39th Tokyo International Film Festival
 Official poster | |
| Opening film | Sukiyaki by Zeze Takahisa |
|---|---|
| Closing film | Colony by Yeon Sang-ho |
| Location | Tokyo, Japan |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Awards | Tokyo Grand Prix |
| Hosted by | |
| Artistic director | Koshino Junko |
| No. of films | 204 |
| Festival date | Opening: October 26, 2026 Closing: November 4, 2026 |
| Website | 2026 TIFF |
The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival will take place from 26 October to 5 November 2026 at Yūrakuchō-Marunouchi-Ginza area. The festival will open with 2026 Japanese musical film Sukiyaki directed by Zeze Takahisa, telling the story behind the pop song "Sukiyaki," sung by crooner Kyu Sakamoto. Colony by Yeon Sang-ho will be the closing film.[1][2]
Rolf de Heer, Dutch Australian film director will serve as the Jury President of international competition.[3] Kento Nakajima, Japanese singer, actor, voice actor and television personality will be the festival navigator and the face of the festival.
Festival overview
[edit]This section sums up the main things taking place during the festival:
- 'A'-list classification
The festival is classified as 'A'-list festival from 2026, joining prestigious competitive festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno and San Sebastian, under the revamped accreditation process by the International Federation of Film Producers' Associations.[4]
The film registration for the festival began on April 7, 2026 with the closing date for submission fixed for July 7, 2026.[5]
- Three new initiative
- Kashiko Kawakita Award : A new award that takes its name from Kashiko Kawakita, known as "Madame Kawakita", was a Japanese film producer and film curator, and the wife of Nagamasa Kawakita. The award is established by the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute to honour women advancing film culture in Japan and internationally.[6]
- Nippon Cinema Now section: This section will now award a Best Film prize and a Special Jury Prize from 2026, with a jury combining Japanese and international industry figures.
- Crosscut Asia+: A new section, which is developed with the Japan Foundation that continues the mission of the earlier Crosscut Asia strand.[7]
- Poster
The poster unveiled on September 11, was created by Japanese graphic designer Oshima Idea in collaboration with Mipo O, a Japanese director. The poster celebrates this year’s TIFF theme, "connecting―cinema connects us to the world beyond." It bears the photo of young lead of the 2025 film How Dare You?, Tetta Shimada taken by cinematographer Tanaka Hajime.[8]
Japan Premiere of Displacement Film Fund Shorts
[edit]Five short films backed by the Displacement Film Fund will have their Japanese premiere at the festival. Cate Blanchett, co-founder of the fund will attend the Premiere of these short films.[9]
Cultural programs
[edit]This edition will host extra cultural programs along with its main competition. These include a symposium discussing a possible new international anime award, and an event celebrating the 10th year of its Teens Cinema Workshop.[10]
2026 lineup
[edit]The festival unveiled its complete line-up including titles in the Asian Future and Nippon Cinema Now competitive strands on October 1, 2026.[11] The 39th edition will screen 204 films from 112 countries out of which 83 are Japanese films and 35 are world premieres. 47 films are directed or co-directed by women.[12]
TIFF Teens Cine Club
[edit]Yukino Kishii will join TIFF's Teens Cine Club 10th anniversary program.
Juries
[edit]
The juries consists of the following members:[13]
Main competition
[edit]- Rolf de Heer, Dutch-Australian film director – Jury president
- Alex Lo, producer and the founder of Cinema Inutile, a New York and Tokyo-based development, production and finance company
- Oh Jung-wan, founder and producer of Bom Film Productions, a prominent film production company in South Korea.
- Makiko Watanabe, Japanese actress
- Yov Moor, French colorist
Asian Future Jury
[edit]- Eiko Mizuno-Gray, CEO / Producer, Loaded Films Ltd
- Akio Fujimoto, Japanese film director and screenwriter.
- Yulia Evina Bhara, Indonesian film and theatre producer and founder of KawanKawan Media, a production company based in Jakarta
Nippon Cinema Now Jury
[edit]- Mathieu Macheret, graduate of École nationale supérieure Louis-Lumière, film critic at Le Monde, lecturer and film-club host
- Murata Chieko, Corporate Executive, Myriagon Studio
- Sabrina Baracetti, President, Udine Far East Film Festival
TIFF Ethical Film Award
[edit]- Hayato Isomura, Japanese actor[14]
- Student PR Team
- Kanenori Kurumi (Musashino Art Univ.)
- Goujima Seitaro (Chuo Univ.)
- Takahashi Shiori (Hosei Univ.)
