TOKYO – Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi has been appointed as the festival navigator for the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), set to take place from Oct. 28 through Nov. 6 in the Hibiya-Yurakucho-Marunouchi-Ginza area and other venues in the Japanese capital.
Kikuchi shared her thoughts on taking on the role during a press conference unveiling the full lineup for this year’s edition.
“I’m delighted and honored to have this role this year, and I’m determined to do my best to support TIFF,” she said.
“I grew up watching films and learned so many things. When I left the theater, I felt motivated and energized. I could take the lives of the film’s characters home with me, and I could reflect them in my own acting,” she added.
The Oscar-nominated actress for her role in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 2006 drama “Babel” noted that holding the festival in Tokyo has special significance.
“I’ve been involved in many films and represented them at various festivals, and I’ve always appreciated the gift of audiences being able to see what I’ve been doing. At TIFF, I look forward to meeting many filmmakers and actors, and having face-to-face conversations with them. This festival gives us a rare and precious opportunity to meet all these people. We share the common language of cinema, which is so important,” she said.
According to TIFF organizers, Kikuchi was chosen as the festival navigator “for her significant commitment to the film industry.”
Kikuchi entered the limelight in 2006 and has appeared in numerous films by foreign directors, including “Norwegian Wood (2010),” “Pacific Rim (2013),” and “Endless Night (2015).” Last year, she won the Best Actress Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival for “Yoko,” directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri.
“I hope that films and people who love films will be firmly connected in Tokyo. This film festival will take place in a special city in the world, and I will do my small part to brighten it up,” the acclaimed actress enthused. - Florenda Corpuz
(Photos courtesy of ©︎2024 TIFF)
