Written by Lily Crossley-Baxter
Researched by Alexandra Ziminski
Don’t let the “film festival” in the name intimidate you — you don’t have to be a connoisseur of arthouse films to enjoy the festival.
What happens?
The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) screens more than 100 films in the Hibiya-Yurakucho-Marunouchi-Ginza area of Tokyo.
Past years have featured the world premiere of Fragments of the Last Will, a post‑WWII Japanese love story; Living, Kazuo Ishiguro’s adaptation of Kurosawa’s Ikiru; a special screening of Ozu Yasujiro’s Shoulders of Giants and a wide variety of Japanese and international animated films.
Schedule 2025
This year marks the 38th edition of the festival.
Lineup 2025
This year’s opening film is Climbing for Life, which charts the journey of protagonist Junko Tabei, the first woman to scale Mount Everest back in 1975.
Highlights from the Competition lineup include Hailey Gates’s Atropia, Yuichiro Sakashita’s Blonde, Chong Keat Aun’s Mother Bhumi, Amos Gitai’s Golem in Pompei, and Rithy Panh’s We Are the Fruits of the Forest.
In Asian Future, look out for premieres like Mika Imai’s Kiiroiko, Park Young-jae’s Tomorrow’s Min-Jae, and Michael Kam’s The Old Man and His Car. The Gala Selection presents anticipated titles such as Ari Aster’s Eddington, Koji Fukada’s Love on Trial, and HIKARI’s Rental Family.
Meanwhile, the World Focus section screens films like Lav Diaz’s Magellan, Michel Franco’s Dreams, and Pedro Almodóvar’s Matador.
Talks and masterclasses with filmmakers like Kore-eda Hirokazu, Rithy Panh, and Peter Ho-sun Chan complete the festival’s nine-day run.
Free screenings
Free outdoor screenings feature popular hits such as Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Jaws, and Gran Turismo.
Tickets
For most TIFF screenings, buying tickets online is required. General ticket sales begin October 18.
Screenings of particularly popular films will have tickets distributed using a lottery system.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.