“Magic Atlas,” which won the Special Jury Prize in TIFF’s Competition section, took director Sun Xun 10 years to complete and was made through Singapore-based Pi Animation Studio.
Nov 13, 2026
Exploring themes of food, philosophy and forbidden love, Chinese directors brought experimental visual styles and emotional depth tinged with raw eroticism to the Competition section of the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF).
Two of three competing titles received accolades at the closing ceremony on Nov. 4. Tellingly, none of the films were officially sanctioned by the China Film Administration; instead, they were made with production partners from across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Hu Ling received the best actress award for her leading role as a middle-aged dormitory manager who enters into a furtive love affair with a university student in “The Night That Binds Us,” the debut feature from Wang Jiangyong. Sun Xun’s “Magic Atlas,” a mixed-media extravaganza of animated woodblock prints, paintings and other visual forms, was awarded the Special Jury Prize.
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Source: The Japan Times · Mike Fu
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