The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival has unveiled its complete program, led by a 15-film main competition featuring work by Indonesian director Garin Nugroho, Japanese filmmaker Mishima Yukiko and Hong Kong-based Qiu Jiongjiong.
The competition spans world and Asian premieres. Seven titles receive world premieres: âThe Canaryâs Lullaby,â a Taiwan-Japan co-production directed by Ikeda Akira; Qiu Jiongjiongâs âFuxi: Four Tales of Feasting,â produced across Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar; Yamamoto Akiraâs Japanese drama âThe Intertwiningâ; Wang Jiangyongâs France-Hong Kong co-production âThe Night That Binds Usâ; Nugrohoâs âRed Before Dawnâ from Indonesia; Milcho Manchevskiâs North Macedonia-led ensemble âSister Brother Manhole Coverâ; and Mishima Yukikoâs âTwo Cigarettes, Three Nightsâ from Japan.
The remaining eight competition titles arrive as Asian premieres. Lisandro Alonsoâs Chile-Argentina co-production âDouble Freedomâ will screen alongside Teodora Ana Mihaiâs Belgian soccer-disaster drama âHeysel 85,â Rubaiyat Hossainâs France-Bangladesh co-production âThe Difficult Bride,â Samuele Rossiâs Italian film âEven If Hell Came,â Sun Xunâs Singapore title âMagic Atlas,â SĂ©rgio Gracianoâs Portuguese drama âMemories of Prison,â Iranian-Turkish director Bahman Ghobadiâs Turkey-set âTrees Are Watchingâ and Jelena MaksimoviÄâs Serbian co-production âUntil the Day Ends.â
The Asian Future competitive section will present 10 titles, eight of which receive world premieres. They include Navid Mohammadzadehâs Iranian film âIâm Nothing Special Reallyâ; Ariani Darmawanâs Indonesian title âJani Be Goodâ; Cai Ronglinâs âMiracle Summerâ from Japan; South Korean film âOn the Heightsâ by Kim Hyun-min; Tamil Nadu filmmaker Chezhiyanâs Indian entry âThe Paper Flowerâ; Kujiraoka Hironoriâs Japanese film âSaravahâ; Azamat Shargynâs Kazakh film âShyrmauyqâ; and Soheil Karimiâs Iranian drama âSilver.â Katski Floresâs Filipino title âEDJOPâ and Tareq Daoudâs Switzerland-Turkey co-production âSerife Tavsanâ will receive international premieres.
As previously announced, the Gala selection features Zeze Takahisaâs âSukiyakiâ as the opening film, while Yeon Sang-hoâs âColonyâ from South Korea takes the closing slot in a Japanese premiere. Yamazaki Takashiâs âGodzilla Minus Zeroâ serves as the centerpiece. Other Gala titles include Tony Gilroyâs âBehemoth!,â Cristian Mungiuâs âFjord,â Martin McDonaghâs âWild Horse Nine,â Wayne Wangâs âDiary of a Mad Old Man,â Rodrigo Sorogoyenâs âThe Belovedâ and Jane Schoenbrunâs âTeenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.â
The Nippon Cinema Now section will spotlight nine Japanese films. World premieres include Matsumura Shingoâs âBetween Us,â Matsubayashi Yojuâs âOkinawa Saudade,â Saito Kisinâs âKefi,â Ueda Shinichiroâs âEarthlings in Love,â Inudo Isshinâs âYamazaki Riverside -Over an Actorâs Shoulder-â and âPlastic Love!,â co-directed by Sybilla Patrizia and Clementine Nuttall.
The World Focus section features titles by Valeska Grisebach, Lav Diaz, Angela Schanelec and Indonesian director Edwin, plus a Taiwan Cinema Renaissance 2026 strand, an Australia Spotlight, a Youssef Chahine centenary retrospective and a tribute program for German filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger.
The Classics section will present 4K digitally remastered versions of Naruse Mikioâs âWhen a Woman Ascends the Stairsâ and âScattered Clouds,â alongside a Nikkatsu Roman Porno 55th anniversary retrospective and a TIFF/National Film Archive of Japan retrospective of Mizoguchi Kenjiâs work. Additional sections include Womenâs Empowerment, Animation â which features a âWomen Directors: Diverse Visionsâ strand â Crosscut Asia+ and Youth.
Programming director Ichiyama Shozo leads the selection alongside senior programmer Ishizaka Kenji, who oversees Asian Future.