Kurosawa Award: O Mipo on rebuilding her career after a parenting break

Korean-Japanese director O Mipo recently accepted the 2026 Kurosawa Akira Award, a distinction given to filmmakers who represent the future of cinema. She received the honor alongside Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof during a ceremony at Tokyo's Imperial Hotel. The event was held under the umbrella of the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival.

O had a nine-year gap in her feature film output between 2015 and 2024. She stepped away from the industry to raise her two sons, a period during which she only contributed a segment to the 2022 anthology film "Tell It Like a Woman." Her return to feature-length directing came in 2024 with the drama "Living in Two Worlds," followed by the children's film "How Dare You?" in 2025.

The recognition took O by surprise. She told Variety that her initial reaction was disbelief, wondering if the organizers had made a mistake. She noted that she had not made any major blockbusters prior to the announcement. "I was just so happy that they found me out of all the directors in Japan," she said.

O observes that the Japanese film industry has changed since she began working as a script supervisor in 1999. She describes the shift from a strict hierarchical structure to a more egalitarian production culture where respect training is common. Despite nearly 700 Japanese films being released annually, she believes the international market has not yet fully opened up. She aims to follow directors like Kore-eda Hirokazu and Hamaguchi Ryusuke by making films abroad, specifically expressing a desire to work in Hollywood.

Financial realities continue to shape her career. O stated that no director in Japan can survive on cinema alone, as most rely on television commercials and streaming work. She found it ironic that her full-time return to filmmaking has left her finances "a bit bleak" compared to her time directing ads. She highlighted that unlike Hollywood, where directors are paid during the planning phase, Japanese directors typically receive no compensation until later stages of production.

The award ceremony marks a milestone for O, who credits her mentor, the late experimental filmmaker Obayashi Nobuhiko, for her bold approach to challenges. She noted that while her mentors passed away in their 80s and 90s, she feels she has decades ahead of her. "There was a gap in my career when I had children. But I'm making up for lost time. And with this award I feel I'm getting back on track," she said.