38th Tokyo International Film Festival
Official poster | |
| Opening film | Climbing for Life by Junji Sakamoto |
|---|---|
| Closing film | Hamnet by Chloé Zhao |
| Location | Tokyo, Japan |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Awards | Tokyo Grand Prix: Palestine 36 |
| Hosted by | |
| Artistic director | Koshino Junko |
| No. of films | 184 |
| Festival date | Opening: October 27, 2025 Closing: November 5, 2025 |
| Website | 2025 TIFF |
The 38th Tokyo International Film Festival took place from 27 October to 5 November 2025 at Yūrakuchō-Marunouchi-Ginza area. The festival opened with 2025 Japanese biographical film Climbing for Life directed by Junji Sakamoto about the life of Junko Tabei. The opening was attended by the director Sakamoto, Sayuri Yoshinaga, Rena Nōnen, festival navigator Kumi Takiuchi, and other Japanese and international stars, including Takumi Saitoh, Misato Morita, China’s Fan Bingbing and Peter Chan, and French actress Juliette Binoche.[1]
Carlo Chatrian, Italian journalist, author and programmer will serve as the Jury President of international competition.[2] Chloé Zhao, Chinese-born filmmaker, and Lee Sang-il, Japanese-born film director and screenwriter, were honoured with Kurosawa Akira Award for their extraordinary contributions to world cinema.[3][4] Sayuri Yoshinaga, Japanese actress and activist and Yoji Yamada, Japanese film director, will be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award.[5]
The closing ceremony was held on November 5, 2025, where the various awards were announced. Palestine 36, a 2025 historical drama written and directed by Annemarie Jacir won the Tokyo Grand Prix, while 2025 documentary film We Are the Fruits of the Forest by Rithy Panh won the Special Jury Prize. The festival closed with the screening of an American–British co-produced historical drama Hamnet by Chloé Zhao.[6]
Overview
The film registration for the festival began in April 2025 with the closing date for submission fixed for July 7, 2025.[7]
Takiuchi Kumi was appointed this year's festival navigator. She will "navigate" the audience at official events as the face of the festival.[8]
The poster unveiled on September 19, was created by Japanese graphic designer Oshima Idea in collaboration with Rikiya Imaizumi, a Japanese director. Inspired by the theme of observation and emotional connection, the poster depicts a scene set in a Tokyo café where two women discuss topics like love, war, and politics. Hoshi Moeka portrays the older woman, who complains about her boyfriend, while Ca Non, from the idol group Gang Parade, plays the younger woman who has feelings for the other woman. The poster uses black-and-white stills to reflect the subtle emotional tension between the characters.[9]
The festival unveiled the full lineup of the 38th edition in a press conference held on October 1, 2025.[10]
The festival concluded on November 5, 2025 with Michael Rivas as master of ceremonies. Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo was chief guest. In this edition 184 films were screened, with 69,162 admissions. 163,009 audience attended the various events held during the festival.[11]
Juries
The juries consists of the following members:[12][13]
Main competition
- Carlo Chatrian, journalist, cinema critic and artistic director – Jury president
- Gwei Lun-mei, Taiwanese actress
- Matthieu Laclau, Film editor
- Takumi Saitoh, Japanese actor and filmmaker
- Vivian Qu, Chinese film director, screenwriter and producer
TIFF Ethical Film Award
- Elaiza Ikeda, Philippine-born Japanese actress, fashion model and singer, President of the jury
- Uozumi Soichiro
- Sudo Rimi
- Tsumura Yuka
Asian Future Jury
- Ellen Y.D. Kim, Director of Asian Contents & Film Market, Busan International Film Festival
- Matsunaga Daishi, Director
- Nishizawa Akihiro, Programming Manager
Screening venues
The following venues will host the festival screenings.[14][15]
- Marunouchi TOEI
- Marunouchi Piccadilly
- Toho Cinemas Hibiya
- Yurakucho Yomiuri Hall
- Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho
- Humantrust Cinema Yurakucho
- Cine Switch Ginza (Chuo City)
- Toho Cinemas, Chanter
- Hulic Hall Tokyo
- Hibiya Step Square
- LEXUS MEETS...
