The Tokyo International Film Festival on Wednesday unveiled its full 2024 lineup, including the main competition program and the Asian Future section for emerging filmmakers from the region, as well as the brand-new Women’s Empowerment section, which highlights nine films directed by women or telling women-centered stories.
Tokyo's main competition, consisting of 15 titles, reveals a preference for world premieres over titles already broadcast by established festival names. There are eight world premieres in the section, including Big world AND My Friend An Delie respectively by the Chinese Yang Lina and Dong Zijian; Dad by Philip Yung of Hong Kong; English documents by Portuguese Sergio Graciano; and three Japanese features, among others (see the full lineup below). Other highlights include the international premiere of Midi Z's The Invisible Sister and Huang Xi's recent participation at the Toronto Film Festival The daughter's daughterwith Sylvia Chang.
As previously announced, the competing titles will be judged by a jury headed by Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai. Other jurors include Hong Kong director Johnnie To, Italian actress Chiara Mastroianni, Hungarian director Enyedi Ildikó and Japanese actress Ai Hashimoto.
All films in the Asia Future section will be world premieres. Among them: Sima's song from Afghan director Roya Sadat, Malaysian director Chong Keat Aun Pavana for a childby Turkish director Emine Yildirim Apollo by day Athena by night, The Bora by Mohammad Esmaeilie of Iran and Three castrated goats by Chinese director Ye Xingyu.
Co-hosted with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Women's Empowerment Section will feature the Asian premiere of Iranian drama My favorite cake by Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha, who have been banned from leaving their country by the authorities in Tehran. Other titles in the progressive-minded section, programmed by former Tokyo-based diplomat Andrijana Cvetkovikj, include Turkish director Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik In ten seconds; Hong Kong director Oliver Chan Montage of a maternity; Memories of a burning body by Costa Rican Antonella Sudasassi Furniss; and by Japanese director Naoki Tamura Doctor X the movieamong others.
Tokyo previously revealed that the samurai thriller 11 rebelsdirected by Kazuya Shiraishi, will make its world premiere as the opening title of the festival this year, while French director Christophe Honoré's film My Marcellostarring jury member Mastroianni, will close the event.
The Nippon Cinema Now section, which focuses on emerging trends in Japanese cinema, will screen 12 titles, including a mini-retrospective of five films directed by Yu Irie, this year's featured Tokyo director.
The festival's gala screenings, which tend to highlight previously aired festival hits, include Toronto favorite Marielle Heller Night TroyHong Kong action film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled Inby Audrey Diwan EmmanuelleWinner of Guan Hu's Un Certain Regard at Cannes Black dogby Marc Foster White birdthe world premiere of the film by Indonesian director Mike Wiluan Orang Ikanand Eric Khoo's film set in Tokyo and starring Catherine Deneuve Spiritual world.
Always a strong point, the Tokyo animation section includes: Kuno Yoko and Yamashita Nobuhiro Anzu Ghost Catby Chris Sanders The Wild Robotby Yakuwa Shinnosuke Toto Chan: The Girl at the Windowby Gints Zilbalodis Flowby Adam Elliot Memoirs of a Snail, Making a girl by Yasuda Gensho and the 4K restoration of Masuda Toshio's 1977 classic Space Battleship Yamato.
The 2024 Tokyo International Film Festival will run from October 28 to November 6 in the areas surrounding the central Ginza district of the Japanese capital. See the full competition lineup below.
MAIN COMPETITION:
Goodbye friend (Colombia) AP
Directed by: Ivan David Gaona
Big World (China) WP
Director: Yang Lina
Bury Your Dead (Brazil) AP
Directed by: Marco Dutra
Cadet (Kazakhstan) WP
Directed by: Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Daughter of Daughter (Taiwan) AP
Director: Huang Xi
English (Portugal) WP documents
Directed by: Sergio Graciano
In his image (France) AP
Directed by: Thierry de Peretti
Lust In The Rain (Japan, Taiwan) WP
Director: Katayama Shinzo
My friend An Delie (China) WP
Director: Dong Zijian
Pope (Hong Kong) WP
Director: Philip Yung
I promise I'll be fine (Slovakia, Czech Republic) WP
Directed by: Katarina Gramatova
She taught me serendipity (Japan) WP
Director: Ohku Akiko
Teki Cometh (Japan) WP
Director: Yoshida Daihachi
Traffic (Romania, Belgium, Netherlands) AP
Directed by: Teodora Ana Mihai
The Invisible Sister (China) IP
Director: Midi Z
ASIAN FUTURE (All World Premieres)
Apollo by day, Athena by night (Türkiye)
Directed by: Emine Yildirim
Black Ox (Japan, Taiwan, United States)
Director: Tsuta Tetsuichiro
The Bora (Iran)
Director: Mohammad Esmaeilie
Videotape of the missing child (Japan)
Director: Kondo Ryota
Pavane for a child (Malaysia)
Director: Chong Keat Aun
Sima's Song (Spain, Netherlands, France, Taiwan, Greece, Afghanistan)
Directed by: Roya Sadat
Three castrated goats (United States)
Director: Ye Xingyu
The Valley of the Shadow of Death (Hong Kong)
Director: Jeffery Lam Sen, Antonio Tam
Vessel Island (USA)
Director: Wang Di
Wait for Spring (Iran)
Director: Ashkan Ashkani