Film / Reviews Dec 16, 2020
‘Hold Me Back’: Listen to the voice in your head
by Mark Schilling
Akiko Ohku’s charming rom-com explores the inner struggles of working women in modern-day Tokyo.
Film Nov 11, 2020
Japanese rom-com 'Hold Me Back' wins sole prize awarded at 2020 Tokyo film festival
Director Akiko Ohku received the Audience Award for her film, "Hold Me Back." She also won the award at the festival in 2017 for "Tremble All You Want."
Film Oct 30, 2020
Filmmaker Eiji Han Shimizu finds his 'True North' in animated film about North Korea
by Julia Marino
Eiji Han Shimizu seeks to accurately reflect the experiences of prisoners in North Korean camps with his animated film.
Film Oct 22, 2020
Veteran Koji Yakusho brings his movie star clout to the Tokyo International Film Festival
by James Hadfield
This year’s TIFF ambassador discusses the festival experience, the effects of COVID-19 on the film industry, and discovering his inner Marie Kondo.
Film May 28, 2020
Tokyo joins world film festivals for 10-day YouTube event
by James Hadfield
Tokyo International Film Festival's competition programmer says that We Are One is just the start of a more digital-friendly future for festivals.
Film | Wide Angle Nov 8, 2019
by Matt Schley
In today's world of visual entertainment, it's hard to argue that Japan has any stronger export than animation. The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), which this year ran from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5, seems to be waking up to that fact. From 2014 to ...
Film Oct 31, 2019
Nobuhiko Obayashi: A life spent working among Japan's movie greats
by Mark Schilling
As the Tokyo International Film Festival stages a retrospective of his work, filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi talks of a past working with movie greats, such as Akira Kurosawa
Film Oct 30, 2019
Shin Adachi's mission to bust the myth of marital bliss in 'A Beloved Wife'
by James Hadfield
Shin Adachi discusses his latest feature, 'A Beloved Wife,' which will be screened in the main competition at the 2019 Tokyo International Film Festival
Film Oct 23, 2019
Yoji Yamada and Tora-san: The resurrection of a Japanese film institution
by Mark Schilling
The latest installment in Japan's long-running 'Tora-san' series opens the Tokyo International Film Festival as the series marks its 50th installment on its 50th anniversary
Film | Wide Angle Oct 3, 2019
Tokyo International Film Festival to celebrate homegrown talent
by Alyssa I. Smith
The 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival kicks off on Oct. 28, and promises a celebration of local talent alongside its program of interntional films
Film / Reviews Apr 24, 2019
'Lust in a Karaoke Box': Celebrating the joys of student life
by Mark Schilling
When I taught at colleges here in the 1980s, I marveled at my students' freedom, including freedom from study. They could spend most of their waking hours at part-time jobs or club activities and still, somehow, graduate. But, as Shinya Tamada's ensemble drama, "Lust in ...
Film Nov 2, 2018
French film 'Amanda' takes top prize at Tokyo International Film Festival
by Philip Brasor
French director Mikhael Hers' family drama, "Amanda," was awarded the Grand Prix at the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival on Friday. Edoardo De Angelis, meanwhile, took top directing honors for his emotional Italian drama "The Vice of Hope," a film that also won his wife, ...