Screening venues
[edit]- Cine Switch Ginza (Chuo City)
- Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho
- Toho Cinemas Chanter,
- Toho Cinemas,
- Humantrust Cinema Yurakucho,
- Marunouchi Piccadilly,
- Hulic Hall Tokyo,
- Hibiya Step Square,
- LEXUS MEETS...,
- Mitsubishi Building 1F M+ Success (Chiyoda City)
Official Selection
[edit]The full line-up was revealed on October 1, 2026. The lineup is a mix of new features from Asia's auteurs, Hollywood films and films from up-coming filmmakers.[15]
Sukiyaki by Zeze Takahisa will be the opening film of the festival.[16]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country(ies) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening film | ||||
| Sukiyaki | 上を向いて歩こう | Takahisa Zeze | Japan | |
| Centerpiece Screening | ||||
| Godzilla Minus Zero | ゴジラ-0.0マイナスゼロ | Takashi Yamazaki | Japan | |
| Closing film | ||||
| Colony | Yeon Sang-ho | South Korea | ||
International Competition
[edit]The main competition has 15 films vying for Tokyo Grand Prix.[17]
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Canary's Lullaby | 我親愛的怪孩子 | Ikeda Akira | Taiwan, Japan |
| The Difficult Bride | Rubaiyat Hossain | Bangladesh, France, Portugal, Norway, Germany | |
| Double Freedom | La Libertad Doble | Lisandro Alonso | Argentina, Chile, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Uruguay, United Kingdom |
| Even If Hell Came | Se Venisse Anche l'Inferno | Samuele Rossi | Italy |
| Fuxi: Joy in Four Chapters | 腹喜 | Qiu Jiongjiong | Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar
↑page |
| Heysel 85 | Teodora Ana Mihai | Belgium, Romania, Netherlands, Germany | |
| The Intertwining | 過怠 | Akira Yamamoto | Japan |
| Magic Atlas | 魔法星图 | Sun Xun | Singapore |
| Memories of Prison | Memórias do Cárcere | Sérgio Graciano | Portugal |
| The Night That Binds Us | 略知她一二 | Wang Jiang-yong | France, Hong Kong |
| Red Before Dawn | Merah Sebelum Fajar | Garin Nugroho | Indonesia |
| Sister Brother Manhole Cover | Сестра, брат и шахта | Milcho Manchevski | North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Italy, United Kingdom |
| Trees Are Watching | Bahman Ghobadi | Turkey | |
| Two Cigarettes, Three Nights | 男ともだち | Yukiko Mishima | Japan |
| Until the Day Ends | Do kraja dana | Jelena Maksimović | Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Montenegro, Croatia, Germany |
Asian Future
[edit]This competitive section presents 10 titles, eight of which will have world premieres.[18]
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edjop | Katski Flores | Philippines | |
| I'm Nothing Special Really | واقعا آدم خاصی نیستم | Navid Mohammadzadeh | Iran |
| Jani Be Good | Desember Jani | Ariani Darmawan | Indonesia |
| Miracle Summer | Cai Ronglin | Japan | |
| On the Heights | 낮은곳으로부터 | Kim Hyun-min | South Korea |
| The Paper Flower | காகித மலர் | Chezhiyan | India |
| Saravah | Kujiraoka Hironori | Japan | |
| Serife Tavsan | Tareq Daoud | Switzerland, Türkiye | |
| Shyrmauyq | Azamat Shargyn | Kazakhstan | |
| Silver | Noghreh | Soheil Karimi | Iran |
Nippon Cinema Now
[edit]| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Between Us | いえないふたり | Matsumura Shingo | Japan |
| Okinawa Saudade | オキナワ・サウダージ | Matsubayashi Yoju | Japan |
| Kefi | Saito Kisin | Japan | |
| Earthlings in Love | 恋する地球人 -劇場特別版- | Ueda Shinichiro | Japan |
| silver express | シルバー・エクスプレス | Tanaka Miki | Japan |
| Hinotama: Ball of Fire | 火の玉を見た | Yaza Takenoshin | Japan |
| Plastic Love! | プラスチック・ラブ！ | Sybilla Patrizia, Clementine Nuttall | Japan, Austria |
| Chihiro Akemi | ほとりの家で | Natori Satoshi | Japan |
| Yamazaki Riverside -Over an Actor's Shoulder - | 山﨑リバーサイド - 俳優の肩ごしに - | Inudo Isshin | Japan |
Gala Selection
[edit]The following films were selected to be screened as part of the Gala Selection.[19]
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| All the Lovers in the Night | すべて真夜中の恋人たち | Yukiko Sode | Japan |
| Arrested Memory | 狂忘警探 | Sabu | Taiwan, Japan |
| Behemoth! | Tony Gilroy | United States | |
| The Beloved | El ser querido | Rodrigo Sorogoyen | Spain, France |
| A Bouquet of Light for You | ないものねだりの君に光の花束を | Hiroshi Ando | Japan |
| Bye Bye Love: Detective Is in the Bar | 探偵はBARにいる | Kazuya Shiraishi | Japan |
| Diary of a Mad Old Man | Wayne Wang | Japan, United States | |
| Fjord | Cristian Mungiu | Romania, Norway, Denmark, Finland, France, Sweden | |
| Sunshine Women’s Choir | Yang guang nü zi he chang tuan | Gavin Lin | Taiwan |
| Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma | Jane Schoenbrun | United States | |
| The Tiger and Her Wings The Movie | 監督：梛川善郎 | Yoshiro Nagikawa | Japan |
| Verity | Michael Showalter | United States | |
| Wild Horse Nine | Martin McDonagh | United Kingdom, United States, Chile | |
| Your Story | 君の話 | Nakagawa Ryutaro | Japan |
World Focus
[edit]The following films were selected for the World Focus section, which focuses on international films.
