With the cooperation of IMAGICA GROUP, Tokyo IP Market (TIPM) and Tokyo Gap-Financing Market (TGFM) pitch events will be held at the IMAGICA Entertainment Media Services, Inc.
At the TIPM Pitch Session, eight IP holders will present their top projects. Meanwhile, TGFM will host its first-ever open pitch, where 10 producers and directors will present and promote their respective projects.
- Amuse Creative Studio / Comic “Brainwashing Classroom: The Guru’s ‘Salvation’ Class” / Fumitake Anan (General Manager, Content Production Department, Amuse Creative Studio)
- Comisma / Comic “He Was My Brother” / Tatsuo Sakamoto (Global Business Office, Comisma)
- Kadokawa / Comic “Stardust Family” / Mai Kato (International Adaptation, Kadokawa)
- Nippon Animation / Short Animated Film “20001 an earth odyssey” / Taito Yoshizawa (International Sales & Production, Nippon Animation)
- Shochiku / Film “Tora-san” series / Kiwamu Sato (Manager, International Business Division, Shochiku)
- Shufu to Seikatsu Sha / “Correspondence from the End of the Universe” / Naoya Otsuka (Intellectual Property Division, Shufu to Seikatsu Sha)
- Takaratomy / Toy “BEYBLADE” / Yui Ihokibe (Senior Assistant Manager, BEYBLADE Global Licensing Team, Takaratomy (Tomy)
- Toei / Film “Howling Village” / Hideaki Yanaka & Nana Okamoto (International Production, Toei)
TGFM Open Pitch Powered by IMAGICA GROUP
Join us for open pitches from five of the 24 projects selected for TGFM: three WIPs and two Japanese animation projects, presented in IMAGICA GROUP’s premium state-of-the-art facilities:
- MAHORA (Japan) / Ayumi Moriyama, Director (OLM, Inc.)
- PRINCESS ZONOF (Japan) / Yae Doi, Producer (P.I.C.S.)
- SHIRJARA: SONG OF GRANDMOTHER (Nepal) / Subash Bhusal, Producer (Kingdom Network Pvt. Ltd.)
- THE LAND OF JINN (Indonesia, Kazakhstan) / Yulia Evina Bhara, Producer (KawanKawan Media)
- TRINITY (Taiwan, France, Singapore, Poland, Greece, Japan, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Indonesia, Philippines) / Raymond Phathanavirangoon, Producer (Peanut Pictures)
This year, TGFM is partnering with Frontières, the international co-production market organized by the Fantasia International Film Festival, North America’s leading genre film festival, to present the first-ever Frontières Showcase in Asia.
- THE SADDEST STORIES ON EARTH (Vietnam) / Nguyen Hoang Diep, Director (OKIA Hanoi film production)
- SHE, CROCODILE (Brazil, Spain) / Yana Chang, Producer (SOUTH)
- VAMPIRE AND COP (Kazakhstan) / Kuat Sadykov, Producer (NIET Distribution）
- WILD ZERO OVERDRIVE (Japan, Canada) / Tetsuro Takeuchi, Director, Writer and Producer (Takegei Company Limited)
- A BANQUET FOR HUNGRY GHOSTS (Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Ireland) / Ervin Han, Producer (Robot Playground Media)
Tokyo Gap-Financing Market (TGFM) Event – Talk Sessions
1) Genre Goes Global: Inside Co-Production Markets
A representative from Frontières co-production market, the genre film project market, and Japanese filmmakers discuss international co-production of genre projects.
In this talk, a Frontières organizer and Japanese filmmakers who have participated in the market will discuss how taking part in a project market can shape the development and financing of film projects.
Filmmakers developing genre projects, those looking to explore international co-production opportunities, and anyone interested in participating in project markets are warmly invited to join us.
- Tania Morissette (Deputy Director, Frontières International Co-Production Market, Fantasia International Film Festival)
- Tomomi Furuyama (Producer, Ihr HERz Inc.)
- Yasushi Miyamae (President & CEO, ColorBird Inc.)
- Hotaka Sugimoto (Editor-in-Chief of Branc, IID, Inc.)
2) Co-Production Support Today: Perspectives from Brazil, Canada and Japan
Three countries, one goal: making international co-production work. Funders from Brazil, Canada and Japan share what’s new in film support. Representatives of ABRASIA, Telefilm Canada and UNIJAPAN introduce their organizations and the latest developments in film support in Brazil, Canada and Japan, with a focus on international co-production. The session closes with a Q&A, offering producers practical insight into partnering across these three markets.
- Yana Chang (ABRASIA, Executive Director)
- Savine Wong (TELEFILM CANADA, Principal Lead, Cultural Diplomacy)
- Kaori Ikeda (Managing Director, UNIJAPAN
TGFM 2026 Awards Ceremony: Tokyo Project Award
The selection committee will select an outstanding project through in-person meetings with project representatives:
- Meiske Taurisia (Producer, PALARI FILMS）
- Paolo Bertolin (Consultant, Venice International Film Festival）
- Jongsuk Thomas Nam (BIFAN Programmer / NAFF Managing Director, Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) Whitelight Post Production Award.
Other conferences
10 Steps to Building Successful Co-Production Partnerships
What makes a successful co-production partnership? Ties That Bind’s experienced professionals share practical lessons from their own experiences on finding the right partners, building trusted creative partnerships across borders and languages, and creating films together.
An introduction to the key challenges and opportunities of international co-production, drawing on the TTB tutors’ own experiences.
Peer-to-Peer Discussion: Learning from Real-World Experiences. The speakers share their experiences of finding partners, developing projects, financing, and creative collaboration, while discussing how to build trust, navigate differences, and create together across borders and cultures.
Q&A: What Kind of Partnership Does Your Project Need? An open Q&A offering practical insights for filmmakers and producers looking to develop their projects through international co-production.
TIES THAT BIND (TTB): The leading Europe–Asia co-production training program for producers, covering development, financing, pitching and distribution:
- Christophe Bruncher (Producer)
- Heejung Oh (Producer)
- Eiko Mizuno Gray (Loaded Films Producer)
Special Animation Symposium: Toward the Launch of a New Anime Award in 2027
The symposium will discuss the establishment in 2027 of a new anime award that will showcase the highest standards of excellence from Japan to the world. As Japanese animation continues to gain prominence in the global market, promoting the value of not only individual works but also the creators, producers, studios and others involved is essential to the continued growth of the industry and to building its international profile.
Tokyo Anime Next will present a symposium at TIFFCOM, moderated by Ryota Fujitsu, Programming Advisor for the TIFF Animation section, in discussion with leading industry figures. The symposium will explore the significance of establishing an international award led by members of the Japanese animation industry, with:
- Akira Shimizu (Director, The Association of Japanese Animations / President and Representative Director, A-1 Pictures Inc.)
- Yuichiro Saito (Producer, “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”, “Summer Wars”, and “Wolf Children”)
- Masaya Saito (Chief Manager Animation Division and Planning Group Leader, Toho Co., Ltd.)
- Ryota Fujitsu (Programming Advisor, TIFF Animation section)
