The 37th Tokyo International Film Festival took place from 28 October to 6 November 2024. This edition, introduced a new 'Women's Empowerment' section and showcased the works of director Yu Irie, a Japanese film director and screenwriter in its 'Nippon Cinema Now' strand. Hong Kong actor and singer Tony Leung served as jury president.
The festival opened with Japanese samurai, period action film 11 Rebels by Kazuya Shiraishi, and a unique mix of video, music, and dance, featuring performances by Sarah Àlainn, Leo, KAF, Oi Kazuya, and dancers Ikeda Mika and Suzuki Yohei. A video introduction followed, showcasing the lineup and upcoming awards, with KAF acting as master of ceremonies alongside Leo and Oi.
Béla Tarr a Hungarian filmmaker, was honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award during a Special Talk event at the festival, held on November 1.
The festival closed on 6 November with Marcello Mio, a comedy film directed by French director and writer Christophe Honoré and starring French actresses Chiara Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve. It screened 208 films, with 61,576 admissions and another 96,866 people attending related events. Teki Cometh a Japanese film by Daihachi Yoshida was awarded Tokyo Grand Prix award.
Overview
The film registration for the festival began in April 2024 with the closing date for submission fixed for July 8, 2024.
The official poster for the festival was created by fashion designer Koshino Junko, who has designed TIFF's visuals since 2021 and features Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi. She has also been appointed this year's festival navigator. She will "navigate" the audience at official events as the face of the festival.
A new section 'Women's Empowerment' was introduced this year, which will highlight features made by female directors as well as female-focused films. Andrijana Cvetkovik, a film director and former Macedonian ambassador to Japan will serve as the Women's Empowerment senior programmer and select seven new films to be showcased as the main feature. In addition, a symposium and special screening with talk session focusing on related themes will also be held.
On 11 September 2024, opening and closing films of the festival were announced. On 20 September Gala Selection and trailer with festival Song was unveiled. The full lineup was announced on 25 September 2024, lining up 110 films for showcasing in the festival.
Juries The juries consists of the following members:
Main competition Tony Leung, Hong Kong actor and singer – Jury president Johnnie To, Hong Kong filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi, Hungarian film director and screenwriter. Ai Hashimoto, Japanese actress, fashion model and singer. Chiara Mastroianni, French actress and singer
TIFF Ethical Film Award
Takumi Saitoh, Japanese actor and filmmaker, President of the jury
Opening and closing ceremonies
The opening ceremony took place at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater on 28 October, with a distinctive blend of video, music, and dance, highlighting performances by vocalist-violinist Sarah Àlainn, koto player Leo, virtual singer KAF, drummer Oi Kazuya, and dancers Ikeda Mika and Suzuki Yohei. A video introduction followed, presenting the festival's lineup and upcoming awards, with KAF serving as the emcee alongside Leo and Oi. The closing ceremony was held at Toho Cinemas Hibiya on 6 November. It opened with a video showcasing festival highlights, featuring clips and snapshots from indoor and outdoor stage events, Question & Answer sessions, masterclasses, symposia, and TIFF Lounge discussions. Awards were then announced, concluding with the Tokyo Grand Prix, which went to Daihachi Yoshida’s Teki Cometh, accompanied by a prize of ¥3 million.
Events Kering “Women In Motion”: A talk session focusing on women in arts and culture on 1 November 2024 at TOHO Cinemas Nihonbashi Screen7. The talk will feature actor Rinko Kikuchi, actor Hayato Isomura and Netflix producer Okano Makiko. MPA seminar: It will focus on the latest trends in international production, such as the use of Generative AI and VFX technologies to enhance production. TIFF Lounge Co-presented by The Japan Foundation & Tokyo International Film Festival: A place for filmmakers in Tokyo to interact with each other, where various talk events will be held under the planning of the committee members. Conversation between Payal Kapadia and Kore-eda Hirokazu on 29 October Conversation between Eric Khoo and Mike Wiluan on 30 October Conversation between Johnnie To and Irie Yu on 31 October Nippon Cinema Now Talk Session: How We Make Films on 1 November Conversation between Nia Dinata and Yukiko Mishima on 3 November
Screening venues
The following 8 venues will host the festival screenings.
