3th Student Newspaper Film Awards

TOP CONNECT Co., Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo / CEO Masaaki Uchida, hereinafter referred to as TOP CONNECT) held the "3rd Student Newspaper Film Awards" presentation ceremony on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel B2 Ballroom (part 2 of the "Student Newspaper/Elementary School Student Newspaper Launch Party") with the aim of revitalizing the film industry in response to the trend of young people turning away from movie theaters and the decline in movie theater attendance due to the COVID-10 pandemic.

<About the 3rd Student Newspaper Film Awards>

A total of 200 university students voted for Japanese feature films of 60 minutes or more that premiered in the Tokyo area for a fee between January 1st and June 30th, 2024, and were shown consecutively for at least two weeks in the same theater. Six awards were awarded to the top three films selected from the 10 films: Best Actor (2 slots), Best Actress (2 slots), Best Young Actor (1 male and 1 female under 25), Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Song. The total prize pool is 3 million yen (1 million yen for each winning film).

<Nominated Works>

■Godzilla-1.0/C
■Golden Kamuy
■Silent Love
■ Movie version "The Day the World Ends with You Final"
■All About Dawn
■ Strange House
■When April comes, she
■ Youth 18×2 The Road to You
■Movie "Teasing Master Takagi-san"
■Dear Family

*Listed in order of release date.

©2023 TOHO CO.,LTD / ©Noda Satoru/Shueisha ©2024 "Golden Kamuy" Film Production Committee / ©2024 "The Day the World Ends with You" Production Committee / ©Seo Maiko/2024 "All at Dawn" Production Committee / ©2024 "Strange House" Production Committee / ©2024 "When April Comes, She'll Be" Production Committee / ©2024 "Seishun 18x2" Film Partners / ©2024 "Teasing Master Takagi-san" Film Production Committee ©Yamamoto Soichiro/Shogakukan / ©2024 "Dear Family" Production Committee

<Sponsoring companies>　※ In any order

Earth Chemical / PIP / Tamanoi Vinegar / New Balance / Aderans / Anfa / Sugimoto Meat Industry / Maruhan / Echigo Farm / Mizkan / Kushikatsu Tanaka Holdings / Marukome / J Frontier / Hana Cupid / Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel / Vision Glamping / Skylark Restaurants / MTG Professional / TKP / Bathclin / Miss Paris / Diana / Pro Labo Holdings / Komeda Holdings

<3rd Student Newspaper Film Awards Winners and Their Winners>

Thoughts on receiving the award

■Shotaro Mamiya
Thank you very much for selecting the film "Strange House" as the grand prize winner.
I am very honored to receive the Best Actor award.
We were surprised by the huge response to this film after it was released.
The response was due to the enormous energy of the students who spoke about it.
I am very happy that everyone chose this film for this award because they want to see it again.
Thank you all!

■ Mr. Jiro Sato
"I want to watch it again" is a very gratifying thing to hear as someone involved in film. Thank you to all the students. It's very encouraging.

■Rina Kawaei
Thank you very much for selecting the film "Strange House" for the Grand Prize.
I've loved movies since I was a student.
I am very happy that now as an adult, students have chosen a work in which I appear.
I hope it will be a film that will stay in everyone's memories.

■Ms. Miori Takimoto
Thank you to all the students for selecting us for this wonderful award!
I was often praised for my excellent performances in dramas, and I was offered the role of "Strange House" at a time when I was often playing scary or crazy roles. As you all know, strange characters appear one after another in movies. So, among all those characters, I thought, "Oh, it's been a while since I've played a normal character!" and I shared my thoughts about my role at stage greetings and in various scenes, saying, "My role is the most normal one." But they said, "No, no, Miori's pretty scary too!" and "She's just plain scary! What are you talking about?" and I thought, "Huh? Is that really the case after all?" But even so, I still believe that I was the most normal one! I think people were simply scared and amused by the crazy movie, and I'm happy that they enjoyed it.
We will continue to enjoy and work hard to deliver wonderful entertainment.

■Junichi Ishikawa
I am very honored to have been selected for the grand prize.
When I was a student, I remember going to the movies with friends and there were many films that we could watch while having fun and making jokes. In recent years, it has become difficult with all sorts of etiquette and such, but I personally made this film because I believe that being able to have such an experience is also one of the joys of the entertainment that is movies. I would like to continue to work hard so that everyone can continue to enjoy it. Thank you.

■Aina the End
Thank you for this wonderful award.
I am also a fan of the movie "Strange House." I'm sure filming was a nail-biting experience and very difficult. I would like to give a big round of applause to all the actors, staff, and Director Ishikawa.
This was my first time performing a theme song for a movie, so I was so happy that I snuck into the cinema to watch "Strange House" many times. Every time, the theater was always full. Many young people, from university students to children, came to see it. It made me happy to see how much the movie "Strange House" was loved. I wrote the song "Frail" to add a touch of elegance to the movie. It has now become a staple song at our live shows. Thank you again.

Thoughts on receiving the award

■Yuna Taira
They chose "Teasing Master Takagi-san" and I never thought I would receive the Best Actress award!
I am surprised and filled with joy. I remembered my school days and imagined what it would be like 10 years from now. I approached the filming with excitement, thinking about the past and the future. I am very happy to think that students, even in the midst of such experiences, were able to empathize with the film. I hope that this work, filled with the great nature of Shodoshima and the bittersweetness of youth, will continue to be loved. Thank you very much.

■Jun Saito
I am extremely honored that this film was selected as the runner-up in the Student Newspaper Film Awards and received the wonderful Young Actor Award. I am happy to have had the opportunity to play the role of Machida Ryo. I will continue to do my best to deliver this film to as many people as possible!

■Ms. Tamaki Shiratori
Thank you for selecting me as the Young Actor of the Year.
There were times when I empathized with Ozeki, who gave his all in his performance, and felt sad.
There were many parts of "Teasing Master Takagi-san" that I could relate to because I'm a student myself.
I am truly happy to think that everyone was able to enjoy the work from the same perspective. Thank you very much.

■Rikiya Imaizumi
Thank you for selecting the film "Teasing Master Takagi-san" as the runner-up from among the many films released. I am very pleased that the film has been well received by the younger generation. I was confident that it was a film that could be enjoyed by people of all ages, but I was delighted to learn that many university students were included in the audience. Please do come and see it again. I hope it reaches even more people.
By the way, the Blu-ray to be released in November will include some never-before-seen scenes! Be sure to check that out too!

■Tomoki Kanazawa
It's an honor, truly.
I am happy and grateful to have been chosen by students who are probably at the most impressionable age. It is encouraging. I will continue to write diligently, incorporating this encouragement into my own work. Thank you very much.

■Aimer
I am very happy and honored as a singer to realize that university students have received the theme song "Haruka" along with the movie. Thank you for the Theme Song Award.

Thoughts on receiving the award

■Ms. Nagatani Sae
I am very pleased that Nagatani has received the Young Actor Award.
At the time of filming, I was still at an age where I didn't understand what it meant to be an actor, but after receiving so many offers through this work, I started to think about working as an actor in the future. I will continue to strive to be an artist who can reach people's hearts. Thank you very much.

■ Naoki Sato
We are very grateful to have been selected for the Student Newspaper Film Award Music Award.
I am extremely pleased that my work has been appreciated by film-loving university students, who will likely be the future leaders of Japan's entertainment industry. I am relieved that the musical direction of "Godzilla-1.0," which had a somewhat difficult and unforgettable sound, has been able to reach everyone. I will continue to work hard to write music that will bring even more joy to people. I look forward to your continued support.

The 4th Student Newspaper Film Awards is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.