The 34th Tokyo International Film Festival was a film festival that took place from 30 October to 8 November 2021. This was the first iteration of the festival in two years, as the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival due to be held in 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic French actress Isabelle Huppert served as jury president. With Vera Dreams of the Sea winning the Tokyo Grand Prix, the festival's top prize, Kaltrina Krasniqi became the third female director to achieve the prize, after Caroline Link in 1997 and Lorraine Lévy in 2012.
The official poster for the festival was created by fashion designer Koshino Junko and is intended to represent the theme of "crossing borders" created by the COVID-19 pandemic, socioeconomic disparities, and international conflict.
The festival opened with Cry Macho directed by Clint Eastwood and closed with Dear Evan Hansen directed by Stephen Chbosky.
Juries
International Competition Isabelle Huppert, French actress Aoyama Shinji, Japanese writer-director Chris Fujiwara, American film critic Lorna Tee, Malaysian producer Hiroko Sebu, Japanese film score composer
Asian Future Han Yanli, Japanese professor at the University of Tokyo Hojo Masato, Japanese film distribution manager Ishii Yuya, Japanese director
Amazon Prime Video Take One Isao Yukisada, Japanese director Makiko Watanabe, Japanese actress Toshihiro Isomi, Japanese art director Andrijana Cvetkovik, Macedonian director and former ambassador of North Macedonia to Japan
Venues The following 7 venues were hosted the festival screenings.
Tokyo Midtown Hibiya Toho Cinemas Chanter Tokyo International Forum Yurakucho Yomiuri Hall Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho Humantrust Cinema Yurakucho Cine Switch Ginza
Official Selection
Competition The following films were selected to compete for the Tokyo Grand Prix.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Arisaka Mikhail Red Philippines Californie Alessandro Cassigoli, Casey Kauffman Italy Crane Lantern Durna Çırağı Hilal Baydarov Azerbaijan Hommage 오마주 Shin Su-won South Korea Just Remembering ちょっと思い出しただけ Daigo Matsui Japan La civil Teodora Mihai Belgium, Romania, Mexico One and Four 一个和四个 Jigme Trinley China Payback Resbak Brillante Mendoza Philippines Poet Ақын Darezhan Omirbaev Kazakhstan The Daughter La hija Manuel Martín Cuenca Spain The Dawning of the Day Alborada Asoka Handagama Sri Lanka The Four Walls Dört Duvar Bahman Ghobadi Turkey The Other Tom El otro Tom Rodrigo Plá, Laura Santullo Mexico, United States Third Time Lucky 三度目の、正直 Tadashi Nohara JapanVera Dreams of the Sea Vera andrron detin Kaltrina Krasniqi Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania
Asian Future The following films were selected for the Asian Future section.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country American Girl 美國女孩 Fiona Roan Feng-i Taiwan Asu Sanjeewa Pushpakumara Sri Lanka Somebody's Flowers 誰かの花 Yusuke Okuda Japan The Brittle Thread Jhini Bini Chadariya Ritesh Sharma India The Brokers Daniel R. Palacio Philippines The Coffin Painter 异乡来客 Da Fei China The Last Birds of Passage Turna Misali Iffet Eren Danisman Boz Turkey The Nighthawk's First Love よだかの片想い Yuka Yasukawa Japan When Pomegranates Howl Vaght-e Chigh-e Anar Granaz Moussavi Afghanistan, Australia, Netherlands, Iran World, Northern Hemisphere Jahan, Nimkoreh-e Shomali Hossein Tehrani Iran
Gala Selection The following films were selected to be screened as part of the Gala Selection.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Churuli ചുരുളി Lijo Jose Pellissery India Cry Macho Clint Eastwood United States Dear Evan Hansen Stephen Chbosky United States Gensan Punch Brillante Mendoza Philippines, Japan Last Night in Soho Edgar Wright United Kingdom Limbo 智齒 Soi Cheang Hong Kong Memoria Apichatpong Weerasethakul Colombia, Thailand, France, Germany, Mexico, Qatar Raging Fire 怒火 Benny Chan Hong Kong, China The Eyes of Tammy Faye Michael Showalter United States The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun Wes Anderson United States The Hand of God È stata la mano di Dio Paolo Sorrentino Italy The Power of the Dog Jane Campion New Zealand, Australia
