Tokyo Gap-Financing Market Unveils 23 Projects From Southeast Asia, Italy and Beyond

The Tokyo Gap-Financing Market has unveiled its selection of 23 feature film projects for its sixth edition, showcasing a strong Southeast Asian presence alongside Italian co-productions. The lineup reflects the market’s focus on projects that have secured at least 60% of their budgets and contain Asian elements.

Leading the Southeast Asian charge is Vietnamese director Diep Nguyen Hoang with “1982,” following after the Venice-winning 2014 debut “Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere.” Filipino talent features prominently with director Rafael Manuel’s “Filipinana,” building on his Silver Bear Jury Prize win at Berlin for his short film of the same name. The Philippines also contributes Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan’s “Hum,” with producer Alemberg Ang, who co-produced Cannes entries “Renoir” and “Plan75.”

The market marks a milestone with its first-ever Japanese feature-length animation selection. “Freedom in the Sky” represents a collaboration between Genco Inc., producer of “In This Corner of the World” and “Mobile Police Patlabor EZY,” and director Ayumu Watanabe, known for his work on Doraemon films. Philippine director John Aurthur Mercader, founder of Puppeteer Animation Studios, brings “Anito,” while Indonesia’s Ronny Gani presents “Garuda: Dare to Dream.”

A battle anime project “Kill Tube” from director Kazuaki Kuribayashi rounds out the animation selection, with its pilot film already gaining over 5 million online views.

The Japan-Italy Film Co-production Agreement, which came into effect last year, yields three specially selected projects through the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual of the Italian Ministry of Culture and Cinecittà. Other notable international collaborations include Jang Kun-jae’s Japan-Korea project “Staring at Your Back,” adapting a Japanese manga, and Pedro Collantes’ Spain-Japan co-production “Konbini,” set in Tokyo.

The full selection spans 26 countries and regions, featuring projects like Natsuki Seta’s Japan-Taiwan collaboration “Polaris,” whose latest work “Ikoku Nikki” has received worldwide festival acclaim. Turkish director Melisa Önel brings the Asia-Europe co-production “Pivot,” while Japanese-Brazilian director Diogo Hayashi presents supernatural horror “The Serpent.”

The market’s recent alumni are achieving major festival recognition. The 2024 participant “Dear Stranger” is premiering at the Busan International Film Festival following its Japan release on Sept. 12, while “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” won the Audience Award at Annecy and premiered at Cannes earlier this year.

Selected Projects:

Live-Action Features:

“1982” (Vietnam) – Dir. Diep Nguyen Hoang; Prod. O Kia Hanoi

“Bunny Fever” (Japan) – Dir. Shinji Araki; Prod. cogitoworks Ltd.

“The Chain of Roses” (Japan) – Dir. Sakichi Sato; Prod. dub inc.

“Dinosaur Boy” (China, Hong Kong, Malaysia) – Dir. Zhiquan Liu; Prod. Kalo Concept Pictures, Yiti Film Production

“Filipinana” (Singapore, U.K., Philippines) – Dir. Rafael Manuel; Prod. Potocol, Ossian International, Epicmedia

“Four Seasons in Java” (Indonesia, Netherlands, Norway, France, Germany, Singapore) – Dir. Kamila Andini; Prod. Forka Films

“Hare -Before the Verdict” (Japan) – Dir. Kentaro Kishi; Prod. Oz Co., Ld.

“Hum” (Philippines, U.S., Poland, Singapore) – Dir. Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan; Prod. Daluyong Studios, Prima Materia Pictures

“Konbini” (Spain, Japan) – Dir. Pedro Collantes; Prod. Aquí y Allí Films

“Pivot” (Turkey, Taiwan, Germany, Serbia) – Dir. Melisa Önel; Prod. Vigo Film, Aniden Film

“Polaris” (Japan, Taiwan) – Dir. Natsuki Seta; Prod. Twenty First City

“Rhizome” (Thailand, Laos, France, Singapore) – Dir. Jakrawal Nilthamrong; Prod. Mit Out Sound Films (TH)

“The Serpent” (Brazil) – Dir. Diogo Hayashi; Prod. Quarta-feira Filmes

“The Sleepless Girl” (Taiwan) – Dir. François Chang; Prod. Flash Forward Entertainment

“Staring at Your Back” (South Korea, Japan) – Dir. Kun-jae Jang; Prod. Mocushura Inc.

“I Have to Fuck Before the World Ends” (Italy, Philippines) – Dir. Andrea Benjamin Manenti; Prod. Volos Films Italia SRL

“Tokyo Express” (Italy) – Dir. Eros Puglielli; Prod. Be Water Film S.r.l.

“Copperbeak” (Italy) – Dir. Adriano Candiago, Giorgio Scorza, Davide Rosio; Prod. Movimenti Production srl

Animation Features:

“Anito” (Philippines) – Dir. John Aurthur Mercader; Prod. The Puppeteer Animation Studios, Inc.

“Freedom in the Sky” (Japan) – Dir. Ayumu Watanabe; Prod. Genco Inc.

“Garuda: Dare to Dream” (Indonesia) – Dir. Ronny Gani; Prod. Kawi Animation

“Kill Tube” (Japan) – Dir. Kazuaki Kuribayashi; Prod. Chocolate Inc.

“Onka and the Protectors of the Amazon” (Colombia, Spain, Belgium) – Dir. Vlamyr Vizcaya Sánchez; Prod. El Tuerto Pictures SAS

The market serves as a platform for projects in the financing stage, with TIFFCOM providing one-on-one meetings with industry professionals to support project development and financing. The 6th Tokyo Gap-Financing Market runs Oct. 29-31 at Port Studio, Tokyo Portcity Takeshiba.