OVERVIEW

The 22nd Tokyo International Film Festival continued with the theme of Ecology implemented in the previous year, and established the GCC Green Carpet Club, providing further opportunities to think about the Earth‘s environment through film. Employing the slogan, “Film has the power to change mankind, mankind has the power to change the Earth,” TIFF became the film festival that brings film, Earth and mankind together.
The Green Carpet was again used at the TIFF opening event this year and was also used for the closing event, as well as the event venues. The total length of 1,600m of Green Carpet was made with approximately 23,000, 500ml plastic bottles.
This year marked the sixth anniversary of the Japanese Eyes section, with its key word “diversity.” Aiming to discover rough-cut hidden gems, the section screened a number of independent films. From experienced directors to rookies, with music, romance, teen films and Japanese aesthetics, the section covered a wide range of themes and profoundly boosted the spirits of the audience this year.

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1. At the opening ceremony, AVATAR Special Presentation was held with special guests including producer Jon Landau and actors Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, and Sigourney Weaver. 2. Codirectors Jacques Perrins (center) and Jacques Cluzaud (right) walk the green carpet prior to the opening screening of their special invitation film Oceans, escorted by Japan theme song vocalists Norimasa Fujisawa and Ayaka Hirahara (left), and narrator Rie Miyazawa (second from right). 3. Director Carlos Reygadas, whose films were featured in a special program in the WORLD CINEMA section. 4. Director Sebastián Cordero (center), whose film Rabia won the Special Jury Prize, with lead actress Martina García (left) and executive producer Guadalupe Balaguer Trelles. 5. Singer Eikichi Yazawa, the subject of Special Screenings film E. YAZAWA ROCK. 6. Actor Hiroyuki Sanada, whose films were the focus of the all-night Filmmaker's Angle program. 7. From left: director Tetsuaki Matsue, actor Tsugumi Nagasawa, and singer-songwriter Kenta Maeno, whose film LIVE TAPE won the Japanese Eyes section's Best Picture Award. 8. Actor and Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia president Tetsuya Bessho (left), who served on the TOYOTA Earth Grand Prix jury, with Tokyo International Women's Film Festival director Yoko Otake.

Awards

Competition Total number of applications: 743 films from 81 countries / regions

Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix - The Governor of Tokyo Award

Eastern Plays / Director: Kamen Kalev

Special Jury Prize

Rabia / Director: Sebastián Cordero

Best Director Award

Kamen Kalev / Eastern Plays

Best Actress Award

Julie Gayet / Eight Times Up

Best Actor Award

Christo Christov / Eastern Plays

Best Artistic Contribution Award

No Winner

Audience Award

The Trotsky / Director: Jacob Tierney

TOYOTA Earth Grand Prix

TOYOTA Earth Grand Prix

Wolf / Director: Nicolas Vanier

Winds of Asia - Middle East

Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film Award

A Brand New Life / Director: Ounie Lecomte

Special Contribution Award

Director: Yasmin Ahmad

Special Mention

I Saw the Sun / Director: Mahsun Kırmızıgül

Japanese Eyes

Best Picture Award

LIVE TAPE / Director: Tetsuaki Matsue

Juries

Competition

President of the Jury

Alejandro González Iñárritu (Director)

Jury

Mieko Harada (Actress)

Jerzy Skolimowski (Director / Actor)

Caroline Champetier (Director of Photography)

Yoo Ji Tae (Actor / Director)

Masamichi Matsumoto (Cinémathèque Director)

TOYOTA Earth Grand Prix

Jury

Etsuko Takano (General Producer of Tokyo International Women's Film Festival)

Tetsuya Bessho (Actor / President of Short Shorts Film Festival)

Tom Yoda (Chairman, TIFF & TIFFCOM)

Winds of Asia-Middle East Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film Award

Jury

Koshi Ueno (Film critic, President of Japan Journalist College)

Kim Ji-seok (Program Director of Pusan International Film Festival)

Tetsuo Shinohara (Director)

Japanese Eyes

Jury

Yuko Sekiguchi (Chief Editor of "Variety Japan")

Takashi Kitakoji (Film Critic; Associate Professor, Department of Film Production, Kyoto University of Art and Design; Staff Researcher, National Film Center, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo)

Hiroshi Kashiwabara (Screenplay Writer / Writers Association of Japan, President)

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