After ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi,’ ‘Mitani’ tells a different sushi story in San Sebastian

Yasuhiko Mitani is the subject of a new food documentary titled “MITANI - The Mariage of Sushi.” | © TOMODEBASE CO. LTD

Oct 2, 2026

San Sebastian, Spain – Japanese filmmakers took home several prizes at last week’s San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain. Maha Harada’s directorial debut, “In My Father’s Room,” won the FIPRESCI and Ateneo Guipuzcoano awards, while Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden” won the RTVE Otra Mirada prize.

Also representing Japan at San Sebastian was “MITANI — The Mariage of Sushi,” which screened in Culinary Zinema, where the American documentary “Burgundy” took the section award.

Any feature documentary about a reclusive Tokyo sushi master now has to contend with an unavoidable predecessor: David Gelb’s 2011 “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” That film introduced many international viewers to traditional Edomae sushi and helped establish the glossy visual language that has since become familiar across food documentaries.

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