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAU | Ilya Khrzhanovsky | Germany, France, Sweden, Russia | |
| The Dreamed Adventure | Das Geträumte Abenteuer | Valeska Grisebach | Germany, France, Austria, Bulgaria |
| Flies | Moscas | Fernando Eimbcke | Mexico |
| La bola negra | Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi | Spain, France | |
| Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors | Makikiraan po | Lav Diaz | Philippines |
| The Masque of the Red Death | Roger Corman | United States, United Kingdom | |
| The Match | El partido | Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco | Argentina |
| My Wife Cries | Meine Frau weint | Angela Schanelec | Germany, France |
| To Be Ordinary | 有用的人 | Lee Yun-chan | Taiwan |
| The Road to Jericho | Amos Gitai | France, United Kingdom | |
| Sixteen Moments of My Life | Seize moments de ma vie | Albert Serra | France, Spain |
| Sleep No More | Monster Pabrik Rambut | Edwin | Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Germany, France |
| The Survival of Kindness | Rolf de Heer | Australia | |
Animation
[edit]The following films were selected for the Animation section.
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amadeo and the Hypothetical New World | Brenda Lígia and Edu Felistoque | Brazil | |
| ghost – end of night | Shingo Natsume | Japan | |
| Iron Boy | Le Corset | Louis Clichy | France, Belgium |
| We Are Aliens | Kohei Kadowaki | Japan, France | |
Japanese Classics
[edit]The following films were selected for the Japanese Classics section.
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Scattered Clouds 4K Digitally Remastered Version | 乱れ雲 | Mikio Naruse | Japan |
Youth
[edit]The following films were selected for the Youth section.
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra | Mia mera sti zoi tis tzo: kefalaio Faidra | Jacqueline Lentzou | Greece, Germany, France |
| The River Train | El Tren Fluvial | Lorenzo Ferro and Lucas A. Vignale | Argentina |
Women’s Empowerment
[edit]| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far From the Trees | Lejos de los árboles | Meritxell Colell | Spain, Peru, Italy |
| A Girl Unknown | 无名女孩 | Zou Jing | China |
| I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming | Selten wache ich träumend auf | Isabelle Stever | Germany, Ukraine |
| Lovers in the Blue Night | Anuparna Roy | India, United States | |
| The Meltdown | El deshielo | Manuela Martelli | Chile, United States, Spain, Mexico |
Crosscut Asia+
[edit]A new re-vamped section developed with the Japan Foundation that continues the mission of the earlier Crosscut Asia strand.[7]
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Becoming Human | ជាតិជាមនុស្សា | Polen Ly | Cambodia |
| Behind the Flickering Light: The Archive | Anak Sabiran, Di Balik Cahaya Gemerlapan: Sang Arsip | Hafiz Rancajale | Indonesia |
| Filipiñana | Rafael Manuel | Singapore, United Kingdom, Philippines, France, Netherlands | |
| Four Seasons in Java | Empat Musim Pertiwi | Kamila Andini | Indonesia, France, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore |
| Small Hours of the Night | Daniel Hui | Singapore | |
| Turang (1957) | Bachtiar Siagian | Indonesia | |
Special Screenings
[edit]| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Butterfly Murders | 蝶變 | Tsui Hark | Hong Kong |
| Monster in Sheep's Clothing | 羊の皮を着たケモノ | Yang Liping | Japan |
| What We Call Happiness | 羊の皮を着たケモノ | Enomoto Norio | Japan |
| Wildwood | Travis Knight | United States | |
Akira Kurosawa's Favorite Films
[edit]The following films will be screened as a part of a section consisting of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa favorite films.
