Tokyo International Film Festival has selected Junji Sakamoto’s Climbing for Life as the opening film of its 38th edition, with a world premiere set for October 27 in Tokyo ahead of the festival’s October 27–November 5 run. The drama stars Sayuri Yoshinaga as pioneering alpinist Junko Tabei, whose 1975 summit of Everest is marked by the film’s 50th-anniversary timing. Organizers say the selection reflects confidence in the movie’s appeal to both domestic and international audiences.
Sakamoto’s feature, his 31st, revisits a collaboration with Yoshinaga more than a decade after A Chorus of Angels. The cast includes Koichi Sato, Yuki Amami, and Non. Festival materials describe a story that follows Tabei’s climb and the personal costs and endurance that followed her historic ascent. In Japan, the film will be released on October 31 by Kino Films, expanding momentum from its opening-night slot.
Programming director Shozo Ichiyama praised the production’s craftsmanship and Yoshinaga’s central performance, framing the biographical account as an audience-friendly entry point to TIFF’s 2025 lineup. Sakamoto, for his part, emphasized the big-screen experience and collaboration with a star he called a national treasure.
This year’s festival leadership includes jury president Carlo Chatrian, the former head of the Berlinale and Locarno, signaling a continued push to attract global industry attention to Tokyo. The event will also present its Kurosawa Akira Award to Lee Sang-il and Chloé Zhao, highlighting a mix of domestic and international filmmaking voices among its honors.
Climbing for Life arrives with added public-facing support via the film’s official campaign, which positions the project as a large-scale portrait of Tabei’s life from early expeditions to later-life challenges. With Yoshinaga in the lead and Non portraying Tabei in her youth, the production sets a multi-decade scope that aligns with TIFF’s role as a launchpad for prestige Japanese titles.
