On September 25, the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) officially announced that Chinese director Gu Xiaogang was awarded the special honor of the 2023 Kurosawa Akira Award. This is also the third Chinese-language director to win this international award after Hou Hsiao-hsien and Chen Kaige. Gu Xiaogang also became the youngest winner in the history of the Tokyo International Film Festival's "Kurosawa Award". With his unique landscape narrative design, delicate humanistic concerns and creative insights, his oriental Chinese poetic image aesthetics has attracted much attention in the international film industry.

Chinese director Gu Xiaogang was awarded the 2023 "Akira Kurosawa Award"

After 14 years, the "Kurosawa Akira Award" was re-established last year to commemorate director Akira Kurosawa's artistic legacy and continued influence. and honors filmmakers who are making waves in the film industry and will lead the future of the industry. At the same time, the award is mainly awarded to film creators who are committed to creating a style that is both human and enjoyable. This time, Indonesian director Molly Surya jointly won the award.

The Tokyo International Film Festival officially announced that this year’s recipients of the “Akira Kurosawa Award” are Chinese director Gu Xiaogang and Indonesian director Molly Suya

The 2023 "Kurosawa Akira Award" selection committee is composed of well-known filmmakers in the industry such as Yamada Yoji (director: "The Call of the Mountains", "Happy Yellow Handkerchief", etc.) and Tokyo International Film Festival Director Naozo Ichiyama ( Ichiyama Shozo). Members of the selection committee unanimously agreed that "Director Gu Xiaogang's debut film "Spring River Water Warmth" has been widely praised internationally. It depicts a large family with humanistic observations and smooth shots, while also showing the world a new generation of Chinese films. The rise of directors." The committee said: "We award this award to director Gu Xiaogang in recognition of his unique talent. We look forward to him continuing to make important contributions to film culture in his future creations."

Gu Xiaogang spent two years filming the first volume of his video aesthetic project "Mountain Film" series, his debut feature film "Spring River Plumbing". "I have always been thinking about the possibility of transforming the visual aesthetics of Chinese landscape painting into the language of film."

"Spring River Plumbing" poster

The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 and was selected as the closing film of the "Film Critics Week" section. Film festival director Charles Tyson once recommended: ""The Spring River" has a broad, solemn and gentle narrative structure, and is a vivid cinematic expression of the charm of traditional Chinese landscape calligraphy and painting." At the same time, the film also won the 32nd Chinese Film Award. Nominated for "Best Small and Medium-Cost Feature Film" at the Golden Rooster Awards; "Best Director" and "Best Feature Film" at the 13th FIRST Youth Film Festival; Special Jury Award at the 20th Tokyo FilMex International Film Festival, FilMex Chairman Ichiyama Shozo: "This is an extraordinary movie!"

At the same time, "Spring River Plumbing" became a Chinese-language film in 2020, seven years later, and was once again selected into the top ten of the year by the French "Cahiers du Cinéma".

The 2023 "Kurosawa Award" award ceremony will be held on October 31 during the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Poster of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival