“Crocodile” snaps up top prize at Tokyo Filmex

PanARMENIAN.Net - “Crocodile” Filipino director Francis Xavier Pasion’s drama about a mother’s search for the body of a daughter attacked by a crocodile, won the Tokyo Filmex Grand Prize.

According to Variety, jury chairman Jia Zhang-ke announced the prize Saturday Nov 29 at the festival’s main venue in Tokyo’s Yurakucho Asahi Hall. The film earlier scooped the best film prize at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

Filmex’s Special Jury Prize was awarded to “Next to Her,” Israeli director Asaf Korman’s drama about an unusual sibling relationship. The picture premiered at this year’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

A special mention went to Chinese director Zhao Dayong’s “Shadow Days,” which premiered at this year’s Berlin Forum.

Unspooling Nov. 22-30, the festival presented a nine-film competition section, focusing on Asia and the Middle East, as well as a mini-section devoted to the early work of David Cronenberg. The Canadian director’s new feature “Maps to the Stars” closed the festival, while Shinya Tsukamoto’s WWII drama “Fires on the Plain” opened it.