actor: Shiomi Sansei (Outrage Saishusho) / Matsuzaka Toori (Kanojo ga sono na wo shiranai toritachi)

Best Supporting Actress: Usuda Asami (Gukoroku) / Matsumoto Wakana (Gukoroku)

Best Newcomer: Ishibashi Shizuka (Yozora wa itsudemo saikou mitsudo no aoiro da) / Kishii Yukino (Ojiichan, shinjattatte)

Judges' Special Award: Romance Porno Reboot Project

Special Award: Nishida Toshiyuki

Source: Crank In

Winners of the 60th Blue Ribbon Awards (2017)

Best Japanese Movie: Aa, Kouya

Best Foreign Movie: Hidden Figures

Best Director: Shiraishi Kazuya (Kanojo ga sono na wo shiranai toritachi)

Best Leading Actor: Abe Sadao (Kanojo ga sono na wo shiranai toritachi)

Best Leading Actress: Aragaki Yui (Mix)

Best Supporting Actor: Yusuke Santa Maria (Aa, Kouya / Dorobo Yakusha)

Best Supporting Actress: Saito Yuki (Sandome no Satsujin)

Best Newcomer: Ishibashi Shizuka (Yozora wa itsudemo saikou mitsudo no aoiro da)

Winners of the 9th TAMA Movie Awards (2017)

Best Movie
- Sanposuru Shinryakusha
- Eiga Yozora wa itsudemo saikou mitsudo no aoiro da

Special Award
- Director Yuasa Masaaki & the staff of the movies "Yoru wa mijikashi arukeyo otome" & "Yoake tsugeru ruu no uta"
- Director Tomita Katsuya & the staff of the movie "Bangkok Nites"

First-day-screening event of new movie "Gukoroku"

The first-day-screening event of new movie "Gukoroku" was held at Marunouchi Picadilly on 18 February which was attended by the director Ishikawa Kei and cast members Tsumabuki Satoshi, Mitsushima Hikari, Koide Keisuke, Usuda Asami, Ichikawa Yui, Matsumoto Wakana and Nakamura Tomoya. The movie which is based on the same-titled novel by Nukui Tokuro, features Tsumabuki as the lead character Tanaka who tries to find out the truth behind the massacre of a family and discovers frightening facts about those related to the case. Mitsushima plays his younger sister who is hiding a big secret from him.

When asked about if the cast had any secrets, Tsumabuki revealed that he was wearing his lucky underpants with a JAWS' picture which he had to sew himself as there was a hole due to him wearing it too frequently. Upon hearing this, Mitsushima joked that everyone must be imagining how he looks like in his JAWS underpants after hearing what he said. She revealed that she was advised by a director who she had worked with in the past to look at the staff members' faces while acting so this became a habit for her all the way till now.

With regard to the same question, Koide said that he met popular comedian Buruzon Chiemi recently during a PR appearance and thought that she looked beautiful. This led his co-stars to say that this answer didn't qualify so Koide had to say that he bumped his little finger in the bathroom the day before which led to a lot of bleeding which made the audience laugh. As for Ichikawa, she brought her son for a vaccination three days ago but ended up with a slipped disc on the way home. The pain which felt as if needles were pierced into her body was so hard to bear that she found it difficult to stand and had to wear a corset in order to appear for the event which was greeted with applause from the audience.

When asked about playing siblings again, Tsumabuki described Mitsushima as someone who he can understand very well even without speaking a lot and respects her a lot as an actress. In response, Mitsushima also echoed his view and they both looked at each other smilingly.

Sources: Nikkansports / Sanspo / Sponichi 1 / Sponichi 2 / Oricon / Eiga.com

Japan premiere of new movie "Guko Roku"

The Japan premiere of new movie "Guko Roku" was held at Shinjuku Picadilly on 22 January which was attended by the director Ishikawa Kei and cast members Tsumabuki Satoshi, Mitsushima Hikari, Koide Keisuke, Usuda Asami, Matsumoto Wakana, Nakamura Tomoya, Mashima Hidekazu, Hamada Mari and Hirata Mitsuru. The movie which is based on the same-titled novel by Nukui Tokuro, features Tsumabuki as the lead character Tanaka who tries to find out the truth behind the massacre of a family and discovers frightening facts about those related to the case.

Tsumabuki and Mitsushima who worked together several times before, had developed such a deep mutual understanding of each other's acting style to the extent that Tsumabuki said that he didn't need to talk too much to her beforehand about how he was going to play his character. Meanwhile, Mitsushima who plays Tanaka's younger sister Mitsuko arrested for child neglect, revealed how she was feeling uneasy because she couldn't tell initially what kind of movie the director was trying to make so she didn't know how to play her character. However, her fears were put to rest when she emailed Tsumabuki and he replied with an assuring message that it will be an interesting movie in the end and even said "I love you" to her (in a brotherly manner). Upon seeing the message, Mitsushima replied with a "I love you" message too which shows how close the two actors are in real life. She also revealed that she was reprimanded once in the past by Tsumabuki when she showed up at a movie's meet-the-fans event looking grumpy which made him remark that she should behave more like an adult at such events.

"Guko Roku" will be screened in cinemas from 18 February.

Source: Eiga.com

Tsumabuki Satoshi & Mitsushima Hikari to work together in new movie "Guko Roku"

Tsumabuki Satoshi and Mitsushima Hikari will be working together in the new movie "Guko Roku" (The record of folly) adapted from the same-titled novel by Nukui Tokuro which was one of the nominees for the 135th Naoki Award. The film which is due to be shown in cinemas next year, features Tsumabuki as Tanaka, a reporter for a weekly magazine who is investigating the unresolved murder case of a family of three one year after it happened. Through the course of his investigation, Tanaka discovers that the perfect couple image projected by the deceased elite salaryman and his wife was merely an illusion and gradually finds out the truth behind the murders. Mitsushima plays his younger sister Hikaruko.

Tsumabuki commented that he has worked with Mitsushima many times to date and is very impressed with her level of involvement and concentration in her acting thus is looking forward to producing a good movie with her. Meanwhile, Mitsushima said that although she didn't take up the character because she liked it, she was keen to show how Hikaruko's way of loving was affected by her circumstances and hopes to show a different side of her acting this time. In addition, she felt assured by Tsumabuki's presence in the cast as she regards him as her elder brother thus is looking forward to taking up this new challenge with him.

Source: Oricon