TIFFCOM Exhibition Space Sells Out as Japanese Producers Seek Early Partners

The exhibition space at the Tokyo International Film Festival’s TIFFCOM market has sold out for the first time in its history. Managing director Ikeda Kaori announced the news, noting that the full capacity reflects a changing behavior among local industry players. More Japanese producers are now using the market to secure partners while their projects are still in development, rather than waiting until final cuts are ready.

This shift has driven a measurable increase in traffic. Last year’s edition attracted more than 4,600 industry professionals from 46 countries and regions. Attendance rose by 13% compared to the previous year. Ikeda credits global interest in Japanese content as a primary driver of this growth.

“Beyond the traditional trading of completed content, TIFFCOM has increasingly evolved into a platform for finding partners from the project development stage, leading to a significant increase in participation by Japanese producers,” Ikeda said.

She also pointed to the expanding economic power of Asia. Governments across the region are actively backing their content industries, she noted. This support has made the area one of the world’s largest markets for entertainment content.

The Tokyo IP Market has expanded its scope this year. It now includes 10 participating IP holders and has added new categories, such as toys. The pitch event has also changed its format. Each company now gives a focused pitch on its flagship IP. These changes follow the market’s expansion to the Cannes Film Market earlier this year. More than 700 people registered for the Cannes pitches, panels, and related programs. The audience there was mostly from Europe and Hollywood.

Ikeda said the IP holders who participated in the Cannes event held a series of meetings with partners they rarely see in person. An initiative proposed by the Cannes market also set up matchmaking with the XR sector.

Overseas interest extends beyond famous franchises. “IPs with an established audience, including ‘One Piece’ and ‘Super Mario,’ are undoubtedly attractive. On the other hand, Japan still possesses a great number of outstanding original works with strong potential for screen adaptations and remakes, and Tokyo IP Market is designed as the platform to discover them,” Ikeda said. Many producers want to adapt or distribute distinctive stories that are not yet well known, she added.

The Tokyo Gap-Financing Market (TGFM) is hosting 24 live-action and animation projects this year. It has also partnered with Canadian genre outfit Frontières. Ikeda said Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia stand out in Asia for genre films such as horror and thrillers. TGFM wants the genre focus to widen the mix of projects and filmmakers at the market. It also hopes to give Asian projects a route into North America.

The market already has results to show. Two projects developed through TGFM are at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival. “The Violinist,” which took part in 2023, won the top prize at Annecy this year. Ikeda understands that the Italian financing on “The Violinist” and the Thai financing on “Four Seasons in Java” both came from connections made at TIFFCOM.

“As a gap financing market, the primary goal is the completion of the film, and being selected for film festivals is a major initial bonus,” she said.