Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)

Overview

The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is Japan's only FIAPF-accredited competitive international film festival. Founded in 1985, the festival runs for 10 days each October across the Hibiya-Yurakucho-Marunouchi-Ginza area of central Tokyo. The 38th edition in 2025 drew 69,162 admissions across 184 films and welcomed approximately 2,557 international guests. The 39th edition runs October 26 to November 4, 2026.

TIFFCOM, the affiliated content market, runs concurrently for 3 days. TIFFCOM is the leading audiovisual content market in Asia, attracting 4,610 participants in 2025, a 13% increase over 2024. The market facilitates film, television, and animation deals and hosts the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market (TGFM), which supports feature projects that have secured at least 60% of their budget.

For filmmakers, TIFF offers one of the few FIAPF-competitive platforms in Asia. The 2025 edition received 1,970 film submissions from 108 countries and regions. The 2025 Tokyo Grand Prix went to Annemarie Jacir's Palestine 36, which is also Palestine's official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards. TIFF is for Asian directors seeking competitive recognition and international filmmakers targeting a Japan premiere.

History

TIFF was founded in 1985 by UNIJAPAN and held its first edition in Tokyo. The festival received FIAPF competitive accreditation, making it one of the few festivals in Asia to hold this status. Over 38 editions, TIFF has screened films from directors including Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Zhang Yimou, and Abbas Kiarostami.

The festival moved to its current Hibiya-Yurakucho-Marunouchi-Ginza venue area in 2014, consolidating screenings in central Tokyo's cultural district. TIFFCOM was established as a separate market event and has grown into Asia's leading audiovisual content market, with the 22nd edition in 2025 drawing 4,610 participants. The Tokyo Gap-Financing Market launched in 2020 to support projects at the financing stage, focusing on Asian-origin projects or international projects with Asian elements. TGFM has grown from a small pilot to a market hosting 442 meetings in 2025.

Submission Details

Submissions open April 7, 2026, and close July 7, 2026, at noon JST. Filmmakers submit through the TIFF entry form portal. The festival does not use FilmFreeway.

Submission fees (tax included):

• Early Bird (April 7 to May 26, 2026): 3,300 JPY (approximately $21 USD)
• Regular (May 27 to July 7, 2026): 5,500 JPY (approximately $35 USD)

International Competition eligibility:

• Feature films (fiction, documentary, or animation) completed after January 1, 2026
• Running time must exceed 60 minutes
• Must be at minimum a Japan Premiere (World and International Premieres given priority)
• Japanese films must be World Premieres
• Films available on the internet, TV, VOD, DVD, or in-flight entertainment are not eligible
• Short films are not accepted in the Competition section
• Screening material must be in digital HD format with English subtitles
• Screener links must remain accessible through the end of September 2026
• If no online screener is available, two NTSC DVDs must be shipped to the TIFF office by July 7, 2026

Asian Future eligibility:

• Open to first, second, or third feature films by Asian directors (including Japan and the Middle East)
• Same submission fees and deadlines as the International Competition

Notification of selection occurs in mid-September 2026. Full regulations are available at tiff-jp.net/entry/competition2026.

Key Sections

• International Competition - the core section, featuring films from around the world competing for the Tokyo Grand Prix. Films must not have been released in Japan
• Asian Future - a competitive section for first, second, or third features by Asian directors, including those from Japan and the Middle East
• Japanese Cinema Splash - new Japanese feature films
• World Focus - major international films screened outside competition
• Japan Now - a curated survey of contemporary Japanese cinema
• Animation - dedicated animation programming
• Gala Selection - high-profile films spotlighted at international festivals and the latest Japanese blockbusters
• Asian Students' Film Conference - new section launched in 2025, inviting film students from across Asia for a short film competition

Past Winners

2025 Tokyo Grand Prix (38th Edition)

• Tokyo Grand Prix: Palestine 36, dir. Annemarie Jacir (Palestine/UK/France/Denmark). The film is Palestine's official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. It premiered at Toronto to a lengthy standing ovation and is repped internationally by Lucky Number
• Special Jury Prize: We Are the Fruits of the Forest, dir. Rithy Panh (Cambodia/France)
• Best Director: Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis (Heads or Tails?, Italy/USA) and Zhang Lu (Mothertongue, China)
• Best Actress: Fukuchi Momoko and Kawase Naomi (Echoes of Motherhood, Japan)
• Best Actor: Wang Chuanjun (Mothertongue, China)
• Best Artistic Contribution: Mother (Belgium/North Macedonia)
• Audience Award: Blonde (Japan)
• Asian Future Best Film Award: Halo (Korea)
• Kurosawa Akira Award: Lee Sang-il and Chloé Zhao
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Yamada Yoji and Yoshinaga Sayuri

Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up

• Palestine 36, dir. Annemarie Jacir. Won the 2025 Tokyo Grand Prix. Selected as Palestine's official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. Received a standing ovation at Toronto and is distributed by Watermelon Pictures
• Hamnet, dir. Chloé Zhao. Closed the 38th TIFF in 2025. Won the People's Choice Award at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival. Stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal
• Tokyo Taxi, dir. Yamada Yoji. Served as the 38th TIFF Centerpiece. The 91st feature from Yamada, produced to mark the 130th anniversary of Shochiku studio. Stars Baisho Chieko and Kimura Takuya
• Sima's Song, dir. Roya Sadat. World premiered at TIFF 2024. A co-production from the Netherlands, Spain, France, Taiwan, and Afghanistan. The director is a prominent Afghan woman filmmaker

Submission Tips Specific to This Festival

TIFF does not use FilmFreeway. You must submit through the TIFF entry form portal. This is a common mistake for filmmakers accustomed to the standard festival submission platform. Plan ahead to create an account on the TIFF system.

The Japan premiere requirement is the key eligibility filter. If your film has screened at any other Japanese festival or is available on any Japanese streaming platform, it is not eligible for the International Competition. Japanese films must be World Premieres.

Screener quality and accessibility matter. TIFF reviews films over several months, and the screener link must remain active through September 2026. If your screener goes offline, the festival will not chase you for a new link. Filmmakers who cannot provide a stable online screener must ship 2 NTSC DVDs to the TIFF office at 15F Togeki Bldg., 4-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan. All submitted materials are not returned.

For the Asian Future section, first, second, or third feature directors compete against peers at similar career stages. This is one of the most accessible competitive platforms for emerging Asian directors. If you are an Asian director with a debut or early feature, target this section rather than the main Competition.

Industry Reputation Notes

TIFF is one of only two FIAPF-competitive festivals in East Asia, the other being Shanghai. This accreditation means competition wins are formally recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations. In industry weight, TIFF sits below the A-list European festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice) but above most other Asian festivals.

Compared to Busan, TIFF has a stronger market infrastructure through TIFFCOM but a weaker selection profile for international art house cinema. Busan draws more international buyers and critics for its Asian Cinema Network. Compared to Shanghai, TIFF has more international programming diversity and less government censorship interference.

The TGFM gap-financing market is specifically designed for projects that are close to fully funded but need the final 40% or less. The requirement that projects have 60% of budget secured means the market attracts serious, viable projects rather than early-stage concepts. TGFM 2025 hosted 442 meetings over 3 days, with awards totaling over $50,000 in cash and in-kind services.

Awards / Accreditation

TIFF holds FIAPF competitive accreditation, one of only 15 competitive festivals worldwide. The festival is not an Academy Award-qualifying festival for short films.

International Competition Awards

• Tokyo Grand Prix (Governor of Tokyo Award) - Best Film
• Special Jury Prize
• Award for Best Director
• Award for Best Actress
• Award for Best Actor
• Award for Best Artistic Contribution
• Audience Award - determined by viewer votes

Asian Future Award

• Asian Future Best Film Award

Honorary Awards

• Kurosawa Akira Award - recognizing directors who have made outstanding contributions to cinema
• Lifetime Achievement Award

What Filmmakers Should Know

TIFF is one of only two FIAPF-competitive festivals in East Asia. The festival does not require World Premiere status for the International Competition but gives priority to World and International Premieres. Japanese films must be World Premieres.

The Asian Future section is one of the most accessible competitive platforms for emerging Asian directors. Because it accepts first, second, or third features, filmmakers compete against peers at similar career stages rather than established directors.

For filmmakers seeking industry connections, TIFFCOM provides access to Asian buyers and producers. The TGFM gap-financing market is specifically designed for projects that are close to fully funded but need the final 40% or less. TGFM 2026 submissions are open from May 8 to July 21, 2026. Full information at tgfm.tiffcom.jp.

Screener quality matters. TIFF reviews films over several months, and the screener link must remain active through September 2026. Filmmakers who cannot provide a stable online screener must ship physical DVDs to the TIFF office. All submitted materials are not returned.

Watch

See Also

To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. To estimate your probability of acceptance based on festival tier and film characteristics, use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, see YIDFF. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy. For Asian film market analysis, see International Film Markets.