Winners of the 61st Blue Ribbon Award (2018)

Best Movie: Camera wo tomeru na!

Best Leading Actor: Tachi Hiroshi (Owatta Hito)

Best Leading Actress: Kadowaki Mugi (Tomerareruka, oretachi wo)

Best Supporting Actor: Matsuzaka Toori (Korou no Chi)

Best Supporting Actress: Matsuoka Mayu (Manbiki Kazoku / Chihayafuru - Musubi -)

Best Newcomer: Minami Sara (Shino-chan wa jibun no namae ga ienai)

Best Director: Shiraishi Kazuya (Korou no Chi / Tomerareruka, oretachi wo / Sunny 32)

Best Foreign Movie: Bohemian Rhapsody

Top 10 Japanese movies (in alphabetical order):
Camera wo tomeruna!
Kiku to Guillotine
Korou no Chi
SUNNY Tsuyoi kimochi tsuyoi ai
Soratobu Taiya
Tomerareruka, oretachi wo
Nichinichi kore koujitsu
Netemo Sametemo
Manbiki Kazoku
Yakiniku Dragon

Source: Natalie

Winners of the 31st Nikkansports Movie Awards & Ishihara Yujiro Award (2018)

Best Movie: Manbiki Kazoku

Best Director: Shiraishi Kazuya (Sunny 32 / Korou no Chi / Tomerareruka, oretachi wo)

Best Leading Actor: Matsuzaka Toori (Funouhan / Shounen)

Best Leading Actress: Ando Sakura (Manbiki Kazoku)

Best Supporting Actor: Takahashi Issei (Uso wo aisuru onna / Soratobu Taiya / Oku Otoko)

Best Supporting Actress: Kiki Kirin (Manbiki Kazoku / Mori no iru basho / Nichinichi kore koujitsu)

Best Newcomer: Hirate Yurina (HIBIKI)

Best Foreign Movie: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Ishihara Yujiro Award: Camera wo tomeru na!

Ishihara Yujiro Newcomer Award: Iwata Takanori (Kyounen no fuyu, kimi to wakare / Vision / Perfect World Kimi to iru kiseki)

Source: Natalie

First-day-screening event of new movie "Sunny 32"

The first-day-screening event of new movie "Sunny 32" was held at Shinjuku Wald 9 on 17 February which was attended by the director Shiraishi Kazuya and cast members Kitahara Rie, Pierre Taki, Lily Franky and Kadowaki Mugi. The original story features Kitahara as the lead character Fujii Akari, a junior high school teacher who gets kidnapped on her 24th birthday by two men who call themselves Kashiwabara and Oda (Pierre Taki and Lily Franky). Being staunch fans of the legendary most cute murderer in history Sunny who was a young girl, the two men confine Akari to a house and call her Sunny as they torture her in various ways.

Completion screening event of new movie "Sunny 32"

The completion screening event of new movie "Sunny 32" was held on 18 January which was attended by the director Shiraishi Kazuya and cast members Kitahara Rie, Pierre Taki, Lily Franky and Kadowaki Mugi. The movie will be released in cinemas from 17 February after its pre-release in Nagaoka, Niigata from 9 February.

The original story features Kitahara as the lead character Fujii Akari, a junior high school teacher who gets kidnapped on her 24th birthday by two men who call themselves Kashiwabara (Pierre Taki and Lily Franky). Being staunch fans of the legendary most cute murderer in history Sunny who was a young girl, the two men confine Akari to a house and call her Sunny as they torture her in various ways.

NGT48's Kitahara Rie to star in new movie "Sunny / 32"

NGT48's member Kitahara Rie who will be leaving the group next spring, will be starring in the new movie "Sunny / 32" directed by Shiraishi Kazuya which will be shown in cinemas next February. The original story features Kitahara as the lead character Fujii Akari, a junior high school teacher who gets kidnapped on her 24th birthday by two men who call themselves Kashiwabara (Pierre Taki and Lily Franky). Being staunch fans of the legendary most cute murderer in history Sunny who was a young girl, the two men confine Akari to a house and call her Sunny as they torture her in various ways. Co-stars include Kadowaki Mugi, Otoo Takuma and Suruga Taro while Akimoto Yasushi is listed as the supervisor of this suspense movie.

Kitahara said that she was very happy to be able to mark the new start of her career in this movie and excited to be working with Taki and Lily who she described as very interesting and cute offscreen. On the other hand, Taki described this story reflective of Shiraishi's usual unpredictable style and praised Kitahara for going all out in her acting and having no complaints despite being made to stand for a long time in the snow during the filming. Lily also echoed the same view of Kitahara while joking that Taki and Shiraishi are still cute and detestable respectively.

The movie was shot in Niigata from 2 February to 19 February this year.

Sources: Eiga.com / Sanspo