"Busy" TIFFCOM sees visitors and exhibitors increase

The Tokyo International Film Festival’s content market TIFFCOM wrapped today (Oct 28) with the number of exhibitors up 4% to 222 and also the number of total visitors up 4% to 21,095.

The number of registrations,4133 went up 2% year-on-year. Registrants came from 55 Countries, up from 57 last year.

Exhibitors cames from 21 countries, up from 18 last year, withKorea, China, Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia opening national pavilions. The market saw 40 new exhibitors from overseas and 14 news ones from Japan, while countries participating for the first timewereDenmark, Iran andSingapore.

The market opened Oct 25 with foot traffic and meetings picking up the second and third days and dropping off significantly the last day as buyers and sellers alike rushed away to prepare for the American Film Market (AFM). Suitcases and packing boxes were visible as last meetings took place today.

“It’s been a busy market, but at the same time it’s so close to AFM, I’ve had to work on two fronts,” said Luna Kim, director of International Sales and Co-production at Seoul-based sales agent Finecut. “I’ve been here in June, August and now in October, meeting with Japanese clients. It takes time to do deals with the Japanese, so this is useful.”

Kim also noted the logistical difficulties of print traffic between Pusan, Tokyo and AFM being so close together.

Nikkatsu’s one-year-old genre label Sushi Typhoon sold Alien vs. Ninja (AVN) to Hwa Yea Multimedia for Malaysia.

“It’s so close to AFM, some buyers couldn’t come here. That’s a little bit of a problem, but it’s been a busy market for us,” said Nikkatsu sales representative Shinako Matsuda.

“It was busier than Pusan for us, and it’s better for meeting Japanese buyers. There are more clients from Asia and less from Europe,” noted Nuanva Daraswasdi, from the Thai Ministry of Culture which opened an umbrella booth.