Japanese film director Sho Miyake's "Tabi to Hibi" ("Two Seasons, Two Strangers") has won the top prize in the international competition division at this year's Locarno Film Festival.
Miyake, 41, was presented with the Golden Leopard prize at the award ceremony held in Locarno, southern Switzerland, on Saturday.
This is the first Japanese movie to receive the award since 2007, when "Ai no Yokan" ("The Rebirth"), directed by Masahito Kobayashi, was took the prize.
Based on Yoshiharu Tsuge’s manga "Mr. Ben and His Igloo, A View of the Seaside," "Tabi to Hibi" depicts the story of a playwright with writer's block who finds a fresh take on life via a chance encounter during a trip. South Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung plays the role of the playwright. Japanese actor Shinichi Tsutsumi and Japanese actress Yumi Kawai also star in the movie.
The movie will be released in Japan in November.
In a speech, Miyake said that all the actors, actresses and staff members who created the movie together did a really beautiful job, adding that he is truly proud of them.
"Massugu na Kubi" ("A Very Straight Neck"), directed by Neo Sora and starring Japanese actress Sakura Ando, was named the best short film at the latest festival.
In the past, three other Japanese movies won Locarno's top prize: Teinosuke Kinugasa's "Jigokumon" ("Gate of Hell") in 1954; Kon Ichikawa's "Nobi" ("Fires on the Plain") in 1961; and Akio Jissoji's "Mujo" ("This Transient Life") in 1970.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.