Marunouchi TOEI Marunouchi Piccadilly Toho Cinemas Hibiya Yurakucho Yomiuri Hall Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho Humantrust Cinema Yurakucho Cine Switch Ginza Toho Cinemas, Chanter
Official Selection
The festival from this year will consist of ten main sections.
International Competition Asian Future Gala Selection World Focus Nippon Cinema Now Animation Japanese Classics Youth TIFF Series Women's Empowerment
Opening and closing films
Source:
English title Original title Director(s) Production country(ies)Opening film 11 Rebels 十一人の賊軍 Kazuya Shiraishi Japan Centerpiece Screening Gladiator II Ridley Scott United States, United KingdomClosing film Marcello Mio Christophe Honoré France, Italy
International Competition
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Adios Amigo Iván David Gaona Colombia Big World Yang Lina China Bury Your Dead Enterre Seus Mortos Marco Dutra Brazil Cadet Adilkhan Yerzhanov Kazakhstan Daughter's Daughter 女兒的女兒 Huang Xi Taiwan The Englishman's Papers Os Papéis do Inglês Sérgio Graciano Portugal In His Own Image Thierry de Peretti France Lust in the Rain 雨中的慾情 Katayama Shinzo Japan, Taiwan My Friend Andre 我的朋友安德烈 Dong Zijian China Papa 爸爸 Philip Yung Hong Kong Promise, I'll Be Fine Hore je nebo, v doline som ja Katarína Gramatová Slovakia, Czech Republic She Taught Me Serendipity 今日の空が一番好き、とまだ言えない僕は Akiko Ōku Japan Teki Cometh 敵 Daihachi Yoshida Japan Traffic Reostat Teodora Ana Mihai Romania, Belgium, Netherlands The Unseen Sister 乔妍的心事 Midi Z China
Asian Future The following films were selected to compete in the Asian Future section, which features films from Asian directors who have directed a maximum of three feature films.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country Apollon by Day Athena by Night Emine Yildirim Gaona Turkey Black Ox Tsuta Tetsuichiro Japan, Taiwan, United States The Bora Mohammad Esmaeilie Iran Pavane for an Infant 搖籃凡世 Chong Keat Aun MalaysiaSima's Song Roya Sadat Spain, Netherlands, France, Taiwan, Greece, Afghanistan The Vessel's Isle 不游海水的鲸 Wang Di United States Three Castrated Goats 三个羯子 Ye Xingyu United States Missing Child Videotape ミッシング・チャイルド・ビデオテープ Kondo Ryota Japan Valley of the Shadow of Death 不赦之罪 Jeffrey Lam Sen, Antonio Tam Hong Kong Wait Until Spring Ashkan Ashkani 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 Black Dog 狗阵 Guan Hu China Emmanuelle Audrey Diwan France Lumière! The Adventure Continues Thierry Frémaux France Nightbitch Marielle Heller United States Orang Ikan Mike Wiluan Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, United Kingdom A Real PainJesse Eisenberg USA, PolandRoute 29 Morii Yusuke Japan Snowflowers: Seeds of Hope 雪の花 –ともに在りて Takashi Koizumi Japan The Solitary Gourmet 孤独のグルメ Yutaka Matsushige Japan Spirit World Eric Khoo France, Singapore, Japan Sunset Sunrise サンセット・サンライズ Yoshiyuki Kishi Japan Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In 九龍城寨之圍城 Soi Cheang Hong Kong White Bird Marc Forster United States
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 8½ Otto e mezzo Federico Fellini Italy, France Afternoons of Solitude Tardes de soledad Albert Serra Spain, France, Portugal A River Without Tears 怒江 Liu Juan ChinaBogancloch Ben Rivers United Kingdom, Germany, Iceland A Brighter Tomorrow Il sol dell'avvenire Nanni Moretti Italy, France Bleak Street La calle de la amargura Arturo Ripstein Spain, Mexico The Castle of Purity El castillo de la pureza Arturo Ripstein MexicoChain Reactions Alexandre O. Philippe United States Dahomey Mati Diop