If the organizers of the Tokyo Worldwide Movie Competition might have chosen the backdrop to a serious revamp of the occasion, a worldwide pandemic seemingly wouldn’t have appeared excessive on their checklist of decisions. However typically life offers you lemons.
Final yr noticed new chairman Hiroyasu Ando take the reins for a hybrid version impacted by the coronavirus. This yr the occasion has relocated to the Hibiya-Ginza district within the hope of making a extra festive really feel, whereas the person tasked with overhauling the content material facet is new programming director Shozo Ichiyama.
A movie competition veteran, Ichiyama can be identified for his work as a producer with Chinese language auteur Jia Zhangke, celebrated Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien and Japan’s personal Takeshi Kitano.
For Ichiyama, the transfer away from the Roppongi Hills complicated after practically 20 years is one thing of a return to the texture of the competition’s roots.
“In Shibuya, the place it was held till the early 2000s, once you went to look at movies, you could possibly additionally benefit from the city. In addition to the theaters, there have been was a stage in entrance of the station, flags and banners on the road, and low outlets the place folks would get collectively,” recollects Ichiyama.
“Roppongi was handy, however remoted from the city; for a competition, it’s worthwhile to join with the city. Like in Cannes or Berlin, the place the venues are scattered inside strolling distance,” says Ichiyama, who has hopes that such an environment may be fostered in its new residence.
Nonetheless, this yr’s new-look fest goes to be one thing of a dry run. Although greater than 70 % of Japan’s inhabitants is totally vaccinated, every day COVID-19 circumstances in Tokyo are within the low double digits and cinemas open at full capability, journey restrictions imply solely a handful of abroad visitors will likely be in attendance.
Those that obtained particular authorities permission to enter Japan, reminiscent of French actress and jury president Isabelle Huppert, will quarantine for 3 days after which have their actions restricted – the identical guidelines as have been utilized to Olympic athletes and officers.
When it comes to a silver lining, the pandemic has led some festivals to scale back the variety of movies screened, giving Tokyo entry to a wider selection for its competitors.
“We tried to maintain a [regional] stability for the competitors, nevertheless it ended up with a really sturdy Asian lineup,” explains Ichiyama. “Then once more, that’s appropriately, we’re an Asian competition.”
However, Hollywood productions will open and shut the competition – Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho and Stephen Chbosky’s musical Pricey Evan Hansen, respectively – one thing of a departure from latest years, when Japanese movies typically crammed these slots.
Ichiyama is overseeing and rejigging the programming for all the fest’s sections, which he says up to now have been “not effectively related.” As a part of the brand new look, the screenings of very mainstream fare that have been launched in an try to attract in native audiences have been axed, although he says there’s nonetheless a spot for “good industrial movies.”
The Tokyo fest confronted criticism up to now that it was run principally by, and for the good thing about, the “large 4” Japanese studios. Ichiyama is a former worker of main Shochiku, and first labored on the competition in that capability within the Nineteen Nineties. However he has since established impeccable indie and worldwide credentials via operating the Tokyo Filmex competition (which is unspooling alongside its larger counterpart as the 2 occasions proceed to deepen their cooperation) for 20 years and his intensive work with abroad administrators.
“I’m making an attempt to exclude movies that solely work for Japanese audiences,” says Ichiyama.
For the worldwide sections, he has “included just a few style movies,” which Ichiyama says, “could have folks asking why I did that, however I believe these are movies that may succeed on the competition.”
Ichiyama says he’s curious to learn the way each audiences and programmers from different fests react to his choice.
As for the longer term, as soon as the pandemic is over, he plans to hold on leveraging his worldwide connections to boost Tokyo’s profile on the competition circuit.
“If influential folks from the trade come, then that offers one more reason apart from the movies for different folks to make the journey,” suggests Ichiyama.
