The 71st Mainichi Film Awards announced its winners today on January 19. The Award was established by Mainichi Shimbun, one of the largest newspaper companies in Japan, in 1946, and has been also sponsored by Sports Nippon, Mainichi's affiliate sport newspaper.

Toho's 29th Japanese Godzilla film, Shin Godzilla received Award for Best Film, Award for Best Supporting Actress (Mikako Ichikawa as Hiromi Ogashira), and Award for Best Art Direction (Yuji Hayashida, Eri Sakushima). The film directed by Shinji Higuchi (co-directed with Hideaki Anno as the general director) earned a gigantic 8 billion yen from its domestic run, becoming the second top-grossing Japanese film of the year.

Award for Excellence Film (the second best film of the year) went to the anime film adaptation of Fumiyo Kouno's award-winning manga Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni/In This Corner of the World, which was

previosuly chosen as the best film of the year by Kinema Junpo, Japan's oldest film magazine. The film

also received Award for Best Film Score (Kotoringo) and Ofuji Noburo Award that was named after one

of the earliest Japanese animators in the early 1900s. Meanwhile, last year's most commercially successful

film, Makoto Shinkai's Kimi no Na wa./Your Name. received Award for Best Animation Film.

The 71st Mainichi Film Award winners:

Best Film: "Shin Godzilla" (Shinji Higuchi/Hideaki Anno)

Excellence Film: "Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni" (Sunao Katabuchi)

Best Animation Film: "Kimi no Na wa." (Makoto Shinkai)

Foreign Film Best One Award: "Sully" (Clint Eastwood)

Best Director: Miwa Ishikawa (Nagai Iiwake)

Best Screenplay: Kosuke Mukai (Satoshi no Seishun)

Best Actor: Masahiro Motoki (Nagai iiwake)

Best Actress: Mariko Tsutsui (Fuchi ni Tatsu)

Best Supporting Actor: Teruyuki Kagawa (Creepy: Itsuwari no Rinjin)

Best Supporting Actress: Mikako Ichikawa (Shin Godzilla)

Best Cinematography: Koichi Saito (64)

Best Art Direction: Yuji Hayashida, Eri Sakushima (Shin Godzilla)

Best Film Score: Kotoringo (Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni)

Best Sound Recording: Mitrsugu Shiratori (Satoshi no Seishun)

Source: Mainichi Shimbun