Benin, France, Senegal Dear DiaryCaro diario Nanni Moretti Italy, France Deep CrimsonProfundo Carmesí Arturo Ripstein MexicoDirect Action Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell Germany, France Fire of Wind Fogo do Vento Marta Mateus Portugal, Switzerland, France Henry IV Enrico IV Marco Bellocchio Italy The Holy Office El santo oficio Arturo Ripstein Mexico Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989 Israel Palestina på svensk TV 1958–1989 Göran Hugo Olsson Sweden, Finland, Denmark Kill the Jockey El Jockey Luis Ortega Argentina, Spain, USA, Mexico, DenmarkLa dolce vita Federico Fellini Italian, English, French, German The Last Dance 破．地獄 Anselm Chan Mou Yin Hong Kong Mostly Sunny 阳光俱乐部 Wei Shujun ChinaPepe Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias Dominican Republic, Namibia, Germany, FrancePhantosmia Lav Diaz Philippines The Place Without Limits El lugar sin límites Arturo Ripstein Mexico Red Wood Pigeon Palombella rossa Nanni Moretti Italy The Room Next Door La habitación de al lado Pedro Almodóvar Spain The Stranger Lo straniero Luchino Visconti Italy Sunflower : I girasoli Vittorio De Sica Italian, Russian The Wailing El llanto Pedro Martín-Calero Spain, France, Argentina
Nippon Cinema Now
The following films were selected for Nippon Cinema Now, which will showcase the works of director Yu Irie, a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Year English Title Original Title 2009 8000 Miles SRサイタマノラッパー 2010 8000 Miles 2: Girl Rappers SRサイタマノラッパー 2012 SRサイタマノラッパー ロードサイドの逃亡者 2016 The Sun (2016 film) 太陽 2024 A Girl Named Ann あんのこと
Animation The following films were selected for the Animation section.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country A Few Moments of Cheers 数分間のエールを Popreq Japan Flow Straume Gints Zilbalodis Latvia, France, Belgium Olivia & the Clouds Olivia & Las Nubes Tomás Pichardo Espaillat Dominican Republic Ghost Cat Anzu 化け猫あんずちゃん Yōko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita Japan, France
Japanese Classics The following films were selected for the Japanese Classics section.
Year English Title Original Title Director(s) 1965 Abashiri Prison 網走番外地 Teruo Ishii 1954 Godzilla ゴジラ Ishirō Honda 1964 Japanese Yakuza 日本俠客伝 Masahiro Makino 1966 Nakano Spy School 4K Digital Remaster 陸軍中野学校 4Kデジタル修復版 Masumura Yasuzo 1979 Nomugi Pass Digitally Remastered in 4K あゝ野麦峠 4Kデジタルリマスター版 Yamamoto Satsuo 1966 The Red Angel 4K Digital Remaster 赤い天使 4Kデジタル修復版 Masumura Yasuzo 1965 The Wife of Seisaku 清作の妻 Masumura Yasuzo 1965 Wolves, Pigs and Men 狼と豚と人間 Fukasaku Kinji
Youth
The following films were selected for the Youth section.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones 开始的枪 Qu Youjia China Special Voice Performance by Yamazaki Vanilla 山崎バニラの活弁小絵巻 2024 Yamazaki Vanilla Japan The Sparrow in the Chimney Der Spatz im Kamin Ramon Zürcher Switzerland TIFF 2024: Teens Meet Cinema TIFFティーンズ映画教室2024 Japan
TIFF Series The following television series were selected for the TIFF Series section.
English Title Original Title Director(s) Production CountryDisclaimer Alfonso Cuarón United States, Australia, Mexico Scénarios & Exposé du film annonce du film "Scénario" Jean-Luc Godard France, Japan The Dogs of Karma Shiraishi Koji Japan The New Years Los años nuevos Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Sandra Romero, David Martín de los Santos Spain
Women’s Empowerment
The following films were screened as a part of new section introduced this year selected by , a film director and former Macedonian ambassador to Japan.