A press conference highlighting the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)’s Nippon Cinema Now section, followed by a screening of distinctive director JOJO Hideo’s remake of OZU Yasujiro’s 1933 silent film Passing Fancy, was held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) on October 3, 2023.
 

 
ANDO Hiroyasu, Chairman of the 36th TIFF discussed the festival’s highlights, outlining a range of enhancements that are being made to this year’s edition, including an expansion of the number of films in the lineup, a five-fold increase in international guests, special screenings and events dedicated to Ozu, and strengthened collaboration with other countries/regions in Asia.
 
Also appearing was 36th TIFF Programming Director ICHIYAMA Shozo, who discussed Jojo’s selection in the Nippon Cinema Now section.
 

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Quotes from the Press Conference
 
– Ando Hiroyasu, Chairman of the 36th TIFF
This year marks the 120th anniversary of the birth and the 60th anniversary of the death of Ozu Yasujiro. TIFF will once again shine a spotlight on Ozu Yasujiro’s works, contemplating what we have learned from him, and how we can connect to the future from a global perspective. We decided that Wim Wenders should be international Competition Jury President, since he has the greatest respect for Ozu of almost any foreign director. I think God gave us instructions from heaven on Mr. Wenders’ choice. Last year Mr. Wenders, he was the winner of the Praemium Imperiale, and visited Japan, where he accepted our offer right away. After discussing with TIFF Programming Director Ichiyama Shozo, we decided that 18 Ozu films will be screened at TIFF and 17 films will be screened at the National Film Archive of Japan. Dragnet Girl will be shown with live music. Symposiums other than screenings will be held at the Mitsukoshi Theater. Wim Wenders will be presenting an homage to Ozu Yasujiro before the panel discussion with director Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Jia Zhangke and Kelly Reichardt. Please check our official website and we hope to see many of you at the Ozu Yasujiro events.
 
– Ichiyama Shozo, 36th TIFF Programming Director
Nippon Cinema Now is a section devoted to the year’s most accomplished Japanese films, and we select them with the goal of providing a springboard for international attention. One of the reasons we decided to select Jojo Hideo as the Director in Focus is that his work demonstrates elevated filmmaking and we felt he hasn’t yet been properly recognized outside of Japan. Another reason is that Passing Fancy is really a masterpiece, representing the best of this year’s Japanese film. After this showcase at TIFF, we hope he will start receiving a lot more international exposure.
 
– Jojo Hideo, Director in Focus, Nippon Cinema Now section
I started my career working on pink (erotic) films then moved to V-Cinema, and my career has not related the international film festival at all. Unfortunately, my name is not well-known yet, but I hope a lot of people will find and see my works, even they don’t like it, with this opportunity given to me by TIFF.

 
Q&A Session
Q: What do Ozu Yasujiro’s films mean for the three of you? And what is the significance of screening them at TIFF this year?
A:
– Ando Hiroyasu: His film expresses the essence of human beings, and that’s why Wim Wenders loves it.
 
– Ichiyama Shozo: Watching his film for the first time when I was a university student, it was an unusual experience: the unusual style, like a TV drama with aliens talking to each other. The style stands out. The dialogue. The way the composition is made. At first there was a feeling of having seen something unusual. But the perception of his films changes, based on our experience. Through watching them again, I hope you’ll make new discoveries, and that’s why I’ve put together this program. 　
 
-Jojo Hideo: Ozu didn’t have a specific filming style when he was making his silent films yet, unlike his famous filming style in his later years; that was the impression that I had of him. When I made the remake of Passing Fancy, I felt that the character of Kihachi was a universal character. He is said to be the prototype of Tora-san from It’s Tough Being a Man. My film is very much influenced by the classic way of making films by Ozu.
 
Q&A session with Jojo Hideo after the screening of Passing Fancy
Q: In the film, a red kettle appears. Is that an homage to Ozu’s works?
Jojo: That’s a clever question. Actually, that was the only restriction imposed by WOWOW. The red kettle became the one recurring prop across the series.
 
Q: Is it something that Ozu actually used?
Jojo: No, it’s not. If you had asked that earlier, we might have thought of that and it would have been more interesting.
 
Q: Can you tell us what is appealing about the Japanese essence present in Ozu’s films and simultaneously speaks to the universal human heart worldwide?
Jojo: I believe that in any country, there are no parents who don’t find their children adorable, and I think that’s universal. However, the expression of love varies from country to country. Japan is very reserved, while in America, there’s a culture of saying “I love you” every day. Japan lacks that directness, and you can feel that subtlety in Ozu’s films, which might make the films intriguing to people from overseas.
 

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Guest profile
Jojo Hideo, Director
With over 100 titles directed so far, ranging from theatrical features to pink films, the rich emotional emphasis in Jojo’s style tugs at the heartstrings of his growing population of supporters. His On the Edge of Their Seats won the Special Award at the 12th Tama Cinema Forum and Best Director at the 42nd Yokohama Film Festival. Thereafter, he has displayed remarkable achievements, including nine films released in theaters. This year, as a Director in Focus in the Nippon Cinema Now section, a special showcase of Jojo titled “The Rare Talent of Jojo Hideo, an Artisan Filmmaker” will be held showing four of his works: Twilight Cinema Blues (2022), Believers (2022), Love Nonetheless (2021) and On The Edge of Their Seats (2019). Furthermore, as a part of this year’s festival highlights, which is the legendary filmmaker Ozu Yasujiro’s special programs, his latest work Passing Fancy will be screened in the TIFF Series section as the first episode in an exciting new series of films produced by the WOWOW Channel and Shochiku to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Ozu’s birth as well as the 60th anniversary of his death.
 

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The 36th TIFF: TIFF Series section
The first episode of Ozu, produced by WOWOW and Shochiku
 
Passing Fancy
　

 
Kihachi, a man obsessed with drinking and gambling, has separated from his wife and lives with his son Tomio, but he is attracted to Harue, whom he meets by chance and develops a crush on.
 
Director-Writer: Jojo Hideo, based on Ozu Yasujiro’s film Passing Fancy.
 
Cast: Tanaka Kei, Watanabe Keisuke, Shiraishi Sei.
 
→ *The full list of Nippon Cinema Now