Tokyo International Film Festival Closes its Record-Setting 38th Edition

The 38th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) successfully concluded its ten-day run of screenings and events across the Hibiya-Marunouchi-Yurakucho-Ginza area, powerfully reaffirming cinema’s capacity to bridge cultural divides and foster deeper global understanding. This year’s edition presented a substantial program of 184 films, drawing over 69,000 admissions and attracting more than 160,000 attendees to related festival events.

The festival’s top honor, the Tokyo Grand Prix, Governor of Tokyo Award, was presented to the compelling Palestinian feature Palestine 36, directed by Annemarie Jacir. The film deeply resonated with the jurors due to its striking portrayal of an often-overlooked historical period and its profound emotional depth. Actress Wardi Eilabouni accepted the trophy on behalf of the absent director. Governor Koike Yuriko personally lauded the film’s central message of promoting human connection amidst increasing global divisions.

In other competitive categories, the Special Jury Prize was awarded to Rithy Panh for We Are the Fruits of the Forest, a poignant cinematic reflection on themes of community, resilience, and the devastating consequences of environmental loss. The Best Director Award resulted in a rare tie, shared between Zhang Lu for his film Mothertongue and the Italian directorial duo Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis for Heads or Tails?, an outcome that honored both Asian and European cinematic innovation equally.

The acting categories recognized excellence from both sides of the camera. The Best Actress Award was jointly presented to Fukuchi Momoko and Kawase Naomi for their work in Echoes of Motherhood, while Wang Chuanjun secured the Best Actor prize for his performance in Mothertongue. Further recognizing technical and creative innovation, Teona Strugar Mitevska received the Award for Best Artistic Contribution for her film Mother. Finally, the Audience Award, voted on by festival-goers, was claimed by Sakashita Yuichiro’s Japanese dramedy, Blonde.

In the dedicated side sections, the Asian Future section’s Best Film Award was claimed by Roh Young-wan’s Halo. Meanwhile, Lee Ji-yun’s Floating took the top honor in the newly established Asian Students’ Film Conference section. Beyond the competitive awards, the festival conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards upon the esteemed Japanese cinematic figures Yamada Yoji and Yoshinaga Sayuri. The prestigious Kurosawa Akira Award recognized the influential work of both Lee Sang-il and Chloé Zhao.

The festival concluded on a high note with the screening of Hamnet, a film written, directed, and produced by Chloé Zhao. Zhao also participated in a special TIFF Lounge conversation with fellow acclaimed filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu. Reflecting on the overall success, TIFF Chairman Ando Hiroyasu emphasized the continuing importance of cultural exchange and underscored the inherently unifying power of cinema in the modern world.