Tokyo Film Festival leaves its only 2020 award in hands of audience
Tokyo, Sep 29 (efe-epa).- The Tokyo International Film Festival presented its full official program Tuesday, in which it has replaced the official section with a category of premieres with more than 30 films and has only maintained one award, that of the audience.
The festival has decided to do without competition sections “after much hesitation, because the evolution of COVID-19 is unknown, in addition to having a reduced fund and the circumstance that guests will not be able to come from abroad,” Hiroyasu Ando, head of the contest, said in a Tuesday press conference.
In contrast to recent film events, the festival will hold screenings in cinemas, albeit in a reduced form.
“We want fans to go to the cinema to share those moments with other people. In this way, the value of cinema can be renewed,” said Ando, ??who insisted that the screenings be carried out under sanitary measures and limited capacity.
In substitution of the official section, the Asia section and Japan Cinema Flash, the festival has established the Tokyo Premiere 2020 section, with seven premieres in Asia and more than 20 worldwide.
The organization has also wanted to prioritize the works of new directors, which account for more than 20 of the films.
“Do film festivals really need awards?” Japanese film director Hirokazu Kore-eda said on the spot, hoping that the next edition of the festival, scheduled from Oct. 31 to Nov. 9, will serve to renew itself. “Having an enriched festival is very important for the culture of a country.”
Kore-eda participates in the 33rd edition of the festival as the manager of a series of online conversations with figures from Asian cinema that they have dubbed “Asia Lounge” and in which viewers will be able to ask questions in real time.
Among the participants are Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Cambodian producer Rithy Panh, Chinese director Jia Zhangke or South Korean actress Kim Bora.
In addition to the premieres section, the Tokyo International Film Festival will feature a category of special screenings, in which the Brazilian-American co-production “Abe” by Fernando Grostein Andrade; and a Japanese animation section focused on the films of the “Pokémon” franchise. EFE-EPA
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