Overview

• The Kurosawa Akira Award will be presented during TIFF’s 38th edition, running Oct. 27–Nov. 5, with the ceremony at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo on Nov. 3.
• A selection committee featuring Yoji Yamada, Yoko Narahashi, Saburo Kawamoto and TIFF programming director Shozo Ichiyama chose the 2025 recipients.
• Lee Sang-il’s Kokuho premiered in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and became a domestic box-office phenomenon, surpassing JPY10 billion and breaking live-action admissions records.
• Chloé Zhao’s accolades include Venice’s Golden Lion and three Oscars for Nomadland, and her next film Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, is rolling out after a Toronto premiere.
• TIFF notes the award honors artists shaping the medium’s future, following last year’s recipients Sho Miyake and Fu Tien-yu.