The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) returned in 2025 reaffirming its status as one of Asia’s most essential cinematic platforms—an event where bold new voices, seasoned auteurs, and global industry leaders converge. In a city where tradition and ultramodern life coexist seamlessly, TIFF stands as a bridge between different film cultures, championing artistic innovation while honoring the legacy of Asian cinema.

Since its founding in 1985, TIFF has distinguished itself by promoting dialogue between Japan and the global film landscape. Its programming blends international competition, deep dives into Japanese cinema, cutting-edge animation showcases, and retrospectives that trace the evolution of cinematic craft. This year’s edition confirmed the festival’s increasing influence, both as a launchpad for emerging talent and as a bellwether of thematic and formal trends shaping contemporary filmmaking.

Programme Highlights

TIFF 2025 remained faithful to its signature structure:

• Competition: A global lineup foregrounding bold narrative risks and emotional complexity.
• Asian Future: A space for rising directors across Asia, fostering early recognition for groundbreaking new voices.
• Japan Now: A window into the most compelling filmmaking currently emerging from Japan.
• World Focus: International selections reflecting a broad spectrum of cultural, political, and artistic concerns.
• Animation & Beyond: Celebrating Japan’s extraordinary influence on global animation.
• Retrospectives, Classics & Tributes: Honoring major cinematic figures whose work has shaped the medium.

TIFF 2025 Award Winners

The festival’s official awards for 2025 highlight a diverse and artistically rich selection of films:

• Tokyo Grand Prix (The Governor of Tokyo Award): Palestine 36 — Annemarie Jacir (Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark)
• Special Jury Prize: We Are the Fruits of the Forest — Rithy Panh
• Best Director:
  • Zhang Lü for Mothertongue
  • Alessio Rigo de Righi & Matteo Zoppis for Heads or Tails?
• Best Actor: Wang Chuanjun for Mothertongue
• Best Actress: Momoko Fukuchi and Naomi Kawase for Echoes of Motherhood
• Best Artistic Contribution: Mother — Teona Strugar Mitevska (Belgium, North Macedonia)
• Audience Award: Blonde — Sakashita Yuichiro (Japan)
• Asian Future Best Film Award: Halo — Roh Young-wan (South Korea)
• TIFF Ethical Film Award: White House — Luciano Vidigal (Brazil)
• Asian Students’ Grand Prix Award: Floating — Lee Ji-yun (South Korea)
• Kurosawa Akira Award:
  • Lee Sang-il (Japan)
  • Chloé Zhao (China/USA)
• Lifetime Achievement Awards:
  • Sayuri Yoshinaga (Japan)
  • Yoji Yamada (Japan)

Why TIFF 2025 Stood Out

This year’s edition emphasized several defining themes:

• Cinema as political memory: Films like Palestine 36 or Mother examined how personal stories reflect larger historical ruptures.
• New Asian talent: TIFF’s continued commitment to elevating emerging filmmakers was evident in the Asian Future lineup and student awards.
• Women shaping contemporary cinema: Multiple major awards went to female directors, actresses, and storytellers, marking a strong year for gender representation.
• Hybrid storytelling: Documentaries, essay films, and genre experiments shared the same platform, reinforcing TIFF’s openness to cinematic hybridity.

A Festival Shaped by Its City

Located primarily in Tokyo’s Roppongi district, the festival pulses with urban dynamism: neon lights, diverse audiences, industry events, late-night screenings, and conversations spilling into cafés and outdoor plazas. Unlike more formal European festivals, TIFF’s energy is inclusive and youthful, a reflection of the city’s own rhythms.

At the same time, its dedication to film as cultural heritage—seen in its retrospectives and tributes—keeps alive the memory of Japanese and Asian masters, ensuring continuity between generations.

A Forward-Looking Festival

TIFF 2025 demonstrated once again why it remains one of the most important cinematic events in the world: a space where artistic courage, regional identity, and global attention collide. It is a festival deeply rooted in place yet open to the world—a forum for storytelling that refuses to stand still.