Yoshida Daihachi’s black and white drama Teki Cometh dominated the awards ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) today (November 6), winning the grand prix and the prizes for best director,and best actor.
Based on a novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, the film centres around a retired and widowed college professor who receives a sudden and unsettling message telling him that the enemy is coming. The film marks the latest in a string of literary adaptations from Daihachi including Pale Moon, The Kirishima Thing, and Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers! which premiered at Cannes Critic Week in 2007.
Teki Cometh, for which Happinet Phantom Studios is handling sales, also won the best actor prize for veteran actor Nagatsuka Kyozo, for his portrayal of a mind unravelling.
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‘Teki Cometh’: Tokyo Review
The special jury prize was awarded to Colombian western action Adios Al Amigo directed by Ivan D. Gaona, which premiered at Warsaw earlier this year. The film follows a liberal soldier at the end of the Thousand Days’ War in Colombia, who joins forces with a photographer to find his missing soldier brother.
Romania’s Anamaria Vartolomei, was named best actress for her performance in Traffic. Inspired by a true art theft case in Rotterdam, the film follows Natalia, a young Romanian emigrant, as she navigates a world of poverty and is pushed to rob an art museum.
The artistic contribution award went to My Friend An Delie, the directorial debut from veteran Chinese actor Dong Zijian. The film intricately navigates themes of nostalgia, childhood friendships, and grief, in a story about a young man who reunites with a long-lost friend while travelling home to attend his father’s funeral.
The audience award was given to Big World directed by Yang Lina. The film spans the summer of a young, resilient man who grapples with cerebral palsy while trying to remain in touch with society.
Apollon By Day Atheon By Night was awarded Asian future best film. The Turkish fantasy-drama marks director Emine Yildirim’s debut feature, and follows a woman who travels the ancient Mediterranean city of Side in search of her long-lost mother and has a series of mysterious encounters.
The second annual ethical film award was given to Mati Diop’s Dahomey. The documentary brings to life the stories of 26 African artworks from the kingdom of Dahomey. The award is presented to a film that “raises awareness of social issues such as the environment, poverty and discrimination and understanding of diversity”.
The lifetime achievement award was also presented to Hungarian auteur Tarr Béla. 2007 winner of the Cannes’ Palme d’Or with The Man From London, Tarr retired from directing in 2011 and currently runs an international film school in Sarajevo.
As previously announced, Japanese filmmaker Miyake Sho and Taiwanese director Fu Tien-yu each received the honorary Kurosawa Akira Award. The award is presented to filmmakers who have “made waves in cinema”.
International presence
The 37th edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival ran from October 28 to November 6, with a programme of 208 films from 39 countries across the globe.
Preliminary figures report admissions slightly down from 74,841 last year to 61,576 this year, though attendance at other official events saw a 32.5% increase.
Despite some challenges in securing funding, there was an increased international presence this year compared to last year’s festival with 2,561 international guests in total, a 28% increase from last year.
Tiffcom, he festival’s affiliated content market, ran from October 30 to November 1 and saw a doubled seminar programme.
The festival closes today with a screening of Marcello Mio by French-Italian director Christophe Honoré. The comedy premiered in Competition at Cannes this year and features Chiara Mastroianni as a character who turns into her real-life father, Marcello Mastroianni.
Tokyo International Film Festival 2024 winners
Tokyo Grand Prix: Teki Cometh
Special Jury Prize: Adios Amigo
Best director: Yoshida Daihachi, Teki Cometh
Best actress: Anamaria Vartolomei, Traffic
Best actor: Nagatsuka Kyozo, Teki Cometh
Best artistic contribution: My Friend An Delie
Audience award: Big World
Asian future best film award: Apollon By Day Athena By Night
Ethical film award: Dahomey
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