Shim Eun-kyung has achieved another historic milestone in Japan, winning the Best Actress award for Two Seasons, Two Strangers at the 99th Kinema Junpo Best Ten Awards.
According to her agency Pangpale on January 30, Shim was selected as Best Actress for her performance in the film. She said, “I am sincerely grateful to receive such a distinguished award. I was already happy just to have met this project like a miracle, and I am truly honored that it has led to this recognition.” She added that she believes audiences around the world will also be drawn to the cinematic world of director Sho Miyake presented in the film.
Founded in 1919, Kinema Junpo is Japan’s most authoritative film magazine and one of the country’s most respected film institutions. Each year, it announces its Best Ten selections, and its awards are regarded as among the most prestigious in Japan, alongside the Japan Academy Prize, the Blue Ribbon Awards, and the Mainichi Film Awards.
Ahead of the ceremony, Kinema Junpo named Two Seasons, Two Strangers as the No. 1 film of its annual Best Ten list and simultaneously announced Shim’s Best Actress win. With this achievement, Shim became the first Korean actor to receive the Kinema Junpo Best Actress award. She is also the first foreign actor to win the honor since 1993, when Ruby Moreno was awarded for All Under the Moon, directed by Yoichi Sai, adding particular significance to the moment.
Shim had already made history in 2020 through the film The Journalist, becoming the first Korean actor to win Best Actress at the Japan Academy Prize. She went on to receive top acting honors at the Mainichi Film Awards and the Takasaki Film Festival. Her latest Kinema Junpo win further solidifies her singular status in the Japanese film industry and on the global stage.
Directed by Sho Miyake, Two Seasons, Two Strangers drew strong attention from its earliest stages as a collaboration between one of Japan’s most closely watched young auteurs and Shim Eun-kyung.
The film went on to win the Golden Leopard, the top prize at the Locarno Film Festival, and was later selected as No. 1 in the 99th Kinema Junpo Best Ten list. It was also invited to major international film festivals, including the San Sebastián International Film Festival, the Reykjavik International Film Festival, the Hamburg Film Festival, and the Busan International Film Festival, continuing to receive global recognition.
Shim was previously nominated for Best Actress at the Nikkan Sports Film Awards and the Singapore International Film Festival. She was also shortlisted for the Lead Acting Prize at the Mainichi Film Awards, a single integrated category that does not distinguish between male and female performers, making the nomination particularly meaningful.
Two Seasons, Two Strangers continues its long theatrical run in both Japan and South Korea, earning steady support from audiences.
The 99th Kinema Junpo Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on February 19. Shim is currently coordinating her schedule in order to attend the event.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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