Within the 5 years since Hiroyasu Ando took sole cost on the high of Tokyo Worldwide Movie Competition, the progress made beneath the energetic octogenarian former diplomat is palpable. Regardless of the distinctly inauspicious begin of his first full occasion in cost unfurling beneath the cloud of a worldwide pandemic, the Tokyo competition is now producing extra buzz than it has in many years.
A rise in world premieres, worldwide visitors and facet occasions, together with the relocation to the extra accessible and atmospheric Hibiya-Ginza-Yurakucho districts, are serving to to spice up the competition’s profile and clout. Nonetheless, Ando appears unwilling to relaxation on his laurels, decided to proceed driving progress, appeal to extra native cinemagoers and strengthen the occasion’s influence past cinema.
Ando sat down with The Hollywood Reporter as this 12 months’s version was getting underway to share his ideas on what the competition was getting proper and what was nonetheless left to do.
Do you are feeling the competition has received off to an excellent begin, although you had been competing for consideration with President Trump’s arrival on the night the occasion opened?
Up to now, so good. I used to be apprehensive in regards to the overlap, however fortunately it labored out. As I mentioned within the opening ceremony, it rained over the weekend and I used to be apprehensive as a result of we had the pink carpet on Monday. However the climate turned out tremendous, and we had a variety of consideration. The Japanese media, particularly TV, coated it extensively, exhibiting the film stars and administrators who attended. Ticket gross sales have been sturdy up to now. This 12 months we’ve many film stars from Japan and overseas. I simply got here from the ceremony presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to director Yōji Yamada. His movie Tokyo Taxi is our competition centerpiece this 12 months, starring Chieko Baisho and Takuya Kimura. They each attended, it was an exquisite celebration.
It’s wonderful that he’s nonetheless making films at 91.
Precisely. Though he’s most well-known for Tora-san [Yamada wrote and directed 46 of the 48 Otoko wa Tsurai yo (It’s Tough Being a Man) films about an unlucky-in-love peddler from 1965 to 1995] he has made many nice movies about postwar Japan and the way folks lived. He’s additionally a residing dictionary of Japanese cinema. He’s educated many youthful filmmakers and has a deep curiosity in world cinema too. That’s why we selected to honor him this 12 months. Yamada-san was beforehand given the competition’s first Akira Kurosawa Award in 2004, alongside Steven Spielberg.
The opposite lifetime achievement award went to Sayuri Yoshinaga, proper?
Sure, I offered it to her on the opening ceremony. Her movie was additionally the opening movie. Actually, our three predominant movies — the opening, centerpiece, and shutting — every give attention to girls. The opening movie is in regards to the first girl to climb Everest; the centerpiece, Tokyo Taxi, is in regards to the journey of an aged girl from her home to a nursing dwelling; and the closing movie is Hamnet, directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao, about Shakespeare’s spouse. We did this deliberately: girls’s empowerment is certainly one of this 12 months’s predominant focuses.
You signed that 5050×2020 [Cannes-led gender equality] pledge a number of years in the past? Have you ever launched new figures for the competition group?
Sure. Amongst all employees, girls made up 56.8 p.c final 12 months and 57.3 p.c this 12 months. For senior positions, the ratio went from 30.8 p.c to 33.3 p.c. It’s rising step by step, and ladies now make up greater than half of our employees.
How a lot influence do you assume these efforts have past the competition?
Properly, we’ve the primary feminine Japanese prime minister. I hope our worldwide movie competition had a sure contribution to the choice of a lady prime minister (laughs). I believe society is placing extra emphasis on girls, and we wish to assist drive that progress.
You’ve additionally talked about contributing to concord by means of cinema. Realistically, how a lot influence can a competition or movies have in that sense?
True, it’s arduous to measure. However all over the world, divisions—social, political, worldwide—are rising. Cinema can promote dialogue amongst folks from completely different backgrounds, ideologies, or cultures. Movies present completely different views; by watching and discussing them, we construct mutual understanding. We’re additionally encouraging extra trade this 12 months by means of the competition lounge, with small and huge gatherings virtually every single day for visitors from Japan and overseas to satisfy and speak.
You’ve mentioned earlier than that one problem is reaching the broader public. Many Tokyo residents nonetheless don’t understand the competition is on.
Sure, that’s my ongoing homework. We have to attain not solely cinephiles, however unusual folks. Many see the pink carpet on TV however don’t take into consideration truly coming to see movies. We now have to make it really feel extra open, not only for business insiders or celebrities. That’s one thing I nonetheless want to enhance.
Apart from girls’s empowerment, what different initiatives stand out this 12 months?
We’ve launched a brand new program: the Asian Movie College students Convention. We invited 15 pupil movies from cinema faculties throughout Asia and can give an award to certainly one of them. The scholars have come to Tokyo for seminars, masterclasses, and visits to film-related websites. It’s a part of our dedication to nurturing younger filmmakers in Asia.
Do you are feeling you’ve made progress in elevating the competition’s worldwide profile?
Sure. The variety of premiere movies has elevated, particularly within the competitors part. That’s partly as a result of the competition is changing into higher identified internationally. Extra folks overseas are paying consideration and wish to come to Tokyo. For instance, Juliette Binoche was gracious sufficient to return this 12 months. We’re transferring ahead step-by-step. Because the Chinese language saying goes: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Budgets are all the time a problem, however you’ve managed to extend yours, appropriate?
Sure, by about 30 p.c since I began in 2020. Again then, the price range was round 780 million yen ($4.7 million); this 12 months it’s simply over 1 billion yen ($6.6 million). However lodge and airfare prices have risen, so it’s nonetheless robust. Getting sponsorships is an enormous a part of my job; we added eight new corporations this 12 months.
There was speak of fixing the competition dates, is that also on the desk?
It’s not straightforward. We’re held from late October to early November, however by then Venice, Toronto, and San Sebastián have already screened most of the greatest movies. Shifting earlier could be good, perhaps to July, but it surely’s too sizzling, and it overlaps with summer time holidays. Plus, our authorities price range is finalized in March, so we are able to’t start planning early sufficient. It’s one thing we’ll hold discussing. However that is the very best season in Japan — comfy and dry.
No ideas of retiring but?
No person is aware of (laughs).