Tokyo Film Festival to Reassess Its Global Standing Ahead of 40th Edition, Says Director Hisamatsu Takeo

Tokyo International Film Festival director Hisamatsu Takeo says the festival will review its 39th edition and reconsider its place in Asia and globally before its 40th anniversary next year. He sees that review as a chance to set TIFF’s direction for the decade leading to its 50th edition, while making more of Tokyo’s distinctive mix of tradition, modernity and subculture.

This year’s festival has grown to 204 films from 184 last year, and its programme includes more mainstream titles than the arthouse fare it is known for. New efforts aim to help Japanese films reach international audiences: Nippon Cinema Now becomes competitive with two new awards, while TIFF Work-in-Progress connects films in production with overseas festivals and industry figures. Hisamatsu also wants the festival, TIFFCOM and UniJapan’s promotion programmes to work more closely together, as Japan’s film industry receives broader government support and its films gain visibility abroad.