The most anticipated event for Tokyo cinephiles is back this fall. As always, the lineup at the Tokyo International Film Festival (October 28–November 5) is full of promising directors, actors from Japan and abroad. In anticipation of seeing everybody’s red carpet looks and latest titles, here are TW’s picks for TIFF 2019.
i’m livin’ it
World Premiere
Starting with Wong Hing Fan’s inaugural film, i’m livin’ it is a Hong Kong drama that promises complex characters that meet at a 24-hour burger joint. The artistic and unorthodox trailer above already reveals the tone and cinematic style that Hing Fan hopes to bring to the table of modern cinema.
Ford v Ferrari
Academy Award winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale transform into car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles to build a revolutionary race car in the 1960s. The trailer leaves us with a hint of the film’s Southern charm and the actors’ promising chemistry that might just take what we love from the Fast and Furious franchise to combine with high-stakes corporate drama.
Mañanita
World Premiere
From Filipino director Paul Soriano, this emotionally charged film stars Bela Padilla as an ex-military sniper. Though she was honorably discharged, she accepts a life-changing mission. Mañanita is a character study of when you’ve lost everything, but you still go after your dreams – even though they might kill you.
Ghost Town Anthology
Does anybody else get serious David Lynch vibes? Set in the French-Canadian province, Ghost Town Anthology is about a family and small-town dealing with grief after the death of Simon. As they all struggle to come to peace with reality, a number of people start to report a concerning number of ghost sightings.
Where We Belong
Where We Belong is a story about friendship and how they diverge as you grow old. Sue wants to escape the comfort of her hometown. Though Sue wants her best friend Belle to pack her bags and follow her, Belle wants to stay. Spending their last week together, they realize that living is just like packing luggage.