- Mitsubishi Building 1F M+ Success
- Tokyo Takarazuka Theater (Chiyoda, Tokyo)
Official Selection
The festival from this year will consist of ten main sections.[16][17]
Opening and closing films
Climbing for Life by Junji Sakamoto will be opening film of the festival to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Junko Tabei's Everest achievement.[18]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country(ies) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening film | ||||
| Climbing for Life | てっぺんの向こうにあなたがいる | Junji Sakamoto | Japan | |
| Centerpiece Screening | ||||
| Tokyo Taxi | TOKYOタクシー | Yoji Yamada | Japan | |
| Closing film | ||||
| Hamnet | Chloé Zhao | United Kingdom, United States | ||
International Competition
The main competition has 15 films vying for Tokyo Grand Prix.[19]
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atropia | Hailey Gates | United States | |
| Blonde | 金髪 | Sakashita Yuichiro | Japan |
| Echoes of Motherhood | 恒星の向こう側 | Nakagawa Ryutaro | Japan |
| Golem in Pompei | Amos Gitai | France | |
| Heads or Tails? | Testa o croce? | Alessio Rigo de Righi, Matteo Zoppis | Italy, United States |
| Hen | Kota | György Pálfi | Greece, Germany, Hungary |
| Maria Vitória | Mário Patrocínio | Portugal | |
| Morte Cucina | ครัวสาว | Pen-ek Ratanaruang | Thailand |
| Mother | Мајка | Teona Strugar Mitevska | Belgium, North Macedonia |
| Mother Bhumi | 地母 | Chong Keat Aun | Malaysia, Hong Kong, Italy, Saudi Arabia |
| Mothertongue | 春树 | Zhang Lü | China |
| Palestine 36 | فلسطين ٣٦ | Annemarie Jacir | Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark |
| Sermon to the Void | Boşluğa xütbə | Hilal Baydarov | Azerbaijan, Mexico, Turkey |
| Take Off | Pengfei | China | |
| We Are the Fruits of the Forest | Nous sommes les fruits de la forêt | Rithy Panh | Cambodia, France |
Gala Selection
The following films were selected to be screened as part of the Gala Selection.[20]
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Boy Trial | Iizuka Kasho | Japan | ||
| Bring Him Down to a Portable Size | 兄を持ち運べるサイズに | Nakano Ryota | Japan / France / China | |
| Can't Cry With Your Face | 君の顔では泣けない | Sakashita Yuichiro | Japan | |
| Eddington | Ari Aster | United States | ||
| Holy Night: Demon Hunters | 거룩한 밤: 데몬 헌터스 | Lim Dae-hee | South Korea | |
| Love on Trial | 恋愛裁判 | Koji Fukada | Japan | |
| Night Flower | ナイトフラワー | Uchida Eiji | Japan | |
| One Last Throw | 栄光のバックホーム | Akiyama Jun | Japan | |
| Rental Family | Hikari | United States, Japan | ||
| She's Got No Name | 酱园弄·悬案 | Peter Chan | China | |
| Sirāt | Oliver Laxe | France, Spain | ||
| Sons of the Neon Night | 風林火山 | Juno Mak | China, Hong Kong | |
| Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere | Scott Cooper | United States | ||
World Focus
The following films were selected for the World Focus section, which focuses on international films.
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girls on Wire | 想飞的女孩 | Vivian Qu | China |
| Kiss of the Spider Woman | Bill Condon | United States | |
| Kopitiam Days | Yeo Siew Hua, Shoki Lin, M. Rihan Halim, Tan Siyou, Don Aravind, Ong Kuo Sin | Singapore | |
| The Lake | Le Lac | Fabrice Aragno | Switzerland |
| Magellan | Magalhães | Lav Diaz | Portugal, Spain, France, Philippines, Taiwan |
| Mare's Nest | Ben Rivers | United Kingdom, France, Canada | |
| The Mastermind | Kelly Reichardt | United States, United Kingdom | |
| Tunnels: Sun In The Dark | Địa đạo: Mặt trời trong bóng tối | Bui Thac Chuyen | Vietnam |
| The Captive | El cautivo | Alejandro Amenábar | Spain, Italy |
| Dreams | Michel Franco | Mexico, United States | |
| Matador | Pedro Almodóvar | Spain | |
| The Wave | La ola | Sebastián Lelio | Chile |
| April | 丟包阿公到我家 | Freddy Tang | Taiwan |
| Crown Shyness | 樹冠羞避 | Chang Chun-yu | Taiwan |
| Double Happiness | 雙囍 | Joseph Chen-chieh Hsu | Taiwan |
| The Waves Will Carry Us | 人生海海 | Lau Kek-huat | Taiwan |
| Kika | Alexe Poukine | Belgium, France | |
| Vitrival – The Most Beautiful Village in the World | Vitrival | Noëlle Bastin, Baptiste Bogaert | Belgium |
| Black God, White Devil | Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol | Glauber Rocha | Brazil |
| The Dragon of Wickedness Against the Holy Warrior | O Dragão da Maldade contra o Santo Guerreiro | Glauber Rocha | Brazil |
| Central Station | Central do Brasil | Walter Salles | Brazil |
| White House | Kasa Branca | Luciano Vidigal | Brazil |
| The Blue Trail | O Último Azul | Gabriel Mascaro | Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands, Chile |
| Milton Bituca Nascimento | Flávia Moraes | Brazil | |
Asian Future
The following films were selected to compete in the Asian Future section, which features films from Asian directors who have directed a maximum of three feature films.
