‘Elvis’ and ‘Parasite’ Producers Lead Tokyo Market Seminar Lineup

Producers behind Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” and Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite” are set to headline Tokyo Market TIFFCOM’s seminar program, anchoring a lineup of 14 sessions that spotlight Japanese anime’s global ambitions, international co-productions and Asia’s surging drama trade.

Schuyler Weiss, producer of Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” which earned eight Oscar nominations including best picture, will appear in a masterclass presented with the Motion Picture Association and Digital Hollywood University. He will also serve as guest speaker for TIFFCOM’s pitching contest, where the winner secures a trip to Los Angeles for the Global Film & Television Immersion Program.

On the co-production front, Choi Yoonhee, CEO of Barunson E&A and producer of “Parasite,” joins forces with Shinya Kawai, known for “Swallowtail Butterfly” and “Yi Yi: A One and a Two,” to map out practical roadmaps for international collaboration. Additional initiatives include a Japan-Korea producers exchange organized by VIPO and KOFIC, introducing 10 producers selected from both countries.

Japanese broadcasters will showcase their global strategies with BEAJ’s “Japanese Broadcast Content Goes Global,” featuring Wowow, Ax-On, ABC TV, NHK Enterprises and TV Miyazaki. Nippon TV will outline its “Gear up, go global” campaign, while TBS highlights its strategic alliance with Vietnam’s VTV and the activities of its studio The Seven, behind “Alice in Borderland” Season 3 and Busan competition entry “Baka’s Identity.”

Animation also takes center stage with the Association of Japanese Animations presenting new data from its 2024 industry survey, alongside case studies of overseas expansion. A Hong Kong–Japan collaboration panel will feature director Raman Hui, producer Polly Yeung and Bliss Concepts’ Samuel Choy.

Other highlights include Thai BL and GL dramas’ global breakout, China’s Huace Film & TV presenting a showcase of premium content, a Shanghai showcase of screen productions, a JETRO seminar on Turkish remakes, and KOCCA’s premiere of K-dramas “Love Phobia” and “Someday of Me.”

TIFFCOM is organized by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Unijapan. The Tokyo market runs Oct. 29–31 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-Kan, alongside the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival (Oct. 27–Nov. 5).