In Conversation With Hirokazu Koreeda

The Festival is proud to present an exclusive conversation with this year’s SGIFF Cinema Honorary Award recipient, Hirokazu Koreeda – a leading figure in Japanese cinema renowned for his deeply humanist works and naturalistic, observational storytelling.

Koreeda will reflect on an acclaimed filmmaking journey spanning over three decades. He will speak about his latest film Look Back (2026), presented as a Special Presentation in the Horizon section, alongside his feature film breakthroughs like Maborosi (1995) and After Life (1998); internationally acclaimed works like Nobody Knows (2004), Still Walking (2008) and Shoplifters (2018), and his overseas productions like The Truth (2019) and Broker (2022).

Examining core themes of memory, grief, and unconventional family dynamics on the fringes of society, Koreeda masterfully blends documentary-like realism with gentle human drama that subverts traditional melodrama. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to gain insights from a master filmmaker whose delicate lens continues to inspire generations of cinephiles.

Conducted in Japanese with English interpretation