Tokyo International Film Festival kicks off as China's Zhang Yimou wins lifetime award

TOKYO -- The 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has kicked off in Tokyo with more than 200 filmmakers and actors from Japan, and other countries and regions appearing on the red carpet.

Chairman Hiroyasu Ando declared the opening of the festival on Monday, saying, "Now that the coronavirus pandemic has settled, we would like to make a further leap forward."

At the opening ceremony, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Chinese director Zhang Yimou. Zhang recalled in a speech that he won Award for Best Actor at the 2nd TIFF in 1987, served as the chairman of the jury 18 years later at the 18th TIFF in 2005, and now again after 18 years won the Lifetime Achievement Award. "This is like a cycle, and this cycle is often not the end, but a new beginning," he said.

The festival, running until Nov 1, will screen 219 films, mainly at movie theaters in the Marunouchi, Yurakucho, Hibiya and Ginza areas in the capital.

Fifteen films chosen from 1,942 entries submitted by 114 countries and regions will be screened in this year's competition division, in which the Tokyo Grand Prix and other prizes will be awarded.