People pushed to move, or left without anywhere to belong, through no fault of their own form the through-line of this year’s Women’s Empowerment section at the Tokyo International Film Festival, according to programmer Shimizu Yu, who also oversees the festival’s Youth strand. Now in its third year, the seven-film section includes Manuela Martelli’s “The […]
Shimizu Yu
The Tokyo International Film Festival will review its 39th edition once it wraps and reassess where it stands on the international circuit before its 40th anniversary next year, festival director Hisamatsu Takeo says. “I believe the direction we establish through that process will also help define TIFF’s course for the next decade, leading up to […]
Star-driven flops at the Chinese box office, slowing investment and a reportedly more complicated censorship process have a bearing on China’s low profile at international festivals this year, according to Ichiyama Shozo, programming director of the Tokyo International Film Festival. “In the past, casting a star in the leading role could guarantee a certain degree […]
Japan’s anime industry is in better shape overall, but gaps in pay and conditions are opening up largely between studios prepared to put their own capital on the line and those that are not, according to Fujitsu Ryota, programming advisor for the Tokyo International Film Festival’s Animation section. “Given the high level of creativity demonstrated […]
Family relationships run through the Asian films that Tokyo International Film Festival programmer Ishizaka Kenji has picked for this year’s edition. “While it is hard to pinpoint an exact catalyst for this surge in family-driven drama, what is undeniable is that amidst today’s geopolitical volatility, these filmmakers share an instinctive urge to reexamine the smallest […]
