39th TIFF Announces Mizoguchi Retrospective, Special Animation Symposium, TIFF Teens Cinema Workshop
The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), to be held from October 26 through November 4, is pleased to announce further festival highlights, including a retrospective tribute to Mizoguchi Kenji, a Special Animation Symposium and programs commemorating the 10th anniversary of the TIFF Teens Cinema Workshop.
Carrying forward the legacy of Japanese cinema’s past, examining the present of animation, and expanding the possibilities for future creation—these programs explore film culture from multiple perspectives and across different eras, celebrating its enduring value while carrying it forward for future generations.
Mizoguchi Kenji (1898–1956) is a towering figure in the history of world cinema. In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of his death, TIFF/NFAJ Classics—a collaboration between the National Film Archive of Japan and the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival—celebrates Mizoguchi’s extraordinary legacy. This retrospective will present 13 films across 12 programs (all with English subtitles), with a particular focus on works that have undergone recent digital restoration.
A special highlight is The Water Magician (1933), being screened in Japan for the first time in a new digital restoration undertaken with the support of the Yanai Initiative, a collaborative project of Waseda University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that works to realize a sustainable, equitable, globally interconnected future for the Japanese humanities. The program also features a wide range of special events, including guest talks and live benshi narration and musical accompaniment. We warmly invite you to take this opportunity to rediscover Mizoguchi’s oeuvre from fresh perspectives.
Dates: October 27 (Tue)–November 1 (Sun)
Venue: National Film Archive of Japan, Nagase Memorial Theatre Ozu (2nd floor)
Co-hosted by: National Film Archive of Japan
Screening Schedule
October 27 (Tue)
3:00 pm Osaka Elegy (1936)
7:00 pm Sisters of Gion (1936)
October 28 (Wed)
12:30 pm The 47 Ronin (Part One, Part Two, 1941–42)
6:00 pm The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums (Digital Restoration, 1939)
October 29 (Thu)
3:00 pm YANG KWEI FEI (1955)
6:30 pm New Tales of the Taira Clan (Digital Restoration, 1955)
October 30 (Fri)
3:00 pm Street of Shame (Digital Restoration, 1956)
7:00 pm Gion Bayashi (1953)
October 31 (Sat)
1:30 pm Ugetsu (Digital Restoration, 1953)
5:45 pm The Water Magician (Digital Restoration, 1933)
November 1 (Sun)
12:30 pm Sansho the Bailiff (Digital Restoration, 1954)
4:00 pm A Story from Chikamatsu (Digital Restoration, 1954)
As Japanese animation continues to gain prominence in the global market, promoting the value of not only individual works but also the creators, producers, studios and others involved is essential to the continued growth of the industry and to building its international profile.
Tokyo Anime Next will present the following symposium at TIFFCOM, moderated by Fujitsu Ryota, Programming Advisor for the TIFF Animation section, in discussion with leading industry figures. The symposium will explore the significance of establishing an international award led by members of the Japanese animation industry.
Symposium: Toward the Launch of a New Anime Award in 2027
Organizer: Tokyo Anime Next
Date and time: October 30 (Fri), 11:00 am–12:00 pm
Venue: TIFFCOM, Tokyo Port City Takeshiba Port Hall
Speakers:
Shimizu Akira (Director, The Association of Japanese Animations/President and Representative Director, A-1 Pictures Inc.)
Fujitsu Ryota (Moderator/Programming Advisor, TIFF Animation section), and others
The TIFF Animation section will also present three symposia featuring directors from Japan and overseas, with further details to be announced.
The TIFF Teens Cinema Workshop, a filmmaking bootcamp for junior high and high school students, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. As the workshop moves from its traditional August schedule to March, TIFF will mark the milestone with a special event. Past lead mentors and other guests will look back on TIFF Teens’ first decade through screenings of films created by participants over the years and discussions about their experiences. The event will showcase the achievements of TIFF’s continuing efforts to nurture the future of cinema.
©2025 TIFF
TIFF Teens Cine Club, a program offering young participants an opportunity to engage more deeply with cinema through both making and watching films, is also planned, with further details to be announced.
TIFF 2026: Teens Meet Cinema – 10th Anniversary Event
Date and time: November 3 (Tue), 10:00 am–12:50 pm
Venue: TOHO Cinemas Chanter, Screen 1
Scheduled guests (past Lead Mentors): Directors Suwa Nobuhiro (2017), Sugita Kyoshi (2019), Seta Natsuki (2021) and Hayakawa Chie (2022)
Years in parentheses indicate the year in which each guest participated.
Co-hosted by: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Produced and operated by: Children Meet Cinema
* Program details and guests are subject to change without prior notice.
TIFF International Symposium on Film Education 2026:
Developing Educators and Building Support for Film Education
The fourth edition of the TIFF International Symposium on Film Education will be held under this year’s theme, Developing Educators and Building Support for Film Education. Collaboration between local cinemas and educational institutions plays an important role in expanding access to film education. Focusing on the development of educators who support film education and the environments that enable their work, the symposium will introduce examples of practices from overseas.
Date and time: October 31 (Sat), 1:00–7:00 pm; doors open at 12:30 pm (scheduled)
Venue: National Film Archive of Japan, B1 Theatre (capacity: 151)
Admission: Free (advance registration required); unreserved seating
Languages: Japanese, French and English (consecutive interpretation provided)
Guests: Isabelle Bourdon (Cinema Education Advisor, France), and others
Co-hosted by: Tokyo Metropolitan Government and National Film Archive of Japan
Produced and operated by: Children Meet Cinema
Registration: Opens at 4:00 pm on October 5 (Mon).
Please register via the following webpage:
TIFF International Symposium on Film Education 2026 – Registration
Program details and guests are subject to change without prior notice.
Depending on registration numbers, applicants may be placed on a waiting list or registration may close once capacity is reached.
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