Competition

An introduction to an unknown world. A view into an unknown era. Experiencing an unknown feeling. Discovering a terra incognito through the medium of a universal tale. This is the excitement and splendor of film. Imparting "amazement" and "discovery" that refocuses our visual field from the blur of our data-overloaded environment to the wonder of a new world is the key to this year's competition.
We do not know the mysteriously profound panorama of the Iranian highlands; we do not know the emotions of the citizens living under the military government of Argentina; and of course we do not know the persecution of the French Jews by the French police. These are just a few examples, and the 15 films being screened in this category will at times amaze you with their fresh world view, while at other times you will discover unexpected emotions.
This year's festival is special in that we will see world premiers of films packed with the bold worldviews of young directors as well as famous original works that were made into large-scale movies. We are also honored with the presence of one of the world's oldest directors, and I would like to remember this good fortune as the symbol of this year's amazing, discovery packed competition segment.

Competition Programming Director

Yoshi Yatabe

Special Screenings

The Special Screenings section presents a chance to see films that are not yet on general release. This year's selection includes high-quality Hollywood films such as The Social Network (directed by David Fincher) and The Town (directed by Ben Affleck). These two films have been selected as our opening and closing films respectively. Following last year's Avatar, we will also have the premiere of previously unreleased footage of TRON Legacy in 3D.
I believe we will be presenting a truly entertaining selection of films from Japan and abroad, including no fewer than four in 3D. I hope you will enjoy this collection of excellent films.

Programming Director

Nobushige Toshima

Winds of Asia-Middle East

For this year's "Winds of Asia-Middle East" section we have once again created a comprehensive lineup, both in terms of quality and quantity. Heading the list of highlights are special programs featuring two giants of the film industry who stand tall like larger-than-life Deva Gate guardians: one celebrating the 100th anniversary of Akira Kurosawa's birth, and the other celebrating the 70th anniversary of Bruce Lee's birth. In "Film Panorama of Asia-Middle East," the most recent films in various genres have been selected from a vast region covering East Asia, South East Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. "Taiwan Film Renaissance 2010" is an impressive collection of films by the rising new generation of Taiwanese directors. We will also introduce films by the award-winning Turkish film director and screenwriter Reha Erdem.
Winds of Asia-Middle East will continue to blow under the motto of "Wider! Deeper!"

Programming Director

Kenji Ishizaka

Japanese Eyes

Last year we began to lean more towards supporting Japanese independent films, and this year we are continuing that trend.
The opening work in this segment is from Yoichi Higashi, a pioneer in Japanese independent film who traces his beginnings back to Iwanami Film Studios. This will be followed by passionate documentaries from by directors Juniichi Suzuki and Chiseko Tanaka, a modern feature length debut film by director Natsuki Seta, as well as a delicately nuanced film by director Koji Fukuda, and a film by the demanding director Naoki Hashimoto, who is known for inspiring his actors to give their best performances. There will also be a film by director Hiromasa Hirosue, a young writer with international acclaim.
We are also working closely with the PIA Film Festival (PFF) and will have a special showing of the PFF Grand Prix Award winner, and are organizing a symposium to discuss the role of the PFF and the their approach to independent film and the film festival.
This is going to be a Japanese Eyes event to remember.

WORLD CINEMA

The World Cinema section features films that were a hit at other international film festivals-such as Sundance, Rotterdam, Berlin, Cannes, and Venice-new releases by famous directors that have not been released in Japan as of August 30, 2010. The true film fan will not want to miss any of these international award-winning films, documentaries by highly original directors, or directing debuts by famous actors. Many of the films that appeared in last year's World Cinema section were later distributed in Japan. This year's World Cinema also promises to be an important segment from the viewpoint of foreign film distribution in Japan.

natural TIFF supported by TOYOTA

This is the third annual Natural TIFF. Each year we have gathered a collection of works based on the broad theme of "nature and human beings living together," and this year we have selected some very interesting works. The selection includes a humorous documentary on the threat of a foreign organism without natural enemies and a road movie involving a beautiful girl and an elephant (reminiscent of Hannibal Brooks) and was well received in Cannes and Venice. We think you will really enjoy it.