World Focus The following films were selected for the World Focus section, which focuses on international films.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Il buco Michelangelo Frammartino Italy, France, Germany Libertad Clara Roquet Spain, Belgium Murina Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović Croatia, Brazil, United States, Slovenia Swan Song Todd Stephens United States Terrorizers 青春弒戀 Ho Wi-ding Taiwan The Box La caja Lorenzo Vigas United States, Mexico Veneciafrenia Álex de la Iglesia Spain Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas Edwin Indonesia, Singapore, Germany
Nippon Cinema Now The following films were selected for Nippon Cinema Now, which aims to introduce Japanese films to international audiences.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Blue ブルー Keisuke Yoshida Japan Himeanole ヒメアノ～ル Keisuke Yoshida Japan Intimate Stranger 親密な他人 Mayu Nakamura Japan Intolerance 空白 Keisuke Yoshida Japan Moonlight Shadow ムーンライト・シャドウ Edmund Yeo Japan Nagisa なぎさ Takeshi Kogahara Japan Riverside Mukolitta 川っぺりムコリッタ Naoko Ogigami Japan Spaghetti Code Love スパゲティコード・ラブ Takeshi Maruyama Japan The Unnamable Dance 名付けようのない踊り Isshin Inudo Japan What She Likes... 彼女が好きなものは Shogo Kusano Japan
Japanese Animation The following films were selected for the Japanese Animation section.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Chie the Brat: Downtown Story じゃりン子チエ Isao Takahata Japan Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko 漁港の肉子ちゃん Ayumu Watanabe Japan Goodbye, Don Glees! グッバイ、ドン・グリーズ! Atsuko Ishizuka Japan Hula Fulla Dance フラ・フラダンス Seiji Mizushima Japan Hyohyo: Dear Mr. Yasuo Otsuka 飄々 ～拝啓、大塚康生様～ Hidenori Ushiro Japan Inu-Oh 犬王 Masaaki Yuasa Japan Kamen Rider W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate 仮面ライダーW（ダブル） FOREVER AtoZ／運命のガイアメモリ Koichi Sakamoto Japan Kamen Rider vs. Shocker 仮面ライダー対ショッカー Minoru Yamada Japan Kamen Rider vs. Ambassador Hell 仮面ライダー対じごく大使 Minoru Yamada Japan Kamen Rider V3 vs. Destron Mutants 仮面ライダーV3対デストロン怪人 Minoru Yamada Japan Kamen Rider Black: Hurry to Onigashima 仮面ライダーBLACK 鬼ヶ島へ急行せよ Michio Konishi Japan Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker 劇場版 仮面ライダーディケイド オールライダー対大ショッカー Osamu Kaneda Japan The Little Prince and The Eight-Headed Dragon わんぱく王子の大蛇退治 Yūgo Serikawa Japan
Japanese Classics The following films were selected for the Japanese Classics section.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Forever a Woman 乳房よ永遠なれ Kinuyo Tanaka Japan Love Under the Crucifix お吟さま Kinuyo Tanaka Japan The Family Game 家族ゲーム Yoshimitsu Morita Japan The Moon Has Risen 月は上りぬ Kinuyo Tanaka Japan The Wandering Princess 流転の王妃 Kinuyo Tanaka Japan
Youth The following films were selected for the Youth section.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Cow Andrea Arnold United Kingdom Cryptozoo Dash Shaw United States Our Eternal Summer L'été l'éternité Émilie Aussel France
TIFF Series The following television series were selected for the TIFF Series section.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Folklore (episodes 8 and 12) Seiko Matsuda, Nicole Midori Woodford Japan, Singapore Fragrance of the First Flower 第一次遇見花香的那刻 Angel I-han Teng Taiwan
Awards
Competition Tokyo Grand Prix: Vera Dreams of the Sea by Kaltrina Krasniqi Special Jury Prize: La civil by Teodora Mihai Award for Best Director: Darezhan Omirbaev for Poet Award for Best Actress: Julia Chávez for The Other Tom Award for Best Actor: Amir Aghaei, Fatih Al, Barış Yıldız, and Onur Buldu for The Four Walls Award for Best Artistic Contribution: Crane Lantern by Hilal Baydarov Audience Award: Just Remembering by Matsui Daigo
Asian Future Asian Future Best Film Award: World, Northern Hemisphere by Hossein Tehrani
Amazon Prime Video Take One Amazon Prime Video Take One Award: Sunday & Calm sea by Yunsoo Kim Amazon Prime Video Take One Award Special Jury Prize: Midori Sangoumi for Under the Bridge
References