Tokyo Competition Jury Discusses Event’s A-List Status While Fighting Over Favorite Films

A varied competition jury

Dutch-Australian filmmaker Rolf de Heer leads the 2026 Tokyo competition jury. Joining him are French colorist and producer Yov Moor, South Korean producer Oh Jungwan, Japanese actress Makiko Watanabe and Taiwanese-American producer Alex C. Lo.

The press conference was generally restrained and largely free of politics. De Heer opened with a blunt response to a question about why Australia and Japan have few film co-productions.

Why co-productions remain limited

De Heer said the countries’ distance from each other does not naturally suit many projects. He contrasted that with European co-productions, which he said are often organized around financing.

He said Australia-Japan collaborations are most likely when a story calls for filming in both countries. Such projects, he added, depend on scripts that make the partnership appropriate.

Debating Tokyo’s A-list status

De Heer said many festivalgoers had already regarded Tokyo as an A-level festival. Official recognition might help with the quality of films available, he said, but would not change the festival substantially.

Oh said he was unfamiliar with festival rankings and suggested audiences attend to watch films and enjoy the festival atmosphere, rather than because of a label. De Heer said the tier system matters greatly to some people and not at all to others.

Hospitality and audience praised

Lo later returned to the festival’s reputation, crediting its hospitality and an attentive, intellectually curious audience. He said viewers respect original storytelling. The jury members had earlier described their invitation to oversee the competition as a great honor.