Thailand and Nepal Oscar Entries Join Tokyo Filmex Competition

Two countries' submissions for next year's Oscars will compete at the 27th Tokyo Filmex, Variety reported on 21 October. Thailand's '9 Temples to Heaven' and Nepal's 'Elephants in the Fog' are among 10 films in the competition. The festival runs from 20 to 29 November in the Yurakucho district of Tokyo.

Tokyo Filmex is aimed at emerging directors from across Asia. The competition takes films finished in 2025 or 2026, and four of the 10 selected titles are first features. A festival here is a public showcase, where films are screened for audiences, critics and buyers who decide what reaches cinemas later.

'9 Temples to Heaven' is the narrative debut of Sompot Chidgasornpongse, who previously worked as an assistant director to the Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight, a section of the Cannes Film Festival run by the French directors' guild. It then won best director and best actor at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Thailand chose it as its entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, according to Variety, which reported the selection in August.

'Elephants in the Fog', directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, won the Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard, a Cannes section for films by newer filmmakers. It was the first Nepali film chosen for Cannes' official selection. Nepal has put it forward for the same Oscar category.

The competition's three-member international jury includes Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng. Additional jurors had not yet been named.

The festival's top award, the Grand Prize, carries 700,000 yen (about $4,500) for the director. The Special Jury Prize carries 300,000 yen (about $1,900). Both will be handed out at a ceremony on 29 November, the last day of the festival.

For the filmmakers, a Tokyo slot means a chance to reach Japanese audiences and the buyers who attend the event. The winners will be announced at the closing ceremony.