The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is pleased to announce that it will be highlighting the work of two iconic directors: Mamoru HOSODA and Shunji IWAI at the 29th TIFF, running October 25 – November 3, 2016.

 

This year’s Animation Focus will shine a spotlight on Mamoru HOSODA, the brilliantly inventive director whose Summer Wars (09) and Wolf Children (12) were local and international hits, and whose latest masterpiece, The Boy and the Beast (15), became the highest-grossing local film at the Japanese box office in 2015, as well as being distributed in nearly 50 territories overseas. Hosoda’s universal themes and storytelling genius have attracted all-age audiences worldwide and his devoted fan base continues to expand with each exhilarating new release.

 

In TIFF’s Japan Now section, following his recent experiences in Hollywood and in animation, the Director in Focus will be internationally acclaimed creator Shunji IWAI, whose groundbreaking style and youth-focused vision are known as the “Iwai Aesthetic.” From Love Letter (95), which put him on the world stage, through the enduringly acclaimed All About Lily Chou-Chou (01) and Hana and Alice (04), to his latest masterpiece, A Bride for Rip Van Winkle (16), Iwai’s films have continued to be in a class all their own, each a mesmerizing work of transcendent power, applauded across the globe by fans and critics alike.

The 29th TIFF will take place from October 25 – November 3, 2016 at Roppongi Hills and other venues in Tokyo.

(Source: Press release provided by TIFF Public Relations Division)