Tokyo Film Festival to Review 39th Edition Before 40th Anniversary

Tokyo International Film Festival director Hisamatsu Takeo said the festival will review its 39th edition once it ends and reassess its position on the international circuit before its 40th anniversary next year, according to Variety.

Hisamatsu said the direction set through that review will help define the festival's course for the next decade, up to its 50th edition. He described TIFF as being in a competitive relationship with the Busan International Film Festival because of close geography and close dates, and said it is time to re-examine TIFF's position in Asia and the world.

The 39th edition has grown to 204 films, up from 184 last year. Two programs are new this year: Nippon Cinema Now, the festival's Japanese cinema showcase, becomes a competitive section for the first time with two new awards, and the TIFF Work-in-Progress program (TIFF-WIP) links Japanese films still in production with international festivals and industry figures.

The festival is organized by UniJapan, which also runs the TIFFCOM market and international promotion and support programs. Hisamatsu is also UniJapan's executive director.

Zeze Takahisa's "Sukiyaki" opens the festival, Yamazaki Takashi's "Godzilla Minus Zero" is the centerpiece and Yeon Sang-ho's "Colony" closes it. Hisamatsu said the marquee films were chosen on individual merits, not as a deliberate strategy to shift the festival's identity.

Japanese cinema's international momentum

Japan was Country of Honor at this year's Cannes Film Market, and more than 30 Japanese films played at the Busan International Film Festival. The 38th edition of the Tokyo festival featured 184 films.