Tokyo Film Festival Opens Its 39th Edition on a Rainy Red Carpet
Tokyo's 39th International Film Festival opened on Monday evening with a red carpet held in autumn rain in the Hibiya district, in the city centre. Stars walked the carpet despite the weather, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Japanese actors Tadanobu Asano and Junichi Okada were among the arrivals. Kento Nakajima, Mei Nagano and Takumi Kitamura also walked the carpet, and Nakajima went on to host the opening ceremony inside Hulic Hall Tokyo as the festival's navigator, a role that guides guests and audiences through the programme.
Film-makers from abroad were there too. Milcho Manchevski attended with the cast and producers of Sister Brother Manhole Cover, a film in the festival's competition. Bill Kramer, chief executive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body behind the Oscars, walked the carpet with Meredith Shea, the Academy's chief membership, impact and industry officer.
Kramer had a message for Japanese audiences. "Go and support your filmmakers. Go to the cinema," he told fans, according to the same report. He is also set to take part in a public conversation with Hiro Matsuoka, chief executive of Toho, one of Japan's biggest film companies. Cate Blanchett is expected at the festival later in the week.
The festival runs from October 26 to November 4. Its programme includes 204 films from 112 countries and regions, 35 of them world premieres. Screen Daily put the 2026 line-up at 204 films, up from 183 in 2025. The centrepiece film, Godzilla Minus Zero, is scheduled for November 1.
Takeo Hisamatsu is back as festival director. Hiroyasu Ando left the role of chairman earlier this year, and Hisamatsu's return follows that departure.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a video message to the ceremony. She set a goal of lifting Japan's overseas content sales to 20 trillion yen, about $130 billion, by 2033.
Business continues after the red carpet. TIFFCOM, a market where film and television sellers meet buyers, is affiliated with the festival. It will run from October 28 to 30 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center in Hamamatsucho. The opening ceremony was streamed live from 17:00 for viewers who could not attend in person.
