The 22nd Tokyo International Film Festival, held from October 17 (Sat) until October 25 (Sun), 2009, has played an integral role in Japan's film industry and cultural scene since its establishment in 1985. TIFF aspires to be recognized as one of the four major film festivals in the world - in the same league as Cannes, Venice and Berlin, which now stand at the summit of the more than 2,600 international film celebrations.
"Films don't necessarily have to portray the era, however, superb films essentially reflect time in the backdrop.
Keeping this in mind, films with universality beyond a particular timeframe remains for future generations.
All 15 films in the Competition section of TIFF are ambitious, challenging modern times head-on by bearing "stories" as arms.
Through these movies from around the world and of various genres, viewers can see the dominating feel of present day, the universality of stories that transcend time and national borders, and furthermore,
the resonance of films as means of expression." (Competition Programming Director : Yoshi Yatabe)