The Japan Foundation Awards (2025)

photo by Grant Delin

Marty Gross is a celebrated Canadian filmmaker, film archivist, and consulting producer renowned for his passionate commitment to bringing Japanese culture to audiences worldwide.

Born in Toronto in 1948, he attended York University in oriental studies and fine art before journeying to Japan in 1970 to train as a potter. Gross launched his filmmaking career with AS WE ARE, a short film made in his teaching studio about his work with children with special needs. His second film, Potters at Work (1976), a short, in-depth film about potters in Koishiwara, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Onta, Oita Prefecture. Gross went on to direct The Lovers’ Exile (1980), which was skillfully adapted into a 90-minute feature film with dynamic camerawork that captures the drama of the puppets and the mastery of the puppeteers, accompanied by powerful traditional gidayu music. With English subtitles by Donald Richie, the result is a captivating production that played a pivotal role in introducing the world to the art of Bunraku.

Throughout the years, Gross has forged strong ties with the Japanese film industry, serving as a consulting producer for the renowned US distributor The Criterion Collection. In this role, he played a key part in the release and distribution of countless classic Japanese films and conducted in-depth interviews with key industry figures, obtaining numerous testimonies of the value of Japanese cinema throughout history.

Jung, Giyoung has spent more than 30 years advancing Japanese language education, conducting research and teaching at higher education institutions in South Korea, while building a multifaceted career as an educator, researcher, and university administrator. At Busan University of Foreign Studies, he elevated the Japanese major to create a dedicated division and launched new majors in Korea-Japan Cultural Contents, Business Japanese, and Japanese & IT. Under his leadership, the department grew into the Division of Japanese, now home to over 1,000 students. This initiative is a pioneering effort in specialization and diversification in Japanese language education, and is highly regarded for offering a strong foundation for those pursuing academic or professional career paths.

Additionally, as a trailblazer in teaching methods and curriculum development, Jung has proactively addressed key challenges in Japanese language education such as integrating the use of information and communication technology (ICT), creating teaching materials of Japanese characters, and introducing Can-do self-evaluations. His research findings in these areas have earned him recognition both in South Korea and abroad. He has also been active in organizing academic conferences, training teachers, and collaborating with government agencies, making significant contributions to building the institutional foundations of Japanese language education.