brought together international producers and Japanese rights holders, and that she would like to include some smaller publishers which have limited experience in the global marketplace.

TIFFCOM logged about 4,600 visitors and 300 exhibitors in 2025, up strongly from previous editions, and is on track to equal or exceed those figures this year.

In line with the remake and co-production themes, the  Unlocking the Global Potential of Japanese IP' session will feature producer Shinzo Matsuhashi (Kokuhō, Kingdom), Steven Maeda (Netflix's One Piece), and Amazon MGM Studios Japan head Buddy Marini.

 And this year we are adding AI as a keynote. We have invited the executives from AGBO, Chris Brearton and Dominic Hughes for the Keynote: Technology and Storytelling, which we are very thrilled with,  adds Ikeda.

The Association of Japanese Animations will again release its annual industry data at its TIFFCOM session, while TV stations will present case studies of overseas format sales.

Another success story that Ikeda points to is the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, now in its seventh year of linking partially funded projects with production partners. Two now completed productions from last year will be screened in this edition of the festival's Crosscut Asia+ section. Meanwhile, The Violinist, an animation which found an Italian partner at the 2023 event, took home the top award at Annecy this year, reports Ikeda proudly.

All the while, the industry is shifting as are viewing habits. Short dramas are winning over audiences - not least in Japan - streamers recently seen as saviors are cutting budgets and AI is disrupting.

 There are so many things happening in the market at the moment…So, we're looking at how to be a better place for the industry to have business meetings and also to network,  adds Ikeda.

TIFFCOM runs Oct. 28 to 30 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-kan.