– CANNES 2026: The Japanese gathering has presented five national works in progress at the Marché du Film, including new projects by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Takahisa Zeze and emerging genre voices
Look Back by Hirokazu Kore-eda
The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled five Japanese works in progress at this year’s Marché du Film, as part of the Goes to Cannes strand. The showcase, titled Tokyo Goes to Cannes, took place on 15 May, from 12:00-13:50, at Palais K in the Palais des Festivals, and was open to Marché du Film badge holders.
This year marks the 39th edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival, one of Asia’s leading film events and the only Japanese festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). With its feature-length competition at the centre of its programme, TIFF has long placed an emphasis on discovering and cultivating new directors, while also presenting internationally acclaimed titles to Japanese and international audiences.
The five projects selected for Tokyo Goes to Cannes are all Japanese productions slated for completion in 2026. The line-up spans mystery, suspense, family drama, historical adventure and literary coming-of-age storytelling, underlining the breadth of contemporary Japanese cinema and its ability to move between commercial genre traditions and intimate human drama.
The Gate of Murder – Ko Kanai (Japan)
The 127-minute, Japanese-language mystery-suspense flick is being produced by Yoshikazu Tsubaki for Kadokawa Corporation. The story centres on Kazuyuki, a man consumed by the desire to kill Osamu, a childhood acquaintance whom he blames for the chain of misfortunes that have shaped his life. As Kazuyuki looks back on the past, his hatred and murderous intent gradually escalate, raising the question of whether he will ultimately cross the threshold into murder. The project promises a dark psychological portrait of resentment, memory and moral collapse.
All That Exists – Takahisa Zeze (Japan)
This 155-minute, Japanese-language drama-mystery is being produced by Naoya Takahashi for Toei Company. Set three decades after two children were abducted in an unprecedented simultaneous kidnapping, the movie follows reporter Monden as he revisits the case following the death of an old friend in the police force. His search for the truth behind the case’s disturbing turns leads him to a mysterious realist painter. Through this investigative premise, the project appears to combine crime mystery with a meditation on trauma, memory and the long afterlife of unresolved violence.
You, Fireworks, and Our Promise – Akira Suzuki (Japan)
Suzuki’s movie is a 100-minute, Japanese-language adventure-drama with historical elements. The film is being produced by Michihiko Umezawa for Shin-Ei Animation and SynergySP. The plot zooms in on Makoto. On his first day of secondary school, he meets Aki, who shows him a timeworn drawing of fireworks bearing his name and a date from the future. When she disappears and her identical-looking great-grandmother appears from the past, Makoto is drawn into a mystery that forces him to keep a promise before time runs out.
Lives at Right Angles – Syoutarou Kobayasi (Japan)
The 118-minute, Japanese-language drama-cum-family film is being staged by Gen Sato for Toei Company. The film follows Daiki, who has autism spectrum disorder, works as a janitor and lives independently with some support. His younger sister Nozomi, a counsellor, has supported him since their mother died when they were young. When Nozomi’s marriage plans arise, the siblings are forced to confront their own futures and reassess the structure of their relationship. The project appears to approach disability, care and family responsibility through an intimate domestic lens.
Look Back – Hirokazu Kore-eda (Japan)
The veteran filmmaker’s new project is a Japanese-language drama being produced by Daiju Koide for K2 Pictures Production Inc. The feature follows Fujino, a girl living in a snowbound rural town and filled with absolute confidence in her talent, and Kyomoto, a truant classmate. The two are brought together by their single-minded passion for manga, and the story traces their 13-year journey, beginning in the fourth grade. The project marks a return to the kind of emotionally precise coming-of-age territory with which Kore-eda is closely associated, here filtered through the world of artistic vocation, youthful ambition and long-form friendship. This year, Kore-eda’s latest effort, titled Sheep in the Box, plays in Cannes’ main competition.
