Since 2007, when he took over as programming director of the Tokyo International Film Festival's Competition section, Yoshihiko "Yoshi" Yatabe has been a point person in TIFF's drive to elevate its status in the region and the world. A former film distributor, publicist and producer, Yatabe joined the TIFF staff in 2002 and has become the festival's trim, energetic, habitually smiling face.
As a programmer, Yatabe tells The Japan Times, he does not distinguish between so-called indie and commercial films. "It's not something I'm conscious of," he says. "What counts is whether a film is good or not."
But getting those "good" films, he admits is "not always easy," especially when they are world premieres with major stars who might also be in demand from a bigger festival such as Cannes. "I don't know if that (sort of film) is always such a good thing," he says. "But I do know that I want a mix of young directors with a few proven veterans." Not that he disdains world premieres: There are six in the 15-film Competition section, all from Japan and Asia.