Mayumi Yoshida achieved major success at the Whistler Film Festival on Saturday with her film Akashi, a Japanese-language drama about a Vancouver artist who uncovers her grandmother’s secret during a trip to Tokyo.

Yoshida received several awards, including Best Canadian Feature in the Borsos competition, Best Actor, Best B.C. Director, and the Haebler Award for Best Feature. While accepting the Haebler prize, Yoshida shared a translated Japanese poem, saying, “If you wait, sunrise will appear beyond the ocean. We’ve been waiting so long, so thank you very much.”

She also reflected on her journey from acting to directing, stating, “I started out as an actor, and getting director awards always makes me feel like it’s an accident. But I’m starting to believe that I don’t have to feel that way.”

Akashi, a multigenerational love story, has not yet secured distribution. The film previously won Best First Feature Film at the 2025 Reel Asian Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Vancouver Film Festival. Yoshida also earned the Best Performance award in a Borsos competition film for her role as Kana, a Vancouver artist returning to Tokyo after ten years abroad.

Jaryl Lim received the Best Cinematography award for his work on Akashi, which was produced by Tyler Hagan and Nach Dudsdeemaytha.

• Best Screenplay in the Borsos competition went to Chandler Levack for Mile End Kicks.
• Best Direction in the Borsos competition was awarded to Zacharias Kunuk for Wrong Husband.
• The Haebler Award for Best Short went to Setareh Saleh for For Dawn, a film about three teenage girls in Iran navigating women’s and human rights issues.
• Best Short Mountain Culture Film was awarded to Beauty In a Fall, directed by Nat Segal.
• Best Feature in the Mountain Culture Film category went to The Art of Adventure by Alison Reid, which highlights the activism and friendship of wildlife artist Robert Bateman and biologist Bristol Foster.
• The World Documentary Award was presented to Amalie Atkins for her debut documentary Agatha’s Almanac, focusing on her aunt’s connection to nature.

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