Tokyo International Film Festival: 2017–2018 - Photo Gallery — The Gaijin Ghost

Festival director Takeo Hisamatsu and 2017 ambassador Kanna Hashimoto.

Pikachu, mascot of the Pokemon franchise.

Director Naomi Kawase ( Sweet Bean ).

Chinese actress Jiang Yiyan, co-star of the competition film The Looming Storm .

The four actresses chosen as 2017’s Muses of Japanese Cinema (from left to right): Sakura Ando, Yu Aoi, Hikari Mitsushima, and Aoi Miyazaki.

Hirona Yamazaki, face of the “Hollywood Movie Topics” newsreel at Toho Cinemas.

Thierry Fremaux, head of the Cannes Film Festival.

Tommy Lee Jones, flanked by his daughter Victoria and Zhao Wei ( Shaolin Soccer ). Photographers begged Jones to “Smile!”

In his speech, Jones mentioned that “Pacific Rim” is used as a movie marketing term in America (apparently, not just for Guillermo del Toro films).

Addressing Asia’s cinematic marginalization, Jones said, “You and I both know we're not standing on the rim of anything.”

Proof that he does smile.

Members of the International Competition Jury. Jones served as president.

Shota Sometani (The Boy and the Beast) and Hiroshi Abe (Godzilla 2000).

Actress Tsubasa Honda, Japanese idol Ryosuke Yamada, and director Fumihiko Sori.

The three of them were promoting the festival's opening film, Fullmetal Alchemist .

In the middle: Husband-and-wife politicians Hiroshige Seko and Kumiko Hayashi. Seko serves as Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

Director Govinda Van Maele and producer Gilles Chaniel at the Gutland press conference.

Director Steven Soderbergh ( Ocean's Eleven ).

Soderbergh gave a stage greeting at the Japanese premiere of his film Logan Lucky .

American Airlines sponsored a “World of Steven Soderbergh” program at the festival.

Your photographer is a tall foreigner who attracts stares, hence all these pictures of people looking directly into the camera.

Further reading: Steven Soderbergh Explains How The 'Ocean's' Trilogy Is His Superhero Series.

Director Dong Yue accepting the Best Artistic Contribution award for The Looming Storm .

Jury member Zhao Wei preparing to announce the Best Actor award.

Duan Yihong winning Best Actor for The Looming Storm .

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

Across town, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was meeting with Ivanka Trump.

Tommy Lee Jones at the closing ceremony.

Of the competition jury’s deliberation process, Jones said, “We speak five different languages, and we needed five different interpreters. It felt like the United Nations.”

At Harvard, Jones was roommates with future U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Al Gore. Not pictured: Governor Koike welcoming him to the stage. (She once served as Japan’s Minister of the Environment.)

Gore’s environmental documentary, An Inconvenient Sequel , screened as the festival’s closing film.

Festival director Takeo Hisamatsu making the closing remarks.

Actor Ralph Fiennes appeared at the 2018 festival.

Fiennes at a press conference for his third directorial effort, The White Crow.

The film tells the story of Rudolph Nureyev, a ballet dancer who was one of the first prominent Russians to defect from the Soviet Union.

Fiennes on stage at a post-screening Q&A for The White Crow .

A pose reminiscent of Rodin’s The Thinker (which you can see outside the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno).

Shooting on location in the Louvre while it was closed, Fiennes recalled stepping around the corner and having the Mona Lisa to himself.

Actor Lily Franky at a screening of his Palme d’Or-winning film, Shoplifters .

There’s a section on Shoplifters in this article.

Director Shin'ichiro Ueda at a screening of his zombie comedy, One Cut of the Dead , on Halloween night.

Later, sometime after the festival had passed, I saw Ueda getting on the Keio Line at Chofu Station.

After leaving the One Cut of the Dead screening, you could see real people in zombie costumes on the streets of Tokyo for Halloween.

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Festival director Takeo Hisamatsu and 2017 ambassador Kanna Hashimoto.

Pikachu, mascot of the Pokemon franchise.

Director Naomi Kawase ( Sweet Bean ).

Chinese actress Jiang Yiyan, co-star of the competition film The Looming Storm .

The four actresses chosen as 2017’s Muses of Japanese Cinema (from left to right): Sakura Ando, Yu Aoi, Hikari Mitsushima, and Aoi Miyazaki.

Hirona Yamazaki, face of the “Hollywood Movie Topics” newsreel at Toho Cinemas.

Thierry Fremaux, head of the Cannes Film Festival.

Tommy Lee Jones, flanked by his daughter Victoria and Zhao Wei ( Shaolin Soccer ). Photographers begged Jones to “Smile!”

In his speech, Jones mentioned that “Pacific Rim” is used as a movie marketing term in America (apparently, not just for Guillermo del Toro films).

Addressing Asia’s cinematic marginalization, Jones said, “You and I both know we're not standing on the rim of anything.”

Proof that he does smile.

Members of the International Competition Jury. Jones served as president.

Shota Sometani (The Boy and the Beast) and Hiroshi Abe (Godzilla 2000).

Actress Tsubasa Honda, Japanese idol Ryosuke Yamada, and director Fumihiko Sori.

The three of them were promoting the festival's opening film, Fullmetal Alchemist .

In the middle: Husband-and-wife politicians Hiroshige Seko and Kumiko Hayashi. Seko serves as Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

Director Govinda Van Maele and producer Gilles Chaniel at the Gutland press conference.

Director Steven Soderbergh ( Ocean's Eleven ).

Soderbergh gave a stage greeting at the Japanese premiere of his film Logan Lucky .

American Airlines sponsored a “World of Steven Soderbergh” program at the festival.

Your photographer is a tall foreigner who attracts stares, hence all these pictures of people looking directly into the camera.

Further reading: Steven Soderbergh Explains How The 'Ocean's' Trilogy Is His Superhero Series.

Director Dong Yue accepting the Best Artistic Contribution award for The Looming Storm .

Jury member Zhao Wei preparing to announce the Best Actor award.

Duan Yihong winning Best Actor for The Looming Storm .

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

Across town, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was meeting with Ivanka Trump.

Tommy Lee Jones at the closing ceremony.

Of the competition jury’s deliberation process, Jones said, “We speak five different languages, and we needed five different interpreters. It felt like the United Nations.”

At Harvard, Jones was roommates with future U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Al Gore. Not pictured: Governor Koike welcoming him to the stage. (She once served as Japan’s Minister of the Environment.)

Gore’s environmental documentary, An Inconvenient Sequel , screened as the festival’s closing film.

Festival director Takeo Hisamatsu making the closing remarks.

Actor Ralph Fiennes appeared at the 2018 festival.

Fiennes at a press conference for his third directorial effort, The White Crow.

The film tells the story of Rudolph Nureyev, a ballet dancer who was one of the first prominent Russians to defect from the Soviet Union.

Fiennes on stage at a post-screening Q&A for The White Crow .

A pose reminiscent of Rodin’s The Thinker (which you can see outside the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno).

Shooting on location in the Louvre while it was closed, Fiennes recalled stepping around the corner and having the Mona Lisa to himself.

Actor Lily Franky at a screening of his Palme d’Or-winning film, Shoplifters .

There’s a section on Shoplifters in this article.

Director Shin'ichiro Ueda at a screening of his zombie comedy, One Cut of the Dead , on Halloween night.

Later, sometime after the festival had passed, I saw Ueda getting on the Keio Line at Chofu Station.

After leaving the One Cut of the Dead screening, you could see real people in zombie costumes on the streets of Tokyo for Halloween.