Video Message by Prime Minister Ishiba for the Opening Ceremony of the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival

Hello, everyone. I am Shigeru Ishiba, Prime Minister of Japan. The Tokyo International Film Festival is an internationally renowned celebration of cinema representing Asia. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you who have contributed to the development of cinema through your ingenuity and efforts. Today we are proud to host the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival.

The Japanese content industry has an export scale comparable to that of the steel and semiconductor industries. The source of its competitiveness lies in the individual creators, such as film directors and those on the production floor, along with their companies. The government is working to lay the groundwork to further encourage the development of the Japanese content industry by supporting the growth of the next generation of creators and optimizing business transactions.

In August this year, the Japan-Italy Film Co-production Agreement came into effect, and the call for submissions for co-productions has finally begun. I have heard that special features on the works of famous Italian directors and the renowned actor Marcello Mastroianni will be screened to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth. I sincerely hope that the festival will be an event in which the charms of past masterpieces can be rediscovered, and that it will provide an opportunity for everyone to meet and exchange ideas for new productions.

In closing, I would like to express my sincere wishes for the success of the Tokyo International Film Festival and for the further development of the film industry in Japan. Thank you very much.