Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) will expand the number of venues for its upcoming 2022 edition as it prepares to stage its first full-scale event since the Covid-19 outbreak.
The opening ceremony of the 35th edition will take place at the newly added Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre while the closing ceremony will be held at the Tokyo International Forum. The festival is set to take place from October 24 through November 2.
Joining the list of screening venues will be three large cinemas: Toho Cinemas Hibiya, only used for the closing ceremony last year; Marunouchi Toei; and Marunouchi Piccadilly. These join Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho, Cine Switch Ginza, Humantrust Cinema Yurakucho, Toho Cinemas Chanter and Yurakucho Yomiuri Hall and will enable an increase in the number of film screenings.
Organisers also said the festival would be more locally engaged this year, establishing stronger ties with leading companies in the Hibiya-Marunouchi area such as Mitsui Fudosan and Mitsubishi Estate, and by working closely with local administrations such as Chiyoda City. Additionally, the Zen-Ginza-kai, the Ginza area’s shopping and business association, and other local organizations will collaborate with TIFF this year.
It follows a relocation to the Hibiya-Yurakucho-Ginza area in 2021, having previously taken place in the Roppongi district. Last year’s edition took place in-person but hosted only a small number of international visitors due to strict Covid-19 regulations.
“We expect to welcome many guests from overseas this year, depending on the situation of Covid-19,” said TIFF organisers in a statement. “We hope to host a spectacular opening event that will add colour to Tokyo’s autumn season.”
TIFFCOM, the content market that runs alongside Tokyo International Film Festival, will take place as an online-only event for the third consecutive year from October 25-27.
It was only in early June that Japan began allowing tourists from select countries to return to the country after two years of border restrictions and only under strict conditions such as mandatory mask-wearing and being chaperoned by local guides for their entire stay.
International productions were also totally shut out of Japan for two years before the country began allowing them back from late March. Business travellers required a temporary visa sponsorship from a local business partner.
The festival also unveiled an image for this year’s edition created by fashion designed Koshino Junko with the theme of “leaping forward”.
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