| 37th Tokyo International Film Festival | |
| Opening: | 11 Rebels by Kazuya Shiraishi |
| Closing: | Marcello Mio by Christophe Honoré |
| Location: | Tokyo, Japan |
| Founded: | 1985 |
| Awards: | Tokyo Grand Prix: Teki Cometh by Daihachi Yoshida |
| Artistic Director: | Koshino Junko |
| Number: | 208 |
| Date: | Opening: Closing: |
| Main: | Tokyo International Film Festival |
| Previous: | 36th |
| Next: | 38th |
The 37th Tokyo International Film Festival took place from 28 October to 6 November. 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.[1] Hong Kong actor and singer Tony Leung will serve as jury president.[2]
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.[3]
Béla Tarr a Hungarian filmmaker, was honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award during a Special Talk event at the festival, held on November 1.[4] [5]
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.[6] 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.[7]
The film registration for the festival began in April 2024 with the closing date for submission fixed for July 8, 2024.[8]
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., 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.[9] On 20 September Gala Selection and trailer with festival Song was unveiled.[10] The full lineup was announced on 25 September 2024, lining up 110 films for showcasing in the festival.[11]
The juries consists of the following members:[12] [13] [14]
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.[15] 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.[7]
The following 8 venues will host the festival screenings.[17]
The festival from this year will consist of ten main sections.[18] [19]
| 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 Kingdom | ||
| Closing film | ||||
| Marcello Mio | Christophe Honoré | France, Italy | ||
| 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 | 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 | China | |
| Papa | 爸爸 | Hong Kong | |
| Promise, I'll Be Fine | Katarína Gramatová | Slovakia, Czech | |
| She Taught Me Serendipity | 今日の空が一番好き、とまだ言えない僕は | Japan | |
| Teki Cometh | 敵 | Daihachi Yoshida | Japan |
| Traffic | Teodora Ana Mihai | Romania, Belgium, Netherlands | |
| The Unseen Sister | 乔妍的心事 | China | |
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 | Malaysia | |
| Sima'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 | |
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 | China | ||
| Emmanuelle | France | |||
| Lumière | The Adventure Continues | France | ||
| Nightbitch | United States | |||
| Orang Ikan | Mike Wiluan | Singapore, Indonesia, Japan United Kingdom | ||
| A Real Pain | USA, Poland | |||
| Route 29 | Morii Yusuke | Japan | ||
| Snowflowers: Seeds of Hope | 雪の花 –ともに在りて | 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 | |
| 九龍城寨之圍城 | Soi Cheang | Hong Kong | ||
| White Bird | United States | |||
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 | Spain, France, Portugal | |
| A River Without Tears | 怒江 | Liu Juan | China |
| Bogancloch | United Kingdom, Germany, Iceland | ||
| A Brighter Tomorrow | Il sol dell'avvenire | Italy, France | |
| Bleak Street | La calle de la amargura | Spain, Mexico | |
| The Castle of Purity | El castillo de la pureza | Mexico | |
| Chain Reactions | Alexandre O. Philippe | United States | |
| Dahomey | Mati Diop | Benin, France, Senegal | |
| Dear Diary | Caro diario | Nanni Moretti | Italy, France |
| Deep Crimson | Profundo Carmesí | Arturo Ripstein | Mexico |
| Direct 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 | 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, Denmark |
| La 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 | China |
| Pepe | Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias | Dominican Republic, Namibia, Germany, France | |
| Phantosmia | Lav Diaz | Philippines | |
| The Place Without Limits | El lugar sin límites | 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 |
The following films were selected for Nippon Cinema Now, which will showcase the works of director Yu Irie, a Japanese film director and screenwriter.[22] [23]
| 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 | 太陽 | |
| 2024 | あんのこと | |
The following films were selected for the Animation section.[24]
| 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 | Latvia, France, Belgium | |
| Ghost Cat Anzu | 化け猫あんずちゃん | Japan, France | |
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 |
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 | Switzerland | |
| TIFF 2024: Teens Meet Cinema | TIFFティーンズ映画教室2024 | Japan | |
The following television series were selected for the TIFF Series section.
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disclaimer | United States, Australia, Mexico | ||
| Scénarios & Exposé du film annonce du film "Scénario" | 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 |
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.[23] [25]
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adabana | Japan, France | ||
| ドクターX〜外科医・大門未知子〜 | Tamura Naoki | Japan | |
| In Ten Seconds | On Saniye | Ceylan Özgün Özçelik | Turkey |
| Ivo | Eva Trobisch | Germany | |
| Maydegol | Sarvnaz Alambeigi | France, Germany, Iran | |
| Memories of a Burning Body | Memorias de un cuerpo que arde | Antonella Sudasassi Furniss | Costa Rica, Spain |
| Montages of a Modern Motherhood | 虎毒不 | Oliver Chan | Hong Kong |
| My Favourite Cake | Persian: کیک محبوب من | Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moqadam | Iran, France, Sweden, Germany |
A special screening of six works of Searchlight Pictures to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2024 will be screened.[26]
| Year | English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country(ies) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Little Miss Sunshine | Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris | United States | |
| 2009 | 500 Days of Summer | Marc Webb | ||
| 2014 | The Grand Budapest Hotel | Wes Anderson | ||
| 2017 | The Shape of Water | Guillermo del Toro | ||
| 2018 | Isle of Dogs | Wes Anderson | United States, Germany | |
| 2019 | Jojo Rabbit | Taika Waititi | United States, New Zealand, Czech Republic | |
The following films were screened as a part of a section consisting of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa favorite films.
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Breathless | À bout de souffle | France | |
| 1940 | The Great Dictator | United States | ||
| 1983 | Nostalghia | Soviet Union, Italy | ||
| 1954 | Seven Samurai | 七人の侍 | Japan | |
| 1985 | The Time to Live and the Time to Die | 童年往事 | Taiwan | |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country(ies) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Tapestry of a Legendary Land | 只此青绿 | Zhou Liya, Han Zhen | China |
| The Devil's Deal | 대외비 | Lee Won-tae | South Korea |
| Sidonie in Japan | Sidonie au Japon | Élise Girard | France |
| Ruben Fleischer | United States | ||