Tokyo Film Festival Launches New Competition, Southeast Asian Section and Women’s Cinema Award

At this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival, organizers announced three new initiatives. The Nippon Cinema Now competition will present a Best Film award and a Special Jury Prize, judged by a mixed Japanese-international panel, aiming to promote Japanese filmmakers from newcomers to veterans. A revived Crosscut Asia+ section, developed with the Japan Foundation, will feature a Southeast Asian-Japanese curated lineup each year; the inaugural “Side by Side” program includes six films selected by programmers Raslene and Ueda Masayuki, with academic advisor Markus Nornes.

The festival also launched the Kawakita Kashiko Award, created by the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute to recognize women advancing cinema, with film critic Hata Sahoko receiving the inaugural honor. The award’s selection committee includes Sakano Yuka, Yamasaki Toshi and Onda Yasuko. The 39th edition runs Oct. 26-Nov. 4, accompanied by the TIFFCOM market organized by Japanese ministries and Unijapan.