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journey into Sato Tadao | Terasaki Mizuho | Japan | |
| The Chatterboxes | Kawai Ken | Japan | |
| Far in the Middle of the East | Door Dar Mianeh Shargh | Arash Aneessee | Iran, Austria |
| The Greatest Funeral Hits | En Güzel Cenaze Şarkıları | Ziya Demirel | Turkey |
| Halo | 헤일로 | Roh Young-wan | South Korea |
| Kiiroiko | きいろいこ | Imai Mika | Japan |
| Linka Linka | 林卡林卡 | Kangdrun | China |
| Noah’s Daughter | دختر نوح | Amirreza Jalalian | Iran |
| Number 23 | 第二十三号 | Xia Hao | China |
| The Old Man and His Car | Michael Kam | Singapore | |
| Tomorrow’s Min-Jae | 내일의 민재 | Park Young-jae | South Korea |
Nippon Cinema Now
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saikai Paradise | 西海楽園 | Tsuruoka Keiko | Japan | |
| White Flowers and Fruits | 白の花実 | Sakamoto Yukari | Japan | |
| In Their Traces | 魂のきせき | Kobayashi Shigeru | Japan | |
| Echoes of the Orient | Yang Liping | Japan | ||
| All Greens | 万事快調〈オール・グリーンズ〉 | Koyama Takashi | Japan | |
| Poca Pon | ポカポン | Ohtsuka Shin-ichi | Japan | |
| TimeLimit | Elizabeth Miyaji | Japan | ||
| Lost Land | Harà Watan | Akio Fujimoto | Japan, France, Malaysia, Germany | |
| Special screening | ||||
| Dear Stranger | ディア・ストレンジャー | Tetsuya Mariko | Japan, Taiwan, United States | |
Women’s Empowerment
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Sunset | Kunsang Kyirong | Canada | |
| About Me | Nomoto Kozue | Japan | |
| Cinema Jazireh | Kino Džazíra | Gözde Kural | Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania |
| Happy Birthday | هابي بيرث داي | Sarah Goher | Egypt |
| I Am Nevenka | Soy Nevenka | Icíar Bollaín | Spain, Italy |
| Sato and Sato | 佐藤さんと佐藤さん | Chihiro Amano | Japan |
| Someone Like Me | 像我這樣的愛情 | Tam Wai-ching | Hong Kong |
Animation
The following films were selected for the Animation section.
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allah Is Not Obliged | Allah n'est pas obligé | Zaven Najjar | France |
| Angel's Egg 4K Restoration | 天使のたまご 4Kリマスター | Mamoru Oshii | Japan |
| ChaO | チァオ | Yasuhiro Aoki | Japan |
| Decorado | Alberto Vázquez | Spain, Portugal | |
| I Am Frankelda | Soy Frankelda | Roy Ambriz, Arturo Ambriz | Mexico |
| The Last Blossom | ホウセンカ | Baku Kinoshita | Japan |
Japanese Classics
The following films were selected for the Japanese Classics section.[21]
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | April Story | 四月物語 | Shunji Iwai | Japan |
| 1958 | Conflagration | 炎上 | Kon Ichikawa | Japan |
| 1985 | Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters | Paul Schrader | United States, Japan | |
| 1996 | Shall We Dance? | Shall we ダンス? | Masayuki Suo | Japan |
| 1996 | Swallowtail Butterfly | スワロウテイル? | Shunji Iwai | Japan |
Youth
The following films were selected for the Youth section.
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) | Joel Alfonso Vargas | United States | |
| The Stranger | L'Étranger | François Ozon | France |
| TIFF 2025: Teens Meet Cinema - World Premiere Screening Event + TIFF Teens Cine Club 2025 Presentation | TIFFティーンズ映画教室2025上映会 + TIFFティーンズ・シネクラブ2025報告会 | Panelists:Ikematsu Sosuke (Actor / Member of Cine Club), Dohi Etsuko (Children Meet Cinema) | Japan |
| TIFF International Symposium on Film Education: Challenges for Film Education Networks and Practitioners | TIFF映画教育国際シンポジウム2025～映画教育のネットワークと担い手の課題～ | Panelists: Veerle Snijders (Eye Filmmuseum), Iwasaki Yuko / Suwa Nobuhiro / Dohi Etsuko | Japan |
TIFF Series
The following television series were selected for the TIFF Series section.
| English Title | Original Title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scandal Eve | スキャンダルイブ | Kanai Kou | Japan |
Awards
The awards were announced on November 5 in the closing ceremony:[22]
- Tokyo Grand Prix, (The Governor of Tokyo Award): Palestine 36 by Annemarie Jacir, Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark
- Special Jury Prize: We Are the Fruits of the Forest by Rithy Panh
- Award for Best Director:
- Zhang Lü for Mothertongue
- Alessio Rigo de Righi, Matteo Zoppis for Heads or Tails?
