Changing amid changes: News from the Tokyo International Film Festival

THERE is hope in our film industry. A communication from the organizers of the Tokyo International Film Festival arrived with much positivity. Used to the grim updates about the pandemic, the news from Tokyo was a pleasant surprise for its update about one of the most well-organized film concourses in Asia and the world. It was talking about changes.

With the caveat (“despite the continued challenges and uncertainties brought about by Covid-19”), the message said the Tokyo International Film Festival plans to go ahead with a hybrid edition of the 34th edition. To be held from October 30 through November 8, the news said preparations have begun for the gathering. For those who were fortunate enough last year, the TIFF responded to the threat of the pandemic with an online presentation and, where possible, a physical attendance.

According to the TIFF, the festival is aiming for a further leap forward in 2021, and has decided to take a number of innovative steps for the 34th edition.

There is the first major change, which is about location. The 34th TIFF will move its main venue to the Hibiya-ginza area from Roppongi, which was the site of the main venue since 2004. The Hibiya-ginza area is known for its long and renowned tradition as a cinema center; presently, it has abundant theaters and related facilities, such as hotels and restaurants. In addition, the main venue of Tokyo Filmex is also located in Hibiya. Tokyo Filmex is considered to have strengthened its ties with the TIFF from last year, and will be held concurrently this year as well. The new proximity of the two festivals will enable enhanced convenience for audiences to watch films at both.

Furthermore, the Asia Lounge Conversation Series copresented by the Japan Foundation Asia Center, which was launched last year as a place for filmmakers from around the world to gather and interact, is planned to be held in Hibiya again this year with the cooperation of the director Hirokazu Koreeda. The filmmaker is known for films, like Nobody Knows (2004) and After the Storm (2016). He has won the Palme d’or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for Shoplifters, among many other awards.

People are looking forward to the impact of this shift in venue, where it can be expected that the concurrent screenings at the TIFF and Tokyo Filmex, as well as the interaction of filmmakers at the Asia Lounge, will work together “organically” and with much viability.

For those interested, last year’s Asia Lounge sessions are available on TIFF’S Youtube channel.

The second change is in the reorganizing of the overall structure of sections as well as the approach to the competition. Once the re-evaluation is completed, the TIFF will make the appropriate announcement.

In a related development, changes are also happening in the leadership, with Shozo Ichiyama having been appointed TIFF programing director. Yoshi Yatabe, who has overseen programming since 2004, will leave his role at the end of March. Ichiyama was a programmer at the TIFF in the early days before he left to found Tokyo Filmex. He is also internationally known as a film producer, with an extensive overseas network. Under the present development, Ichiyama will resign from his position as programming director at Tokyo Filmex to devote himself to TIFF.

A comment from Ichiyama underscores how “last year’s TIFF proved that a meaningful film festival could be held under the various restrictions of Covid-19.”

The third change could be the most radical because it has to do with the TIFF committing itself to gender equality. As a background, it must be noted that in the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Collectif 50/50 launched a gender parity charter aimed at promoting gender equality and transparency in film festival selection committee members, film directors, cast and crew. Last March 8, International Women’s Day, the TIFF signed the 5050x2020 pledge. The pledge has been signed by 156 film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin and Venice, but the TIFF becomes the first Asian film festival to sign the Gender Parity Pledge.

Given that this gender issue is taking place in Japanese society makes the change just a bit short of a social revolution. Perhaps, the gender parity may be difficult to have an immediate impact in the realm of social behavior, but cinema can provide at least a beginning for a new way of seeing the relations between women and men, between women and women, and women with the world. The free form of arts that fills the spirit of filmmaking is an impetuous if not compelling way to attempt to see the world evolve for the better and healthier, more vital interaction among the arts and artists of any gender.

On the level of leadership, the TIFF announced that Takeo Hisamatsu, who has been the festival director since the 30th TIFF (2017), will leave his role at the end of March and TIFF Chairman Hiroyasu Ando will continue in a leadership role.

A lovely footnote to these promises of change in the Tokyo International Film Festival is the fact that Kabuki-za Theater, the principal Tokyo Theater for kabuki, is located in the Hibiya-ginza area. In my experience with the festival, it was always a delight when certain classic samurai films were traced as to its origin by having the original Kabuki play on which the cinema was based performed live at Kabuki-za for guests. This total presentation of art is, I believe, very Japanese.