Miwa Nishikawa's "Dear Doctor" sweeps the 22nd annual Nikkan Sports Film Awards

by Chris MaGee

It looks like the awards buzz for 35-year-old writer/ director Miwa Nishikawa's third feature film "Dear Doctor" is only going to grow after it took home four prizes at the 22nd annual Nikkan Sports Film Awards that were announced last Friday. Nishikawa's film which follows the investigation of the true identity of a small town doctor (played by Tsurube Shôfukutei) after he mysteriously disappears won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Shôfukutei, and Best Supporting Actress for Kimiko Yo. many industry observers in Japan have been calling "Dear Doctor" this year's "Departures", the winner of umpteenth awards last year in japan and ultimately the winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Check out all the winners of this year's Nikkan Sports Film Awards below courtesy of Tokyograph.

Best Film - Dear Doctor
Best Director - Miwa Nishikawa (Dear Doctor)
Best Actor - Tsurube Shôfukutei (Dear Doctor)
Best Actress - Takako Matsu (Villon's Wife)
Best Supporting Actor - Tomokazu Miura (The Sun That Doesn't Set)
Best Supporting Actress - Kimiko Yo (Dear Doctor)
Best Newcomer - Masaki Okada
Yujiro Ishihara Award winner - Tsurugidake: Ten no Ki