The 2026 Tokyo International Film Festival has announced its winners, with North Macedonian filmmaker Milcho Manchevski's Sister Brother Manhole Cover taking home the Tokyo Grand Prix, the festival's highest honor.
The 39th edition of the festival concluded November 4, recognizing an international lineup of filmmakers whose work explores poverty, political unrest, family relationships and social inequality.
'Sister Brother Manhole Cover' Takes the Top Prize
Manchevski's darkly comedic social satire follows two siblings struggling to survive in Skopje, North Macedonia. They steal bronze statues and manhole covers to sell as scrap metal, navigating a society that offers them few opportunities.
The film stars Sara Klimoska, Filip Trajkovikj and Sonja Mihajlova.
Competition jury president Rolf de Heer praised the film's ability to balance humor, tragedy and humanity.
For Manchevski, whose acclaimed 1994 feature Before the Rain received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, the victory marks another significant international achievement.
China and Argentina Earn Major Honors
Chinese artist and filmmaker Sun Xun received the Special Jury Prize for Magic Atlas, an animated feature developed over more than a decade.
The film follows a young boy traveling through an imaginary empire, using multiple animation techniques to explore history, imagination and identity.
Argentine filmmaker Lisandro Alonso won Best Director for Double Freedom, which centers on a solitary woodcutter whose life changes when he must care for his sister after the closure of her mental institution.
Alonso previously premiered the film at Cannes.
Acting Awards and Audience Favorites
Chinese actress Hu Ling received Best Actress for The Night That Binds Us, directed by Wang Jiangyong.
Japanese actor Ryo Narita earned Best Actor for Yukiko Mishima's Two Cigarettes, Three Nights.
The Best Artistic Contribution Award went to Serbian filmmaker Jelena Maksimović's Until the Day Ends, which follows two young protesters during a night of demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the Audience Award went to Teodora Ana Mihai's Heysel 85, a drama examining the tragedy surrounding the 1985 European Cup final, where 39 people died.
Why These Awards Matter
The Tokyo International Film Festival remains an important platform for international cinema, particularly films that may struggle to secure widespread theatrical distribution.
This year's winners reflect the breadth of filmmaking beyond Hollywood, with stories rooted in regional identities and social realities.
For audiences interested in discovering cinema outside the mainstream studio system, the festival offers a reminder that some of the year's most compelling storytelling is happening far beyond Hollywood.
