TIFFCOM Poised to be More International, More Relevant, Says Market Chief Shiina Yasushi (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comPatrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief TIFFCOM, the film market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival, is set to be more international and more diverse in its first full comeback year after the COVID hiatus.
It should also be more pleasant and convenient, having re-located to a more modern venue that is close to the film festival. “Bringing the in-person market back after four years, my priority was to make sure that TIFFCOM could happen during the festival, not some other time,” said Shiina Yasushi, who has headed the market for ten years. “That meant juggling dates, venue choices and budget.” Tokyo’s limited selection of appropriate venues came with other complications such as being in areas with expensive hotels or difficult transport options.
The new venue at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center in Hamamatsucho, on paper seems ideal. It is a newer building than the old market building in Ikkebukuro, is closer to the new festival venues in the Hibiya-Ginza area and is government- owned. “The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said they wanted to help.” Surprisingly, perhaps, while foreign visitor registrations have bounced back to pre-COVID levels, the number of Japanese exhibitors is lower.
Shiina says that may reflect a slower exhibitor-subsidy cycle within the Ministry of Trade and Industry (METI). Counterbalancing that, the weak Japanese currency has made the country cheaper for many inbound visitors. “Where once the mix was 60-40 in favor of Japanese, this year looks a lot closer to 50-50,” said Shiina.
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