Tokyo joins the A-list film festivals

The Tokyo International Film Festival, in its 39th edition running from October 26 to November 4-5, has obtained “A-list” classification for the first time under the new accreditation system of the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF), as reported by Wikipedia and Screen Daily. The federation brings together festivals with organizational and programming requirements deemed equivalent to those of Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno and San Sebastian.

The A-list classification is not an isolated honorary title: it entails an obligation, for festivals that hold it, to predominantly program world or international premieres in their main competitions. Tokyo’s entry into this restricted club signals a repositioning of the Japanese event, which until now had operated in a tier below the major European appointments.

The jump in category comes alongside growth in the festival’s numbers, with this year’s program featuring 204 films compared to 183 in the 2025 edition, according to data reported by the same sources. The main competition includes 15 titles, among them “The Canary’s Lullaby” by Taiwanese-Japanese director Akira Ikeda and “Red Before Dawn” by Indonesian director Garin Nugroho — a selection confirming the festival’s role as a platform for Asian cinema, an area in which Tokyo plays a role no European festival can replicate given geographic and cultural proximity.

The opening film, “Sukiyaki” by Zeze Takahisa, reconstructs the story behind the famous pop song performed by Kyu Sakamoto; the closing slot goes to “Colony” by South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho. Another novelty this year is the first-ever award for best film in the Nippon Cinema Now section, to be decided by a mixed jury of Japanese and international experts — a further sign of the festival’s intent to open up a non-local perspective on domestic production.

The FIAPF federation does not publish detailed case-by-case justifications for granting A-list classification; information on Tokyo’s 2026 entry is currently reported by both consulted sources without further procedural details.