On December 6, 2025, the Japanese-language drama Akashi, directed by and starring Mayumi Yoshida, won all the awards at the Whistler Film Festival. It won the Borsos Competition for best Canadian feature, best actor, best B.C. director, and the Haebler Award for best feature. Kana, an artist from Vancouver, goes back to Tokyo for her grandmother’s funeral. While there, she learns family secrets and reconnects with an old flame, all while feeling alone. Yoshida, a Canadian-Japanese filmmaker who was born in Japan, also got a lot of praise for playing the lead role and directing the movie at the same time.
Yoshida read a Japanese poem during the ceremony that said, “If you wait, sunrise will appear beyond the ocean.” This was a way for him to say thank you after a long wait for recognition. She thought about her acting background and said, “Getting directing awards often feels like a fluke, but I’m starting to realize I don’t have to think that way.” Akashi has won the best first feature award at the Reel Asian Film Festival, the audience award at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and several Ovasian Awards, including best director for a Canadian feature.
Jaryl Lim won best cinematography for his work on Akashi, which showed how the movie told stories about themes that span generations. Chandler Levack won best screenplay for Mile End Kicks in the Borsos Competition, and Zacharias Kunuk won best direction for Wrong Husband. Setareh Saleh’s For Dawn won the Haebler Award for best short film. It was about Iranian teens fighting for women’s rights. Amalie Atkins’ Agatha’s Almanac won World Documentary for its look at nature and family ties.
