Hisamatsu Takeo has been appointed festival director of the Tokyo International Film Festival, effective April 14, marking his return to the post he held from 2017 to 2021.
He steps in as outgoing chair Ando Hiroyasu prepares to leave the organization on May 31.
Hisamatsu’s second stint at TIFF comes as the 39th edition, set for Oct. 26 through Nov. 4 in the Hibiya-Yurakucho-Marunouchi-Ginza district, opens film submissions through July 7.
“After five years since my last appointment with the Tokyo International Film Festival, it is a great honor to once again be given the opportunity to shoulder the significant responsibility of festival director,” Hisamatsu said. He added that during his previous tenure he had championed a vision of entertainment and art in symmetry, and that he would now commit to deepening the festival’s cultural value while advancing the commercial development of the film industry.
Hisamatsu’s career spans nearly five decades across exhibition, distribution and production in both Japan and the U.S. A Shochiku veteran who rose through its theatrical operations, he also held senior distribution roles at Warner Bros. Pictures Japan across two separate stints, and ran his own production and acquisition outfit, My Way Movies, prior to his first TIFF appointment.
Ando, who became chair in July 2019, oversaw a significant reshaping of the festival during his seven-year tenure, including moving the main venue from Roppongi to its current Hibiya-Yurakucho-Marunouchi-Ginza home, restructuring the programming slate, and launching the TIFF Lounge conversation series. He has been awarded the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government, with the French Ambassador to Japan set to present the honor on April 15.
“I believe that we have achieved tangible success, reflected in the growth of our audience numbers, revenues, and number of international guests,” Ando said, adding that the festival “must continue to strive for even greater heights” under its new leadership.
Submissions for the 39th edition are open now via the festival’s official website, through the July 7 deadline. The main international competition accepts features with a Japanese premiere – including documentaries and animation – completed after Jan. 1, 2026. The Asian Future section, a competitive strand for first, second or third features from emerging directors across Asia and the Middle East, is also accepting entries. At last year’s 38th edition, the festival received 1,970 submissions from 108 countries and regions, with Annemarie Jacir’s “Palestine 36” taking the Tokyo Grand Prix. Companion market TIFFCOM runs Oct. 28–30.
