The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan announced its selection of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s ‘All of a Sudden’ as the nation’s official submission for the best international feature category at the 99th Academy Awards. The announcement came Wednesday, representing the second time a Hamaguchi film has been chosen to represent Japan in this competition, following ‘Drive My Car,’ which was selected five years ago and subsequently won the award while earning nominations for best picture, director, and adapted screenplay.
‘All of a Sudden’ premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where it received critical acclaim. Co-stars Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto shared the festival’s best actress prize, making Okamoto the first Japanese actress to win that honor. The film is set primarily at a nursing home outside Paris and follows the relationship between Marie-Lou, a facility director played by Efira, and Mari, a Japanese theater director with terminal cancer portrayed by Okamoto. The narrative centers on the two women’s developing friendship and its transformative effects on both their lives.
Neon, the film’s U.S. distributor, plans to release ‘All of a Sudden’ domestically on November 25 and will pursue multiple Oscar nominations. According to reports, the distributor intends to campaign for Efira in the best actress category and Okamoto for best supporting actress, while also positioning the film for consideration in best picture, director, and adapted screenplay categories. Hamaguchi co-wrote the screenplay with Léa Le Dimna, drawing inspiration from a Japanese nonfiction work comprising correspondence between philosopher Makiko Miyano and medical anthropologist Maho Isono.
Hamaguchi has established himself as one of Japan’s most prominent international filmmakers in recent years. His accolades include an Academy Award for ‘Drive My Car,’ the Cannes screenplay prize for the same film, the Silver Bear grand jury prize for ‘Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,’ and the Venice grand jury prize for ‘Evil Does Not Exist.’ The 99th Academy Awards will take place March 14, 2027.
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