Tokyo International Film Festival to be held despite Coronavirus outbreak

The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), which is scheduled to be held from October 31 to November 9, will go ahead with a physical screening at its 33rd edition. This was recently announced by the festival office.

In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, many film festivals around the world have been affected, with many forced to postpone, cancel, or shrink. And although it comes as a surprise for Japan to host this event physically, given the fact that the Coronavirus is still rampant in the country, it is clear that Japan is taking a risk. As of now, the organisers have retained the option of cancelling or postponing the event, if the situation worsens further.
However, regardless of the current situation,TIFF will have physical screenings in Tokyo theaters, and also host symposiums and talk events with international guest talks online. Referring to this, TIFF authorities said that by staying physical, the festival will allow audiences to re-experience the pleasure of watching films on the big screen, thereby offering hope for the future of films.
A statement was also issued, stating that they believe this will help strengthen international solidarity in the global film industry and re-examine their understanding of visual culture after COVID-19.
In such a time of crisis, it is, however, very likely that hosting a film festival in the same manner as in the previous years will be quite challenging, given the restrictions on international measure, and the need of taking precautionary measures for the safety of people. As such, the organizers have formed a special section for the 33rd TIFF, which goes beyond the boundaries of its usual competitive sections.

Given the exceptional circumstances this time, TIFF is introducing Tokyo Premiere 2020, which will combine their international competition, Asian Future and Japanese Cinema Splash sections in one lineup.