30th Tokyo International Film Festival

This year marks the 30th edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), the only Japanese film festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).

Over the 10 days of the festival, films from a variety of genres will be shown in several sections. One film from the Competition section, a carefully chosen selection of premieres by talented first-timers and recognized directors, will be awarded the Tokyo Grand Prix. The Competition section is garnering considerable attention from world filmmakers.

During the festival, film fans of all ages gather in Tokyo to enjoy TIFF’s many colorful events every year. These include seminars, symposiums and workshops for students, professionals, and business people. TIFF also holds interactive programs to promote discussions and business networking.

Tommy Lee Jones will head the International Competition Jury.

This year's festival will open with the film "Fullmetal Alchemist," directed by Fumihiko Sori and based on a best-selling Japanese comic series about two brothers' journey.

The fantasy-action film features Ryosuke Yamada, a member of Hey! Say! JUMP, a Japanese pop idol group.

To commemorate 30 years of the festival, "Ku-Kai (Legend of the Demon Cat)," a Japan-China collaboration by renowned Chinese director Chen Kaige will also be shown as a special opening film. The work is based on a best-selling Japanese novel by Baku Yumemakura and features Japanese and Chinese stars including Shota Sometani, Hiroshi Abe and Huang Xuan.

The festival will close with "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," directed by Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen. It is a follow-up to "An Inconvenient Truth," an Oscar-winning film released in 2006.

Fifteen entries for the main competition section, which goes with the top Tokyo Grand Prix award, were selected from 1,538 titles from 88 countries and regions.

One of the programs scheduled is a live performance of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra to the original "Godzilla" movie from 1954.

As with last year, the festival will have a section highlighting Japanese animation, featuring Keiichi Hara, whose "Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai" won the jury award in the feature filmscategory at the 2015 Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France.

The film is based on the comics by the late Edo culture researcher Hinako Sugiura and tells the story of O-Ei, female painter and the daughter of famed Edo-era ukiyoe painter Katsushika Hokusai.

For the fourth straight year, there will be a special event featuring kabuki, with a performance of "Otokodate Hana no Yoshiwara" by actor Ichikawa Ebizo as well as the screening of "Gate of Hell," a Japanese film which won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, in 1954.

For schedule, click here.

For ticket info, click here.

• Venue: Roppongi Hills, EX Theater Roppongi and other venues
• Date: October 25, 2017 - November 3, 2017
• Time: 12:00 pm JST - 07:00 pm JST

• Link: http://2017.tiff-jp.net/en/