The 79th Mainichi Film Awards (2025), which honor films released in 2024, were held in Japan on February 13, 2025, in Tokyo, with the winners announced and immediately covered by major Japanese entertainment media.
The dominant narrative across reviews was the strong performance of All the Long Nights, which won major categories including Best Film and Best Director.
Critics framed its success as a “clean sweep” that reinforced director Shō Miyake’s reputation as a leading voice in contemporary Japanese arthouse cinema.
Complete List of Winners
| Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Film (Japanese Film Award) | All the Long Nights | All the Long Nights |
| Best Foreign Film | Oppenheimer | Oppenheimer |
| Best Director | Shō Miyake | All the Long Nights |
| Best Lead Performance | Yuumi Kawai | A Girl Named Ann / Desert of Namibia |
| Best Lead Performance | Ryusei Yokohama | Faceless |
| Best Supporting Performance | Sōsuke Ikematsu | My Sunshine |
| Best Supporting Performance | Maki Carrousel | Voice (January’s Voice) |
| Best Screenplay | Ryūsuke Hamaguchi | Evil Does Not Exist |
| Best Cinematography | Naoya Ikeda | 11 Rebels |
| Best Art Direction | Yuji Hayashida | The Box Man |
| Best Music | Eiko Ishibashi | Evil Does Not Exist |
| Best Sound | Kazuharu Urata | 11 Rebels |
| Documentary Film Award | Peyanne Maki | The Woman Who Becomes Ward Mayor on a XX Day |
| TSUTAYA DISCAS Film Fans Award (Japan) | All the Long Nights | All the Long Nights |
| TSUTAYA DISCAS Film Fans Award (Foreign) | Inside Out 2 | Inside Out 2 |
| Ōfuji Noburō Award (Animation) | Rina Ito | I, My, Me, Mine |
Obs: the acting categories have become gender-neutral, replacing the old categories of Actor/Actress and Supporting Actor/Supporting Actress. Also Best Animated Film was not listed separately in this edition’s official consolidated coverage.
All the Long Nights Dominates the Awards
The standout winner of the edition was All the Long Nights, with Hokuto Matsumura and Mone Kamishiraishi, which emerged as the night’s most awarded film, taking key prizes including Best Film and Best Director for Shō Miyake.
Supporting the leads are veterans including Ken Mitsuishi, Ryo, and Kiyohiko Shibukawa. Also includes Haruka Imou and Sawako Fujima, whose roles contribute to the broader social and emotional landscape
| Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Film (Japanese Film Award) | All the Long Nights | All the Long Nights |
| Best Director | Shō Miyake | All the Long Nights |
| TSUTAYA DISCAS Film Fans Award (Japan) | All the Long Nights | All the Long Nights |
Newcomer Award of the Year Winner
Actors and actresses at the beginning of their careers or who had a breakthrough role during 2024. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the person’s first film.
| Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Sponichi Grand Prix Newcomer Award | Keitatsu Koshiyama | My Sunshine |
Films Reviewed here That Won Japan Academy Awards
Here you will find reviews of award-winning Japanese films and my impressions of Japanese culture as portrayed in these films.
A young woman shaped by hardship and abandonment struggles to survive on the margins of society, slowly uncovering fragile moments of hope and connection as she searches for a way to reclaim her identity.
A young woman in modern Japan drifts through unstable relationships and uncertain work, struggling to find identity and emotional stability. As her life grows increasingly unmoored, her search for connection becomes both intimate and self-destructive.
Faceless (Drama/Mistery/Thriller)
Bound by escape and identity, a fugitive on the run assumes multiple personas as a relentless investigation closes in, uncovering a hidden truth behind a crime that may not be what it seems.
Actors Featured here Who Won Awards
Here you will find other reviewed Japanese films that the winning actors of The 79th Mainichi Film Awards participated in.
| Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Lead Performance | Yuumi Kawai | A Girl Named Ann / Desert of Namibia |
| Best Lead Performance | Ryusei Yokohama | Faceless |
| Best Supporting Performance | Sōsuke Ikematsu | My Sunshine |
| Best Supporting Performance | Maki Carrousel | Voice (January’s Voice) |
A significant point highlighted by the press was the implementation of gender-neutral acting categories, replacing the traditional separation between actor and actress awards.