The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is excited to announce three spotlight screenings that will occur during the 39th edition. The festival’s Opening Film will be Sukiyaki, a heartwarming music-themed entertainment revealing the untold story behind “Sukiyaki”— the historic song that topped the Billboard charts and remains one of the world’s best-selling tunes.
 
The Centerpiece will be Godzilla Minus Zero, the epic sequel from the Oscar-winning Visual Effects team behind Godzilla Minus One, showcasing the next evolution in the global Godzilla phenomenon. It is the the first Japanese production to be Filmed for Imax.
 
The TIFF Closing Film will be the Korean non-stop action-thriller Colony, directed by Yeon Sang-ho of Train to Busan (2016). The film, depicting a desperate struggle for survival against infected hosts driven by an advanced collective intelligence, had its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and swept the box office in Korea and other Asian countries.
 
With a rich variety of genres—drama, tokusatsu, and action-thriller—these three films headline this year’s festival lineup. We hope you will enjoy these films and many others in the heart of Tokyo this autumn, as the 39th TIFF unspools, from October 26 to November 4.
 

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Opening Film
SUKIYAKI (2026/Japan)

Director: Zeze Takahisa
Screenplay: Minato Takehiko
Cast: Okada Junichi, Matsuzaka Tori, Nakano Taiga
Release Date (Japan): December 25, 2026
Distribution (Japan): TOHO Co., Ltd.
 
In 1963, as Japan continued its recovery from postwar turbulence, a pop song reached a historic milestone in Japanese music history, sweeping the US Billboard charts, holding the No.1 spot for three consecutive weeks. That song is “Sukiyaki.” This musical drama chronicles the fateful union of the three creative forces behind the legendary song: brilliant composer Nakamura Hachidai (Okada Junichi), lyricist Ei Rokusuke (Matsuzaka Tori), and iconic singer Sakamoto Kyu (Nakano Taiga), bringing their passions and conflicts to life.
 

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Centerpiece
Godzilla Minus Zero (2026/Japan)

Director/ Screenplay/ VFX: Yamazaki Takashi
Cast: Kamiki Ryunosuke, Hamabe Minami
Release Date (Japan): November 3, 2026
Distribution (Japan): TOHO Co., Ltd.
 
War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it even further, into minus territory. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally return to normalcy. But just as humanity is clinging to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant. This film goes beyond Godzilla Minus One, a world-captivating film that won the Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards®. There is no third time. Everything ends here.
 

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Closing Film
Colony (2026/Korea)

Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Cast: Gianna Jun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook
Release Date (Japan): 2027
Distribution (Japan): GAGA Corporation
 
A sudden, unidentified bioterror attack strikes a skyscraper in downtown Seoul. Professor Se Jeong, visiting for a biotech conference, finds herself trapped inside the locked-down building and witnesses the fast-moving infected evolving with a collective intelligence. This non-stop action-thriller premiered in a Cannes Midnight Screening before sweeping box office charts in Korea and beyond.
 

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Comments from Ichiyama Shozo, TIFF Programming Director
Sukiyaki tells the dramatic stories of three artists who inspired people in postwar Japan, interwoven with a collection of musical masterpieces. We are delighted to open the festival with this moving film, which stars three of today’s most prominent Japanese actors.
 
Godzilla Minus Zero is a true sequel to Godzilla Minus One, one of the standouts in the Godzilla series, and it brings a powerful new interpretation of Godzilla, delivering a level of surprise that far exceeds expectations. It is a masterpiece that was truly meant to be made in these challenging times.
 
Colony delivered the greatest excitement and emotional impact among the films at this year’s Cannes. While an overwhelming number of zombie films have been produced, this film makes us realize that the genre still possesses untapped potential.