- Award for Best Actor: Wang Chuanjun for Mothertongue
- Award for Best Actress: Momoko Fukuchi and Naomi Kawase for Echoes of Motherhood
- Award for Best Artistic Contribution: Mother by Teona Strugar Mitevska, Belgium, North Macedonia
- The Audience Award: Blonde by Sakashita Yuichiro, Japan
- Asian Future Best Film Award: Halo by Roh Young-wan, South Korea
- TIFF Ethical Film Award: White House by Luciano Vidigal, Brazil
- Asian Students’ Grand Prix Award: Floating by Lee Ji-yun, South Korea
- Kurosawa Akira Award:
- Lee Sang-il, Japanese film director and screenwriter
- Chloé Zhao, Chinese-born filmmaker[23]
- Lifetime Achievement Award:
- Sayuri Yoshinaga, Japanese actress and activist[24]
- Yoji Yamada, Japanese film director[25]
References
- ^ Patrick Brzeski (27 October 2025). "Tokyo Film Festival Gets Underway With Glitzy Opening Ceremony". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ Abid Rahman (3 September 2025). "Carlo Chatrian Named Jury President at Tokyo Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Abid Rahman (27 August 2025). "Chloé Zhao, Lee Sang-il Set for Tokyo Film Fest's Kurosawa Akira Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Hiraoka, Haruto (4 November 2025). "Kokuho' director Lee Sang-il gets Kurosawa honor at Tokyo festival". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ Naman Ramachandran (21 October 2025). "Yamada Yoji to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Tokyo Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ^ Naman Ramachandran (5 November 2025). "'Palestine 36' Wins Top Prize at Tokyo Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ^ "Film Submissions Open for the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival". Tokyo International Film Festival. 7 July 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "TIFF Unveils Closing Film, Gala Selection and Animation Titles with Official Poster and Trailer". Tokyo International Film Festival. 19 September 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ^ "38th TIFF Unveils Full Lineup". Tokyo International Film Festival. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Grand Prix Goes to "Palestine 36″; Closing Film: "Hamnet"". Tokyo International Film Festival. 6 November 2025. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Patrick Frater (3 September 2025). "Former Berlin, Locarno Chief Carlo Chatrian Named Jury President for Tokyo International Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Michael Rosser (4 September 2025). "Carlo Chatrian to lead Tokyo film festival competition jury". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Screening Venues". Tokyo International Film Festival. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Venues". Tokyo International Film Festival. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Naman Ramachandran (1 October 2025). "Fan Bingbing's 'Mother Bhumi,' Zhang Ziyi's 'She Has No Name' Among Selections as Tokyo Film Festival Unveils Full Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Shackleton, Liz (1 October 2025). "Tokyo Film Festival Unveils Competition Line-Up With World Premieres From Rithy Panh, Amos Gitai, Chong Keat Aun & Zhang Lu". Deadline. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Michael Rosser (8 September 2025). "Junji Sakamoto's 'Climbing For Life' to open Tokyo film festival 2025". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Matt Schley (1 October 2025). "Tokyo reveals lineup with Chong Keat Aun, Rithy Panh, Amos Gitai world premieres". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Rosser, Michael (18 September 2025). "'Hamnet' to close Tokyo film festival as gala, animation line-ups revealed". Screen Daily. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
- ^ Patrick Brzeski (1 October 2025). "Paul Schrader's 'Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters' to Finally Screen in Japan After 40-Year De Facto Ban". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ Abid Rahman (5 November 2025). "Tokyo: 'Palestine 36' Takes Grand Prix, Zhang Lu's 'Mothertongue' Wins Two Prizes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ^ Naman Ramachandran (26 August 2025). "Chloé Zhao, Lee Sang-il to Receive Tokyo Film Festival's Kurosawa Akira Award". Variety. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "38th Tokyo International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award to Honor Yoshinaga Sayuri, Star of Opening Film "Climbing for Life"". Tokyo International Film Festival. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
- ^ Shackleton, Liz (21 October 2025). "Tokyo Film Festival To Present Lifetime Achievement Award To Yoji Yamada". Deadline. Retrieved 22 October 2025.