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | The Circus | Charlie Chaplin | United States | |
| 1952 | Ikiru (4K restoration) | 生きる | Kurosawa Akira | Japan |
| 1943 | Sanshiro Sugata (4K restoration) | 姿三四郎 | Kurosawa Akira | Japan |
| 1987 | Where Is the Friend's House? | خانه دوست کجاست | Abbas Kiarostami | Iran |
Mizoguchi Kenji
[edit]- TIFF/NFAJ Classics: Kenji Mizoguchi
With the colobration of National Film Archive of Japan, the festival will present a special retrospective of the films by auteur Mizoguchi Kenji to commemorate the 70th death anniversary of the director.[20]
The full screening schedule is as follows:
- Osaka Elegy (1936)
- Sisters of the Gion (1936)
- The 47 Ronin Part 1 (1941)
- The 47 Ronin Part 2 (1942)
- The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums (digital restoration, 1939)
- Princess Yang Kwei Fei (1955)
- Tales of the Taira Clan (digital restoration, 1955)
- Street of Shame (digital restoration, 1956)
- A Geisha (1953)
- Ugetsu (digital restoration, 1953)
- Sansho the Bailiff (digital restoration, 1954)
- The Crucified Lovers (digital restoration, 1954)
Awards
[edit]Kashiko Kawakita Award
[edit]- Hata Sahoko, film critic[21]
Kurosawa Akira Award
[edit]- Mipo O, Japanese-born Korean film director, screenwriter, and commercial director
- Mohammad Rasoulof, Iranian independent filmmaker who lives in exile in Europe[22]
References
[edit]- ↑ Abid Rahman (1 September 2026). "Zeze Takahisa's 'Sukiyaki' to Open Tokyo Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ Naman Ramachandran (1 September 2026). "'Godzilla Minus Zero' Named Centerpiece of Tokyo Film Festival as 'Sukiyaki' Opens, 'Colony' Closes". Variety. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ Michael Rosser (24 September 2026). "Rolf de Heer named 2026 Tokyo jury president". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
- ↑ Tim Dams (11 March 2026). "17 film festivals receive official 'A'-list classification as part of major FIAPF revamp". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ "Deadline for Film Submission: July 7th Noon (JST): Film Submissions Open for the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival". Tokyo International Film Festival. 7 April 2026. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ Michael Rosser (7 September 2026). "Tokyo film festival adds new awards and Southeast Asia focus". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
- 1 2 Naman Ramachandran (7 September 2026). "Tokyo Film Festival Adds Nippon Cinema Now Competition, Crosscut Asia+ Section, New Award Honoring Women in Film". Variety. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
- ↑ "39th TIFF Unveils Official Poster by O Mipo; Announces New Ticket Pricing, Crowdfunding". Tokyo International Film Festival. 11 September 2026. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
- ↑ Naman Ramachandran (15 September 2026). "Cate Blanchett to Attend Tokyo Festival for Japan Premiere of Displacement Film Fund Shorts". Variety. Retrieved 16 September 2026.
- ↑ Naman Ramachandran (25 September 2026). "Tokyo Film Festival Unveils Mizoguchi Retrospective, Anime Award Symposium and Teens Cinema Workshop Milestone". Variety. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
- ↑ Michael Rosser (1 October 2026). "Tokyo film festival reveals 2026 lineup including 15-strong Competition selection". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ "39th TIFF Announces Full Lineup, Heralds A New Era of Borderless Filmmaking". Tokyo International Film Festival. 1 October 2026. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
- ↑ Naman Ramachandran (24 September 2026). "Rolf de Heer Named President of Tokyo Film Festival Jury". Variety. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
- ↑ Naman Ramachandran (28 September 2026). "Mohammad Rasoulof, O Mipo to Receive Tokyo Film Festival's Kurosawa Akira Award". Variety. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- ↑ Abid Rahman (1 October 2026). "Tokyo Film Festival Reveals Full 2026 Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ Michael Rosser (2 September 2026). "'Sukiyaki', 'Colony' to bookend Tokyo film festival 2026 with 'Godzilla Minus Zero' as Centerpiece". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ Shackleton, Liz (1 October 2026). "Tokyo Film Festival Unveils Competition Line-up With World Premieres From Garin Nugroho, Milcho Manchevski & Qiu Jiongjiong". Deadline. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ Naman Ramachandran (1 October 2026). "Garin Nugroho, Mishima Yukiko, Qiu Jiongjiong Titles Among 15 in Tokyo Film Festival Competition". Variety. Retrieved 1 October 2026.
- ↑ Naman Ramachandran (17 September 2026). "Fan Bingbing, Pedro Pascal, John Malkovich, Javier Bardem Films Lead Tokyo Festival's Gala Selection". Variety. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "TIFF/NFAJ Classics: Kenji Mizoguchi". Tokyo International Film Festival. 14 July 2026. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
- ↑ Shackleton, Liz (6 September 2026). "Tokyo Film Festival Launches Nippon Cinema Now & Kashiko Kawakita Awards; Relaunches Crosscut Asia Section". Deadline. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
- ↑ Michael Rosser (29 September 2026). "Mipo O, Mohammad Rasoulof to receive Kurosawa Akira Award at Tokyo film festival 2026". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 29 September 2026.