Weekly News Digest
産経オンライン英会話 ニュースディスカッション教材
The 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is being held from October 31 to November 9, with Roppongi Hills, Tokyo as the main venue for the event.
This year, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, no red carpet will be rolled out. Nor will a competition be held. Instead, viewers will vote for the Audience Award from the entire film selection.
JAPAN Forward spoke with film director, Koji Fukada (40), whose film is featured in the “Japan Now” section, a collection of works that depicts the current state of the country.
This year, like many other film festivals, TIFF is being held in accordance with guidelines for infection prevention, including some changes in the content of the festival.
Regarding TIFF, which began in 1985, Fukada noted: “Many young talented creators have been discovered because of it. That degree of contribution is significant.”
In 2010, Fukada’s own work titled hospitalité, won the Best Film Award in the Japanese Eyes section of TIFF. “I am grateful that through the film festival, my work had the opportunity to be known by many people. Right now, I am still able to constantly make films because my work was reviewed and accepted at the festival,” says Fukada.
However, he is also aware that in recent years some have pointed out that the influence of TIFF has weakened. He commented that, “There are criticisms that it is difficult to see what direction the film festival is heading. Is it a place for cultural arts, a place for industrial promotion, or is it a place for promoting Japan?”
He added, “The evaluation criteria for films should not be limited to their entertainment value.” Fukada emphasized the need for film festivals to be a platform where various non-commercial films are also given an opportunity for review.
This time, TIFF and another international film festival called Tokyo Filmex are being held simultaneously, strengthening the collaboration between the two festivals. Fukada says, “I am on board with the two festivals being concurrently held. It is better to coexist, like the Directors’ Fortnight held in parallel with the Cannes International Film Festival.”
At TIFF, the American film, Nomadland, which won the Golden Lion prize at the Venice International Film Festival, was screened as a special invitation film. In addition, more than 110 films including new domestic and international films, as well as Japanese animation films will be screened. In the “Japan Now” section, along with Harmonium (Fuchi ni Tatsu), winner of the Jury Prize in the “Un Certain Regard” section of the Cannes International Film Festival, feature-length and short films such as A Girl Missing (Yokogao) will be screened.
[Tokyo Filmex] As an international film festival, original works have been gathered from all over the world, with the greatest number from Asia. In the “Competition” section, the works of emerging filmmakers are recognized.
This year, Filmex is being held about three weeks earlier than usual, from October 30 to November 7, and November 22, at venues such as the TOHO Cinemas Chanter in Tokyo.
東京国際映画祭（ＴＩＦＦ）が３１日から１１月９日まで、東京・六本木ヒルズをメイン会場に開かれる。今年はコロナ禍の影響でコンペティションを実施しない代わりに、全作品の中から観客が投票で「観客賞」を決める。日本の現在が分かる作品を集めた「Ｊａｐａｎ Ｎｏｗ」部門で、自身の作品が特集されることになった深田晃司（こうじ）監督（４０）に聞いた。（水沼啓子）
今年は、ＴＩＦＦも他の多くの映画祭と同様に内容を一部変更し、感染防止のガイドラインにのっとって開催される。
昭和６０年に始まったＴＩＦＦについて深田監督は「多くの若手の才能が発掘されてきた。その貢献度は大きい」と評した。自身の作品「歓待」が平成２２年、同映画祭の日本映画「ある視点」部門で作品賞に輝いた。「映画祭を通じて多くの人に作品を知ってもらえるきっかけになり、ありがたかった。今もコンスタントに映画を作れるのは、映画祭で評価していただいたから」と話す。
ただ、近年はＴＩＦＦの存在感の低下が一部で指摘されていることも認識している。「文化芸術の場なのか、産業振興の場なのか、日本を宣伝する場なのか、映画祭としての方向性が見えづらいといった批判もある」と話した。その上で、「映画の評価基準が興行だけになってはいけない」とし、商業映画ではない多様な作品が評価される場として映画祭の必要性を説いた。
今回、ＴＩＦＦと別の国際映画祭「東京フィルメックス」が同時期に開催されるなど連携を強めている。監督は「同時開催には賛成。カンヌ国際映画祭とその開催期間中に行われる『監督週間』のように共存していったほうがいい」と語った。
ＴＩＦＦでは、特別招待作品としてベネチア国際映画祭で金獅子賞に輝いた米映画「ノマドランド」のほか、国内外の新作や日本のアニメ作品など１１０本以上を上映。また、「Ｊａｐａｎ Ｎｏｗ」部門では、カンヌ国際映画祭「ある視点」部門で審査員賞を受賞した「淵に立つ」のほか、「よこがお」などの長編や短編が上映される。
〈東京フィルメックス〉 独創的な作品を、アジアを中心に世界から集めた国際映画祭。コンペティション部門では、新進作家の作品を顕彰。今年は例年より約３週間早く、３０日～１１月７日までと同月２２日、東京・ＴＯＨＯシネマズシャンテなどで開催。