Tokyo International Film Festival Announces Lineup

The Tokyo International Film Festival on Wednesday announced its full 2024 lineup, including a main competition program and an Asian Future section for emerging filmmakers from the region, as well as an all-new Women’s Empowerment section featuring nine films directed by women or featuring female-centered stories.

The main competition in Tokyo, consisting of 15 titles, shows a preference for securing world premieres over titles previously shown by established festival names. The section features eight world premieres — including The Big World AND My friend Delie by the Chinese, Yang Lina and Dong Zijian, respectively; Papa from Philip Yung from Hong Kong; Englishman’s documents from Portuguese Sergio Graciano; and three Japanese feature films, among others (full lineup below). Additional attractions include the international premiere of Midi Z The Invisible Sister and Huang Xi’s recent appearance at the Toronto Film Festival Daughter’s daughterstarring Sylvia Chang.

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As previously announced, the competition titles will be judged by a jury chaired by Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai. The other jurors are Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To, Italian actress Chiara Mastroianni, Hungarian filmmaker Enyedi Ildikó and Japanese actress Ai Hashimoto.

All films in the Asia Future section will be world premieres. They include: Sima’s Song from Afghan director Roya Sadat, Malaysian filmmaker Chong Keat Aun Pavane for a BabyTurkish director Emine Yildirim Apollon by day Athena by night, Bora by the Iranian Mohammad Esmaeili and Three castrated goats by Chinese filmmaker Ye Xingyu.

Co-organized with Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Women’s Empowerment Section to Present Asian Premiere of Iranian Drama My favorite cake Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha, who are banned from leaving the country by Tehran authorities. Other titles in the progressive section, which is programmed by Tokyo-based former diplomat Andrijana Cvetkovikj, include Turkish director Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik In ten seconds; Hong Kong director Oliver Chan Motherhood Montages; Memories of a burning body by Antonella Sudasassi Furniss from Costa Rica and Japanese director Naoki Tamura Doctor X Movieamong others.

Tokyo has already revealed this samurai thriller 11 Rebelsdirected by Kazuya Shiraishi will have its world premiere as the opening title of this year’s festival, while the film by French director Christophe Honoré Marcello Mioin which jury member Mastroianni plays the main role, will close the event.

The Nippon Cinema Now section, which focuses on new trends in Japanese cinema, will show 12 titles, including a mini-retrospective of five films directed by Yu Irie, a Tokyo-based director who is in the spotlight this year.

The festival’s Gala screenings, which typically feature previously released festival hits, include Toronto favorite Marielle Heller’s Night female dogHong Kong action blockbuster Twilight of the Warriors: The Walled OnesAudrey Diwan EmanuelaCannes Un Sure Regard winner Guan Hu Black DogMarc Foster White Birdworld premiere of the film by Indonesian director Mike Wiluan Orang Ikanand Eric Khoo’s Tokyo-set film starring Catherine Deneuve The spirit world.

Tokyo’s animation section, always its strong point, includes: Kuno Yoko and Yamashita Nobuhiro Spirit of the Cat AnzuChris Sanders Wild RobotYakuwa Shinnosuke Toto Chan: Little Girl at the WindowGints Zilbalodis FlowAdam Elliot Memories of a Snail, Create a girl by Yasuda Gensho, and a 4K restoration of Masuda Toshio’s 1977 classic. Space Battleship Yamato.

The 2024 Tokyo International Film Festival will take place from October 28 to November 6 in the Ginza district in the center of the Japanese capital. See the full lineup below.

MAIN COMPETITION:

Goodbye Amigo (Colombia) AP
Directed by: Ivan David Gaona

Great World (China) WP
Directed by: Yang Lin

Bury Your Dead (Brazil) AP
Directed by: Marco Dutra

Cadet (Kazakhstan) WP
Directed by: Adilkhan Yerzhanov

Daughter’s Daughter (Taiwan) AP
Directed by: Huang Xi

Englishman’s Documents (Portugal) WP
Directed by: Sérgio Graciano

In His Own Image (France) AP
Directed by Thierry de Peretti

Lust In The Rain (Japan, Taiwan) WP
Directed by: Katayama Shinzo

My friend An Delie (China) WP
Directed by: Dong Zijian

Papa (Hong Kong) WP
Directed by: Philip Yung

I Promise I’ll Be Alright (Slovakia, Czech Republic) WP
Directed by: Katarína Gramatová

She taught me serendipity (Japan) WP
Directed by Ohku Akiko

Teki Cometh (Japan) WP
Directed by: Yoshida Daihachi

Movement (Romania, Belgium, Netherlands) AP
Directed by Teodora Ana Mihai

Invisible Sister (China) IP
Directed by Midi Z

ASIAN FUTURE (all world premieres)

Apollon by day Athena by night (Türkiye)
Directed by: Emine Yildirim

Black Ox (Japan, Taiwan, USA)
Directed by: Tsuta Tetsuichiro

Bora (Iran)
Directed by Mohammad Esmaeilie

Missing Child – Video Footage (Japan)
Directed by: Kondo Ryota

Baby Pavane (Malaysia)
Directed by: Chong Keat Aun

Sima’s Song (Spain, Netherlands, France, Taiwan, Greece, Afghanistan)
Dir.: Roya Sadat

Three castrated goats (USA)
Directed by: Ye Xingyu

Valley of the Shadow of Death (Hong Kong)
Directed by: Jeffery Lam Sen, Antonio Tam

Ship Island (USA)
Directed by: Wang Di

Wait until spring (Iran)

Directed by Ashkan Ashkani

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