Béla Tarr to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Tokyo Film Festival

The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled Hungarian auteur Béla Tarr as the recipient of its lifetime achievement award for the upcoming 37th edition of the festival.

Tarr, known for his distinctive cinematic style, gained international recognition with his 438-minute film “Satantango” (1994), which earned him an award at the Berlinale. His 2000 film “Werckmeister Harmonies” screened in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, while “The Turin Horse” (2011) won the Silver Bear Jury Grand Prix and the FIPRESCI Prize at the Berlinale.

Since announcing his retirement from feature filmmaking after “The Turin Horse,” Tarr has focused on educating the next generation of filmmakers. He established the film.factory school in Sarajevo in 2012 and has conducted workshops worldwide.

The 37th TIFF will showcase short films created during a recent workshop led by Tarr in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The festival will also host a special talk event featuring Tarr and present the lifetime achievement award during a ceremony on Nov. 1.

In 2023, Tarr received the Honorary Award of the Academy President and Board at the European Film Awards and in 2022, he was accorded a lifetime achievement award at the Cairo Film Festival.

TIFF programming director Ichiyama Shozo noted the significance of Tarr’s work, stating, “In 1995, the Tokyo International Film Festival featured ‘Satantango’ by Tarr Béla, marking a significant historical event. The seven-and-a-half-hour film drew audiences to Theatre Cocoon and captivated them with its unique style that diverged from traditional film narrative. After directing the masterpiece ‘The Turin Horse’ in 2011, the director shocked the world by announcing his premature retirement. However, Tarr later founded the film school film.factory in Sarajevo and conducted a series of workshops across the world, mentoring and encouraging many young film creators. In recognition of his significant contributions to the film industry worldwide, the Tokyo International Film Festival would like to present Béla Tarr with a lifetime achievement award for his work as a film director and educator.”

The Tokyo International Film Festival is scheduled to run from Oct. 28 – Nov. 6, in the Hibiya-Yurakucho-Marunouchi-Ginza area of Tokyo.