Tokyo Jury Chief Downplays New A-List Status

Tokyo International Film Festival jury head Rolf de Heer expects the newly official FIAPF A-list status to have minimal impact on the event. The Australian filmmaker, known for directing 'Bad Boy Bubby' and 'Ten Canoes,' leads the competition panel for the festival's 39th edition.

During a press conference on Tuesday, de Heer addressed the reclassification of festivals by the International Federation of Film Producers' Associations. FIAPF eliminated its previous four-category system in March, creating a single list of 17 A-list festivals. This group includes Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Toronto, with Busan and Tokyo joining the top tier officially for the first time.

De Heer stated that the industry had long treated Tokyo as an A-list event, making the formal label redundant. "I think Tokyo has always been considered one of those festivals by most people who attend festivals," he said. He conceded the title might aid in attracting higher quality submissions but maintained it would not fundamentally alter the festival experience.

Korean producer Oh Jungwan, co-chair of the jury, noted that the label carries different weight for different attendees. Oh, a founder of Bom Film Productions, described herself as not being a film festival insider. She observed that audiences primarily attend to experience the atmosphere rather than to evaluate rankings. "We just go to watch film and enjoy the feeling, the festival feeling," she said.

The five-member jury includes Japanese actor Watanabe Makiko, producer Alex Lo, and colorist Yov Moor. The panel will select the Tokyo Grand Prix from 15 competition titles. The festival schedule runs through November 4. The other jurors did not offer public comments on the new accreditation structure.

De Heer also discussed the economics of Australian and Japanese co-productions. He argued that financial structures in Australia do not support the model as effectively as Europe. However, he said projects with natural narrative reasons to shoot in both countries remain viable. Producer Alex Lo added that international producers are increasingly seeking co-production deals due to a lack of local government support.

When asked how the jury would resolve disagreements, de Heer expressed confidence in the group's ability to avoid a compromised selection. He predicted they would find a film that some jurors might not personally like but that is compelling. Oh, who served on a Tokyo jury previously, joked about a past seven-hour debate where she argued for a film the others disliked. She hoped to avoid a similar confrontation with de Heer this year.