The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) unveiled its program for 2024, featuring a diverse selection of films and starting a new initiative to promote women in cinema. Running from October 28 to November 6, the festival continues to grow as a major event in Asian film.
A key part of this year’s festival is the Main Competition, with 15 films vying for top awards. World premieres in the competition include “Big World” from Chinese director Yang Lina, Philip Yung’s “Papa” out of Hong Kong, and “The Englishman’s Papers” by Portuguese filmmaker Sergio Graciano. A jury led by renowned Hong Kong actor Tony Leung will judge the films.
Another important element is the new Women’s Empowerment Section, created with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Programmer Andrijana Cvetkovikj curated nine movies that highlight female directors or stories. One selection is “My Favourite Cake” by banned Iranian directors Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha, who could not attend its Berlin premiere. Other Women’s Empowerment titles include “In Ten Seconds” by Turkisih director Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik and Oliver Chan’s “Montages Of A Motherhood” from Hong Kong. This section upholds TIFF’s 2021 pledge to 50/50 gender equality in film.
The Asian Future competition for emerging Asian directors will give a platform to ten world premiere short films. Some highlights are Afghan filmmaker Roya Sadat’s “Sima’s Song,” “Pavane For An Infant” from Malaysian director Chong Keat Aun, and Emine Yildirim’s “Apollon By Day Athena By Night” from Turkey.
The festival also plans gala screenings of titles like Audrey Diwan’s “Emmanuelle,” Cannes award-winner “Black Dog” from Guan Hu, and Marc Foster’s “White Bird.” It will open with Kazuya Shiraishi’s “11 Rebels” and close with Chiara Mastroianni starring in Christophe Honoré’s “Marcello Mio.” Other sections spotlight Japanese, world, animation and classic cinema. The concurrent TIFFCOM market runs from October 30 to November 1.
As it begins its 2024 edition, TIFF continues evolving by embracing diversity, newcomers, and discussions on important issues like gender balance in the film industry. With initiatives like the new Women’s Empowerment Section, the festival showcases international cinema while advocating for change.
