J-FLICKS

Close-up on Tokyo International Film Festival 2021 (2021x6)

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This episode focuses on one of Japan's largest cinematic events, the Tokyo International Film Festival. The festival's 34th edition was held at physical venues for the first time in 2 years. We'll look at some of the lineup's highlights, including 2 films in competition: "Just Remembering" directed by Matsui Daigo, and "Third Time Lucky" by Nohara Tadashi, as well as a selection from the Asian Future section, "Somebody's Flowers," by director Okuda Yusuke. This year, the festival welcomed its new programming director, Ichiyama Shozo, who's also a prominent producer on the Asian cinematic scene, having worked with filmmakers such as Jia Zhangke and Hou Hsiao-hsien. Ichiyama shares with us his thoughts on the 2021 iteration of the festival. [Navigator] Sarah Macdonald [Guest] Alexander Zahlten (Professor, Harvard University)