Tokyo Film Festival Adds Awards, Honors Women in Cinema

The Tokyo International Film Festival is expanding with several new initiatives. These include two new awards for its Nippon Cinema Now section, a new Crosscut Asia+ section for 2026 highlighting Southeast Asian cinema, and the Kashiko Kawakita Award, also for 2026, to honor women in film. The festival aims to boost Japanese cinema's global reach, support new talent, and promote diverse film cultures. Acclaimed critic Sahoko Hata will receive the inaugural Kashiko Kawakita Award, recognizing her work in connecting Japanese and French cinema.