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Kurosawa Award Winner O Mipo Is ‘Making Up for Lost Time’ After Career Break to Raise Her Sons
Director O Mipo has received the 2026 Kurosawa Akira Award alongside Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, recognising filmmakers with significant achievements and potential to shape cinema’s future. The award comes as O has returned to feature filmmaking after taking a break to raise her two sons, and she says she is now “making up for lost time”.
O began in film as a script supervisor in 1999 and won early recognition for her short film “Eye” and her first feature screenplay. Her films include “The Light Shines Only There”, Japan’s 2014 submission for the Academy Award for best foreign language film, and she returned to features with “Living in Two Worlds” in 2024 and “How Dare You?” in 2025. O says Japan now releases nearly 700 films a year, but she wants more of them to reach international audiences and hopes to work in Hollywood; she also relies on directing commercials and other work to make a living.
In short
- O Mipo shares the 2026 Kurosawa Akira Award.
- She returned to features after a break to raise her sons.
- She hopes to reach wider audiences and work in Hollywood.
Explained simply
Film directors make creative decisions behind the camera, but their work is also shaped by funding, family responsibilities and opportunities to reach audiences. In Japan, a large number of films are released each year, while directors may take on commercials or other projects to support themselves.
O Mipo began her career in film in 1999 and has directed features including The Light Shines Only There, which Japan put forward for an Academy Award. After pausing feature filmmaking to raise her two sons, she returned with films in 2024 and 2025. Her career reflects the challenges of sustaining work in film while balancing family life.
The Kurosawa Akira Award recognises filmmakers for their achievements and potential to shape cinema’s future. O shares the 2026 award with Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof; her stated ambitions include reaching more international viewers and working in Hollywood.
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