Any cinephile that may have left the Tokyo International Film Festival feeling underwhelmed by its high-profile film showings can get their art-cinema fix at this often-underrated rival — Tokyo Filmex.
This event is centered around a main competition featuring 10 films by both established and up-and-coming filmmakers from all over the globe. This year, the special jury of industry professionals include Japanese actress Makiko Watanabe, French producer Isabelle Glachant, Japanese producer Hiroko Matsuda and Chinese director Liang Ying. Among the notable nominations is director Tom Shoval's "Youth," a raw portrayal of contemporary Israeli society that won best full-length feature at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
Outside of the core competition, another block of 10 international films are being featured, with works that cover narrative, documentary and film shorts. Two special program screenings are also planned. The first showing three classic films by French director Jean Gremillon, which seldom have been shown in Japan and the second featuring three new prints of Japanese director Noboru Nakamura's films, all with updated English subtitles.
For those also interested in making films, "Talent Campus Tokyo 2013," which takes place on six days of the festival, has invited 15 young filmmakers to have their projects critiqued by industry professionals. The project aims to offer advice to and inspire all promising filmmakers, as well as encourage them to reach their full potential. For any fan of international art cinema, this should be a thought-provoking event that can help bridge cultural gaps through the shared passion for cinema.
Tokyo Flimex takes place from Nov. 23 to Dec. 1. at Yurakucho Asahi Hall, Tokyo Cinemas Nichigeki. Tickets are ¥1,800 per day (¥1,300 if bought in advance). For more information, visit filmex.net/2013/en
