Hisamatsu Takeo has been appointed as Festival Director at the Tokyo Film Festival, replacing Ando Hiroyasu, who is due to step down on May 31.  Takeo previously served as the Festival Director from 2017 to 2021.  Hiroyasu had been the festival chairman since 2019. Under his leadership…

Tokyo Taxi director Yamada Yoji told audiences at the Tokyo Film Festival on Monday that he admires how the Korean government has supported the film industry there for decades, and called on the Japanese government to continue to bolster funding locally, especially for live-action…

In a conversation with prolific Japanese filmmaker Hirokaza Kore-eda at the ongoing Tokyo Film Festival, Hamnet director and Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao says that she is exploring making a documentary for her next feature but admits that the genre will take a whole different level of courage. "I…

The Tokyo Film Festival will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran Japanese director Yoji Yamada.  Yamada's latest work Tokyo Taxi, based on the 2023 French film Driving Madeleine, has been selected as this year's TIFF Centerpiece film. He will also participate in the TIFF Lounge…

Based on the novel by Shuang Xuetao, My Friend An Delie marks seasoned actor Dong Zijian’s directorial debut. Dong has starred in Jia Zhangke’s Mountains May Depart and Ash Is The Purest White, as well as Han Han’s Duckweed, among others. Dong tells Deadline that he spent nearly six years…

The Japanese and Italian film industries are set to enter a new era of collaboration, after the Japan-Italy film co-production agreement officially came into effect on August 9. At the Tokyo International Film Festival, Italy featured as the key country in focus, with numerous events organized…

Japanese black-and-white film Teki Cometh took the top Tokyo Grand Prix prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The film also won Best Director for Yoshida Daihachi and Best Actor for Nagatsuka Kyozo. Teki Cometh is based on a novel by Tsutsui Yasutaka. The film follows Watanabe…

Tokyo Vice producer Alex Boden talked about next steps for inbound production in Japan, including the need to expand the crew base, during his MPA/DHU/TIFFCOM masterclass at Tokyo International Film Festival. And the need for more crew couldn't be more urgent as Japan's Visual Industry Promotion…

More than 40 production staff associated with the Godzilla films throughout the years took to the stage at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The fest held a Godzilla remastered 4K Digital screening and a day-long “Godzilla Fest” to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the original 1954…

Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs unveiled four filmmakers selected for the first cohort of its Film Frontier Global Networking Program. Announced on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), the program will help filmmakers sharpen their presentation skills, provide…

Filmmakers with works selected for the Tokyo Film Festival's Nippon Cinema Now section took part in a panel alongside Christian Jeune, Cannes’ film department director and deputy general delegate. "I've been coming to Japan for the past 45 years and know the directors that have been to Cannes…

Move over South Korea, there's a new player in the international arena. Japan's famously risk-averse broadcasters and studios have woken up to the world outside Japan and are making a bold move on the U.S. and other international markets.  In part inspired by the global success of Korean…