The Tokyo International Film Festival (hereinafter referred to as TIFF) has been held yearly since 1985 with the official endorsement of International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) (Note 1). This year will mark the 21st edition it is being held. As one of the world’s twelve largest international film festivals (Note 2). and Japan’s only officially approved international film festival, TIFF has had a major influence on Japan’s film industry and culture.

The festival is divided into several categories: the traditional “Competition", which draw worldwide notice; "Special Screenings", where highly entertaining works that have yet to be released are collected under one roof; "Winds of Asia-Middle East" that anticipates new trends in Asian culture; and "Japanese Eyes" that focuses on the new appeal of Japanese movies.