Tokyo International Film Festival remains an ambitious also-ran on the circuit, even if its regional-movie showings give cheer
A few days before the 20th Tokyo International Film Festival opened on Oct. 20, an informed friend told me that the festival's Grand Prix cash prize of $50,000 is the richest prize on offer at any film festival.
With this in mind, you could be confused for thinking that TIFF's organizers believe money can make a difference when it comes to programming. They did present some significant new films, including Wes Anderson's well-received "The Darjeeling Limited" and Michael Winterbottom's movie about the murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, "A Mighty Heart," but they were in the Special Screenings section, which is basically a showcase where local distributors promote movies they are about to release.