Tokyo Film Festival Introduces New Women’s Empowerment Section

The Tokyo International Film Festival will inaugurate its first Women’s Empowerment section. This year’s festival will also feature works by director Irie Yu in the Nippon Cinema Now strand.

Asian film festivals have lagged behind their North American and European counterparts in incorporating principles of diversity, equality, and inclusion. However, in 2021, the Tokyo festival became the first in Asia to sign with Collectif 50/50, which promotes gender equality in the film industry.

The festival’s new section is described as a major step forward in addressing gender issues, celebrating women’s achievements, and broadening the horizons of future cinema.

Co-hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, the Women’s Empowerment section will spotlight films directed by women and those centered on female-focused themes. Seven titles are expected to be featured this year.

Andrijana Cvetkovikj, the first Macedonian ambassador to Japan and former jury member of Amazon Prime Video Take One Award at the 34th TIFF in 2021, will serve as senior programmer for the Women’s Empowerment section.

“For years, screen representation has been limited by a predominantly male perspective, missing a fuller range of experiences. However, with advancements in digital technology, filmmaking has become more accessible, leading to a surge in female directors, writers, and protagonists. This year’s Tokyo IFF program highlights these emerging voices, celebrating their diverse stories and contributions to cinema,” said Cvetkovikj.

The section will also include a symposium and screening talk sessions in addition to film screenings.

The Nippon Cinema Now section, considered essential by Tokyo programmers for international participants to catch up on recent Japanese features, will showcase five films by Irie Yu: “8000 Miles: SR Saitama’s Rapper” (2009), “8000 Miles 2: Girls Rapper” (2010), “Roadside Fugitive” (2012), “The Sun” (2016), and his latest 2024 offering “A Girl Named Ann.”

“Irie Yu has consistently released exciting films while moving between independent films and major studio productions, and he is recognized as one of the key figures shaping the future of Japanese cinema. With the release of his masterpiece ‘A Girl Named Ann,’ which marks a significant milestone in his career, we have curated this feature not only to celebrate his accomplishments to date, but also to help pave the way for his well-deserved recognition abroad,” said Tokyo IFF programmer Ichiyama Shozo.

The festival runs from October 28 to November 6, with its accompanying TIFFCOM rights market scheduled for October 30 to November 1, 2024. The bulk of the festival’s lineup will be announced in late September.

Source: Variety