Hiroyasu Ando is to step down as chairman of Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) after seven years in the role and will be replaced by Takeo Hisamatsu.
Hisamatsu will return to the role of festival director from today (April 14), having previously held the position at TIFF from 2017 to 2021. Ando will exit as chairman on May 31.
The two previously shared management duties when Ando joined TIFF in July 2019 before the chairman took sole charge in 2021.
Ando has led a transformation of the festival during his tenure, relocating the main festival venue to the Hibiya-Yurakucho-Marunouchi-Ginza area in central Tokyo, after a 17-year residency at the Roppongi Hills complex.
He also oversaw the reorganisation of TIFF’s programming structure and the promotion of greater international exchange through initiatives such as the TIFF Lounge conversation series.
Ando is due to be awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government on April 15 in recognition of his contribution to the arts.
Reflecting on his time as chairman, Ando said he focussed on four key challenges: deepening international exchange through cinema and people; addressing social issues through the platform of film; nurturing talent to shape the future; and strengthening collaborative relationships with the local host community.
“I believe that we have achieved tangible success, reflected in the growth of our audience numbers, revenues, and number of international guests,” he said. “However, TIFF is still a work in progress and therefore must continue to strive for even greater heights.”
New festival director Hisamatsu Takeo said: “After five years since my last appointment with the Tokyo International Film Festival, it is a great honour to once again be given the opportunity to shoulder the significant responsibility of festival director.
“During my previous tenure, I championed the vision of ‘Entertainment and Art in Symmetry’. Through a diverse lineup of films and events, we aimed to create a festival filled with a sense of celebration, which ultimately contributed to an increase in attendance.
“The Japanese government has now positioned the content business as a vital growth sector and is strengthening its support. Given this opportunity, I will commit to ensuring that TIFF plays a key role in both deepening cultural value and promoting the commercial development of the film industry.
Hisamatsu began his career at Japanese entertainment company Shochiku in 1978 and became manager of Shochiku USA’s Little Tokyo Cinema, Los Angeles, in 1986. He returned to Tokyo in 1989 and was appointed senior manager of the Shochiku Exhibition Department.
In 1994, he joined Time Warner Entertainment Japan as general director of the theatrical distribution department for Warner Bros. Pictures Japan. In 2001, he rejoined Shochiku as director of the theatrical distribution department, production and acquisition, and became an executive managing director in 2003. He was named president of what is now Shochiku Broadcasting in 2006, and in 2010 rejoined Warner Entertainment Japan as deputy general manager of Warner Bros. Pictures Japan.
After establishing his own production company, My Way Movies, Hisamatsu served as festival director of TIFF from March 2017 to March 2021.
The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival is set to take place from October 26 to November 4. Industry platform TIFFCOM will run parallel to the festival from October 28-30.
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