34th Tokyo International Film Festival

The 34th Tokyo International Film Festival was a film festival that took place from 30 October to 8 November 2021. This was the first iteration of the festival in two years, as the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival due to be held in 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[1] French actress Isabelle Huppert served as jury president.[2] With Vera Dreams of the Sea winning the Tokyo Grand Prix, the festival's top prize, Kaltrina Krasniqi became the third female director to achieve the prize, after Caroline Link in 1997 and Lorraine Lévy in 2012.[3]

34th Tokyo International Film Festival
Official poster of the 34th Tokyo International Film Festival
Opening filmCry Macho
Closing filmDear Evan Hansen
LocationTokyo, Japan
Founded1985
AwardsTokyo Grand Prix: Vera Dreams of the Sea
Festival date30 October–8 November 2021
Website2021.tiff-jp.net/en/
Tokyo International Film Festival
32nd
33rd (cancelled)

The official poster for the festival was created by fashion designer Koshino Junko and is intended to represent the theme of "crossing borders" created by the COVID-19 pandemic, socioeconomic disparities, and international conflict.[4]

The festival opened with Cry Macho directed by Clint Eastwood[5] and closed with Dear Evan Hansen directed by Stephen Chbosky.[6]

Juries

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International Competition

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  • Isabelle Huppert, French actress
  • Aoyama Shinji, Japanese writer-director
  • Chris Fujiwara, American film critic
  • Lorna Tee, Malaysian producer
  • Hiroko Sebu, Japanese film score composer

Asian Future

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  • Han Yanli, Japanese professor at the University of Tokyo
  • Hojo Masato, Japanese film distribution manager
  • Ishii Yuya, Japanese director

Amazon Prime Video Take One

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Venues

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The following 7 venues were hosted the festival screenings.[7]

Official Selection

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Competition

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The following films were selected to compete for the Tokyo Grand Prix.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Arisaka Mikhail Red Philippines
Californie Alessandro Cassigoli, Casey Kauffman Italy
Crane Lantern Durna Çırağı Hilal Baydarov Azerbaijan
Hommage 오마주 Shin Su-won South Korea
Just Remembering ちょっと思い出しただけ Daigo Matsui Japan
La civil Teodora Mihai Belgium, Romania, Mexico
One and Four 一个和四个 Jigme Trinley China
Payback Resbak Brillante Mendoza Philippines
Poet Ақын Darezhan Omirbaev Kazakhstan
The Daughter La hija Manuel Martín Cuenca Spain
The Dawning of the Day Alborada Asoka Handagama Sri Lanka
The Four Walls Dört Duvar Bahman Ghobadi Turkey
The Other Tom El otro Tom Rodrigo Plá, Laura Santullo Mexico, United States
Third Time Lucky 三度目の、正直 Tadashi Nohara Japan
Vera Dreams of the Sea Vera andrron detin Kaltrina Krasniqi Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania

Asian Future

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The following films were selected for the Asian Future section.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
American Girl 美國女孩 Fiona Roan Feng-i Taiwan
Asu Sanjeewa Pushpakumara Sri Lanka
Somebody's Flowers 誰かの花 Yusuke Okuda Japan
The Brittle Thread Jhini Bini Chadariya Ritesh Sharma India
The Brokers Daniel R. Palacio Philippines
The Coffin Painter 异乡来客 Da Fei China
The Last Birds of Passage Turna Misali Iffet Eren Danisman Boz Turkey
The Nighthawk's First Love よだかの片想い Yuka Yasukawa Japan
When Pomegranates Howl Vaght-e Chigh-e Anar Granaz Moussavi Afghanistan, Australia, Netherlands, Iran
World, Northern Hemisphere Jahan, Nimkoreh-e Shomali Hossein Tehrani Iran

Gala Selection

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The following films were selected to be screened as part of the Gala Selection.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Churuli ചുരുളി Lijo Jose Pellissery India
Cry Macho Clint Eastwood United States
Dear Evan Hansen Stephen Chbosky United States
Gensan Punch Brillante Mendoza Philippines, Japan
Last Night in Soho Edgar Wright United Kingdom
Limbo 智齒 Soi Cheang Hong Kong
Memoria Apichatpong Weerasethakul Colombia, Thailand, France, Germany, Mexico, Qatar
Raging Fire 怒火 Benny Chan Hong Kong, China
The Eyes of Tammy Faye Michael Showalter United States
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun Wes Anderson United States
The Hand of God È stata la mano di Dio Paolo Sorrentino Italy
The Power of the Dog Jane Campion New Zealand, Australia

World Focus

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The following films were selected for the World Focus section, which focuses on international films.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Il buco Michelangelo Frammartino Italy, France, Germany
Libertad Clara Roquet Spain, Belgium
Murina Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović [fr; hr; sh] Croatia, Brazil, United States, Slovenia
Swan Song Todd Stephens United States
Terrorizers 青春弒戀 Ho Wi-ding Taiwan
The Box La caja Lorenzo Vigas United States, Mexico
Veneciafrenia Álex de la Iglesia Spain
Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas Edwin Indonesia, Singapore, Germany

