The prestigious Mainichi Film Awards held its 79th edition ceremony on February 13, 2025 in Tokyo. From this year and to mark a new beginning since its establishment in 1946, the awards structure and selection criteria have been reformed. The Best Japanese Film Award and Japanese Film Excellence Award have been combined. In the acting categories, the distinction between male and female actors have been abolished in the interest of gender equality, with awards for the Best Actors and Best Supporting Actors. Nominees and winners are selected by about 70 leading film critics, journalists and experts. Eligible films in contention this year must have been released in theaters for a fee for at least 14 days in Japan between January 1 and December 31, 2024 (for animation and documentary categories, works that were completed or screened during the same period).
The winners are as follows:
Best Japanese Film: All the Long Nights (directed by Shō Miyake)
Best Foreign Film: Oppenheimer (directed by Christopher Nolan)
Best Actor: Yuumi Kawai for A Girl Named Ann and Desert of Namibia
Best Actor: Ryusei Yokohama for Faceless
Best Supporting Actor: Sosuke Ikematsu for My Sunshine
Best Supporting Actor: Maki Carrousel for Voice
Sponichi Grand Prix Newcomer: Keitatsu Koshiyama for My Sunshine
Best Director: Shō Miyake for All the Long Nights
Best Screenplay: Ryusuke Hamaguchi for Evil Does Not Exist
Best Cinematography: Naoya Ikeda for 11 Rebels
Best Art Direction: Yuji Hayashida for The Box Man
Best Music: Eiko Ishibashi for Evil Does Not Exist
Best Sound: Kazuharu Urata for 11 Rebels
Noburō Ōfuji Award: I, Me, Me, Me (literal translation, directed by Rina Ito)
Best Documentary Film: She is going to be a Mayor on O/O, the Movie (directed by Maki Peyoung)
TSUTAYA DISCAS Movie Fans Award, Japanese Film Category: All the Long Nights (directed by Shō Miyake)
TSUTAYA DISCAS Movie Fans Award, Foreign Film Category: Inside Out 2 (directed by Kelsey Mann)
