Tokyo Film Fest Chief Sets International Dialog, Women’s Empowerment

The 37th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is doubling down on global networking and gender equality initiatives, according to festival chair Ando Hirayasu.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, various restrictions made this difficult, but we are finally able to engage in genuine networking,” Ando told Variety. The festival has relocated its TIFF Lounge, a hub for international exchange, to the more centrally located Lexus Meets venue to facilitate better interaction between Japanese and international filmmakers.

Among this year’s notable additions is a new Women’s Empowerment section. The initiative follows TIFF becoming the first Asian film festival to sign the Collectif 50/50 charter in 2021. Collectif 50/50 is an international organization promoting gender equality in the film industry. “Through this new section, showcasing films that focus on women’s achievements and holding a symposium, we hope to listen to wider range of voices, encouraging discussions and initiatives that promote and reflect on women’s empowerment,” Ando said.

The festival is also expanding its focus on nurturing emerging talent through various initiatives, including the TIFF Teens Meet Cinema workshop, an international symposium on film education, and a masterclass for Asian students mentored by filmmaker Kurosawa Kiyoshi.

Japanese films have tasted international success recently with films like “Shoplifters,” “Drive My Car,” “How Do You Live?,” “Godzilla Minus One,” and “Desert of Namibia” and the country gained enormous visibility with the global success of series “Shogun.” To capitalize on growing global interest in Japanese content, TIFFCOM, the festival’s market component, launched the Tokyo Story Market in 2023, connecting Japanese publishers with film producers for adaptation opportunities.

However, Ando acknowledged several challenges facing the Japanese film industry, including “improving working conditions on production sites, expanding Japanese films into the global market, and clarifying relations with streaming platforms.”

“The Tokyo International Film Festival aims to contribute as much as possible to overcoming these challenges,” Ando added.

The festival chief expressed hope that both industry professionals and audiences will “rediscover the charm of Japanese cinema and develop a deeper interest in fostering exchanges between films and people from around the globe.”