Australian Cinema Takes the Spotlight at Tokyo International Film Festival
Australian cinema gets a special showcase at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival, running from 26 October to 4 November 2026.
The festival’s World Focus programme includes Australia Spotlight, presented in cooperation with the Australian Embassy in Japan. The selection offers Tokyo audiences a chance to discover three very different Australian films.
One highlight is The Survival of Kindness, directed by Rolf de Heer, who will also serve as president of the festival’s International Competition jury. The 2022 film follows a woman navigating a harsh, unsettling world and received international attention at the Berlin International Film Festival. De Heer is scheduled to attend a Q&A after the 1 November screening.
The programme also features Time and Tide, a documentary examining family relationships across generations, and Saccharine, a horror film about a medical student who turns to a mysterious weight-loss drug.
Screenings take place at cinemas in the Hibiya, Yurakucho and Ginza areas. Standard tickets cost ¥2,200, with student tickets at ¥1,100 and same-day student tickets at ¥700. General online sales are scheduled to begin on 17 October.
Check the official listings for screening times, ticket availability and any changes to guest appearances.
Films and Screening Times
The Survival of Kindness (2022)
Director: Rolf de Heer
A woman journeys through a disturbing world marked by disease, violence and oppression.
- Sunday, 1 November, 4:50 pm
- Venue: Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho
- Wednesday, 4 November, 3:40 pm
- Venue: Cine Switch Ginza
- Running time: 96 minutes
- English dialogue with Japanese subtitles
- A Q&A with the director is scheduled after the 1 November screening.
Official film and ticket information:
The Survival of Kindness
Time and Tide
Director: Vee Shi
Returning to her family in Fujian, China, the filmmaker documents tensions and obligations within a multigenerational household. The documentary won the Best Documentary Award at the Sydney Film Festival.
- Thursday, 29 October, 12:20 pm
- Venue: Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho
- Tuesday, 3 November, 2:20 pm
- Venue: TOHO Cinemas Hibiya, Screen 13
- Running time: 98 minutes
- Minnan and Mandarin dialogue, with English and Japanese subtitles
- A Q&A with the director is scheduled after the 29 October screening.
Official film and ticket information:
Time and Tide
Saccharine
Director: Natalie Erika James
A medical student struggling with her body image becomes involved with a rumoured forbidden weight-loss drug made from human ashes.
- Sunday, 1 November, 8:15 pm
- Venue: TOHO Cinemas Hibiya, Screen 12
- Running time: 112 minutes
- English dialogue with Japanese subtitles
Official film and ticket information:
Saccharine
Event and Ticket Information
39th Tokyo International Film Festival
Dates: Monday, 26 October–Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Main areas: Hibiya, Yurakucho, Marunouchi and Ginza, Tokyo
Ticket prices:
- Adults: ¥2,200
- Students: ¥1,100
- Same-day student tickets: ¥700
General online ticket sales are scheduled to open on Saturday, 17 October 2026.
Tickets can be purchased through the official online ticketing service or at the Yurakucho Station ticket centre, which is scheduled to operate during the festival. Check the individual film listings for the relevant sales information and availability.
