The 68th Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony was held on February 17th at Iino Hall (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo). "National Treasure" (directed by Lee Sang-il) won the Best Picture award, director Yamada Yoji won the Best Director award for "Tokyo Taxi," and Tsumabuki Satoshi won the Best Actor award for "Treasure Island" (directed by Otomo Keishi). Directors Lee and Yamada, as well as the actors, took to the stage.
Tsukamoto himself served as the promotional ambassador for "Treasure Island," and together with director Otomo, he participated in a nationwide promotional caravan to spread the appeal of the film. The award ceremony was hosted by Kawai Yumi, who co-starred with Tsukamoto in the NHK morning drama "Anpan." Tsukamoto was also traveling around the country promoting "Treasure Island" while filming "Anpan."
When asked by Kawai, "What motivated you to go to such lengths despite your busy schedule?" Tsukamoto replied, "I had wondered what the meaning of a film is. Films are entertainment, and above all, it's for people to enjoy them, but I think that after watching it, rather than just enjoying the ending that the film has, by accepting the baton that the film has passed to us and working together to create a peaceful future, we can enter a world that goes beyond the boundaries of film. If I can convey that feeling, I thought I should go and deliver it. I wanted to believe in the miracle of film."
The Blue Ribbon Awards are a film award established by the Tokyo Film Critics Association, which is made up of film journalists from seven sports newspapers in Tokyo. Tsukamoto won the Best Actor award, Hirose Suzu won the Best Actress award, Sato Jiro won the Best Supporting Actor award, Morita Nozomi won the Best Supporting Actress award, and Shibuya Ryuta won the Best Newcomer award, and all attended the awards ceremony. Yamaguchi Makiya and Kawai acted as hosts.
◇The awards are as follows (titles omitted):
Best Picture: "National Treasure" directed by Lee Sang-il ▽ Best Director: Yamada Yoji "TOKYO Taxi" ▽ Best Actor: Tsumabuki Satoshi "Treasure Island" ▽ Best Actress: Hirose Suzu "Unrequited Love World," "Distant Mountain Light," "Yukite Kaherenu" ▽ Best Supporting Actor: Sato Jiro "Bomb" ▽ Best Supporting Actress: Morita Nozomi "Night Flower" ▽ Best Newcomer: Shibuya Ryuta "Night Flower" ▽ Best Foreign Film: "Pope Election"