Nippon Cinema Now

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The following films were selected for Nippon Cinema Now, which aims to introduce Japanese films to international audiences.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Blue ブルー Keisuke Yoshida Japan
Himeanole ヒメアノ~ル Keisuke Yoshida Japan
Intimate Stranger 親密な他人 Mayu Nakamura Japan
Intolerance 空白 Keisuke Yoshida Japan
Moonlight Shadow ムーンライト・シャドウ Edmund Yeo Japan
Nagisa なぎさ Takeshi Kogahara Japan
Riverside Mukolitta 川っぺりムコリッタ Naoko Ogigami Japan
Spaghetti Code Love スパゲティコード・ラブ Takeshi Maruyama Japan
The Unnamable Dance 名付けようのない踊り Isshin Inudo Japan
What She Likes... 彼女が好きなものは Shogo Kusano Japan

Japanese Animation

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The following films were selected for the Japanese Animation section.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Chie the Brat: Downtown Story じゃりン子チエ Isao Takahata Japan
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko 漁港の肉子ちゃん Ayumu Watanabe Japan
Goodbye, Don Glees! グッバイ、ドン・グリーズ! Atsuko Ishizuka Japan
Hula Fulla Dance フラ・フラダンス Seiji Mizushima Japan
Hyohyo: Dear Mr. Yasuo Otsuka 飄々 ~拝啓、大塚康生様~ Hidenori Ushiro Japan
Inu-Oh 犬王 Masaaki Yuasa Japan
Kamen Rider W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate 仮面ライダーW(ダブル) FOREVER AtoZ/運命のガイアメモリ Koichi Sakamoto Japan
Kamen Rider vs. Shocker 仮面ライダー対ショッカー Minoru Yamada Japan
Kamen Rider vs. Ambassador Hell 仮面ライダー対じごく大使 Minoru Yamada Japan
Kamen Rider V3 vs. Destron Mutants 仮面ライダーV3対デストロン怪人 Minoru Yamada Japan
Kamen Rider Black: Hurry to Onigashima 仮面ライダーBLACK 鬼ヶ島へ急行せよ Michio Konishi Japan
Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker 劇場版 仮面ライダーディケイド オールライダー対大ショッカー Osamu Kaneda Japan
The Little Prince and The Eight-Headed Dragon わんぱく王子の大蛇退治 Yūgo Serikawa Japan

Japanese Classics

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The following films were selected for the Japanese Classics section.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Forever a Woman 乳房よ永遠なれ Kinuyo Tanaka Japan
Love Under the Crucifix お吟さま Kinuyo Tanaka Japan
The Family Game 家族ゲーム Yoshimitsu Morita Japan
The Moon Has Risen 月は上りぬ Kinuyo Tanaka Japan
The Wandering Princess 流転の王妃 Kinuyo Tanaka Japan

Youth

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The following films were selected for the Youth section.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Cow Andrea Arnold United Kingdom
Cryptozoo Dash Shaw United States
Our Eternal Summer L'été l'éternité Émilie Aussel France

TIFF Series

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The following television series were selected for the TIFF Series section.

English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country
Folklore (episodes 8 and 12) Seiko Matsuda, Nicole Midori Woodford Japan, Singapore
Fragrance of the First Flower 第一次遇見花香的那刻 Angel I-han Teng Taiwan

Awards

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Competition

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  • Tokyo Grand Prix: Vera Dreams of the Sea by Kaltrina Krasniqi
  • Special Jury Prize: La civil by Teodora Mihai
  • Award for Best Director: Darezhan Omirbaev for Poet
  • Award for Best Actress: Julia Chávez for The Other Tom
  • Award for Best Actor: Amir Aghaei, Fatih Al, Barış Yıldız, and Onur Buldu for The Four Walls
  • Award for Best Artistic Contribution: Crane Lantern by Hilal Baydarov
  • Audience Award: Just Remembering by Matsui Daigo

Asian Future

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  • Asian Future Best Film Award: World, Northern Hemisphere by Hossein Tehrani

Amazon Prime Video Take One

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  • Amazon Prime Video Take One Award: Sunday & Calm sea by Yunsoo Kim
  • Amazon Prime Video Take One Award Special Jury Prize: Midori Sangoumi for Under the Bridge

References

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  1. ^ "Outline | 34th Tokyo International Film Festival (2021)". Outline | 34th Tokyo International Film Festival (2021). Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  2. ^ Lang, Jamie (24 September 2021). "Isabelle Huppert to Head Tokyo International Film Festival Competition Jury – Global Bulletin". Variety. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  3. ^ Shackleton2021-11-08T17:00:00+00:00, Liz. "'Vera Dreams Of The Sea' wins top prize at Tokyo International Film Festival". Screen. Retrieved 14 August 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Acclaimed Designer Junko KOSHINO Creates 34th TIFF Visuals". Tokyo International Film Festival. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  5. ^ Szalai, Georg (21 September 2021). "Tokyo Film Fest to Open With Clint Eastwood's 'Cry Macho,' Close With 'Dear Evan Hansen'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  6. ^ Frater, Patrick (21 September 2021). "Clint Eastwood's 'Cry Macho' to Open Tokyo Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Venue 34th Tokyo International Film Festival (2021)". Venue | 34th Tokyo International Film Festival (2021). Retrieved 14 August 2023.