Veteran director Johnnie To discussed the challenges of filmmaking under increased regulation in Hong Kong during a conversation with Japanese filmmaker Yu Irie at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF). “There is a lot of regulation in Hong Kong, especially when it comes to expression,” To said Thursday when asked about balancing culture with freedom. […]

Alex Boden, producer of Max/Wowow series “Tokyo Vice,” outlined the hurdles and triumphs of filming the first U.S. studio streamer series shot entirely in Japan during a keynote at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The keynote was delivered as part of a Motion Picture Association event at the festival. Created by J.T. Rogers and starring […]

Asian film and tech leaders gathered at TIFFCOM, the market allied to the Tokyo International Film Festival, to discuss the transformative impact of generative AI on film production. They highlighted its potential for dramatic cost reductions and new investment opportunities. Kevin D.C. Chang, AI director and CEO of Metavision Co., South Korea, demonstrated how AI […]

Female empowerment meets Mongolian mysticism in “Where the Mountain Women Sing,” a genre-bending feature from director Zhang Juefang that arrives at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market with 60% of its $800,000 budget secured. The project market is part of TIFFCOM, the content market that is allied with the Tokyo International Film Festival. The film follows Stephanie, […]

Industry veterans gathered at the Tokyo International Film Festival’s (TIFF) annual Motion Picture Association (MPA) seminar to discuss the evolving landscape of filming in Japan and the impact of emerging technologies on global production, with participants highlighting both opportunities and challenges in attracting international projects to the country. Japan’s location incentive scheme, which offers reimbursement […]

A feature debut exploring The Philippines’ underground punk scene and social activism is participating at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, which is part of the Tokyo International Film Festival’s TIFFCOM market. “Ria,” directed by award-winning short filmmaker Arvin Belarmino, centers on 25-year-old Ria, who lives in a punk commune facing demolition while caring for her diabetic […]

Paz Vega-starrer “Death Has No Master,” a Venezuela-set thriller from director Jorge Thielen Armand, is participating in TIFFCOM’s Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, as the producers seek to secure the final 30% of the film’s $1.2 million budget. The film, which previously participated in the Venice Production Bridge’s Gap-Financing Market, stars Vega as a woman who returns […]

Modern Films has taken on the film adaptation of Jessica Au’s award-winning novel “Cold Enough for Snow,” with theater veteran Jemima James set to make her feature directorial debut. The project is at TIFFCOM’s Tokyo Gap-Financing Market. The source material, which won the inaugural Novel Prize from publishers Fitzcarraldo Editions, New Directions and Giramondo, follows […]

Sony’s “Venom: The Last Dance” dominated the U.K. and Ireland box office with a £4.3 million ($5.6 million) debut weekend, according to numbers from Comscore. Universal’s animated feature “The Wild Robot” maintained momentum in week two with £1.9 million for a £6.4 million cume. Also in its sophomore session, Paramount’s horror sequel “Smile 2” took […]

TIFFCOM,  the film market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival, is poised to exceed last year’s attendance of 3,851 participants, with visitor registrations already matching 2023’s total ahead of its opening, according to CEO Shiina Yasushi. The event, which also encompasses the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market and the Tokyo Story Market, has significantly expanded its seminar […]

India’s Oscar submission “Lost Ladies” (Laapataa Ladies) has found significant success on Netflix, and the film’s director Kiran Rao and Jyoti Deshpande, president of media and content business at Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), are optimistic about their awards season prospects. “Lost Ladies” was chosen over Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix winner “All We Imagine as […]

As the third instalment of the successful “Bhool Bhulaiyaa” franchise approaches its Diwali (Nov. 1) release, star Kartik Aaryan sat down with Variety to discuss the evolution of his character Rooh Baba and working alongside Bollywood legends Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit. “‘BB’ is one of the first successful franchises of horror-comedy and yet it […]

Malaysian director Chong Keat Aun’s latest feature “Pavane for an Infant,” starring acclaimed actor Fish Liew, makes its world premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival, taking on the pressing social issue of abandoned babies and women’s rights in Malaysia. The film follows a female social worker operating a baby hatch facility, exposing the challenges […]

Roya Sadat’s latest feature “Sima’s Song,” world premiering at the Tokyo International Film Festival, chronicles a pivotal moment in Afghanistan’s history through the lens of two college students in 1978. The drama follows a wealthy Communist and a poor Muslim woman as they navigate the country’s socialist transition, Soviet invasion and the emergence of anti-Soviet […]

The Singapore International Film Festival is marking its 35th edition with 105 films from 45 countries, with Asian titles comprising 80% of the program. Running Nov. 28-Dec. 8, the fest will host three world premieres of Singapore features, including Ong Keng-Sen’s “The House of Janus,” Wong Chen-Hsi’s “City of Small Blessings,” adapted from Simon Tay’s […]

The BFI Southbank is teaming with the London Action Festival for a series of events this fall as part of the org’s “Art of Action” season, running Oct. 21 to Nov. 30. Christopher McQuarrie, director of the “Rogue Nation,” “Fallout” and “Dead Reckoning” films in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise and Eddie Hamilton, who edited the […]

The 37th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is doubling down on global networking and gender equality initiatives, according to festival chair Ando Hiroyasu. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, various restrictions made this difficult, but we are finally able to engage in genuine networking,” Ando told Variety. The festival has relocated its TIFF Lounge, a hub for […]

Amazon MGM Studios and Excel Entertainment are taking their Indian streaming hit “Mirzapur” to theaters, marking a significant move in the Indian entertainment landscape. The film adaptation of the Prime Video crime thriller series, which explores power dynamics and the criminal underworld in the heartland of northern India, is set to debut in 2026, with […]

Indian powerhouse producer Guneet Monga Kapoor has boarded Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai’s short film “Anuja” as executive producer. The film recently qualified for Academy Awards consideration after winning Best Live Action Short at the 2024 HollyShorts Film Festival. The film centers on nine-year-old Anuja, who must choose between education and factory work alongside […]