The second batch of five graduates of the Film Frontier Global Networking Program have been announced and will receive 18 months of tailored support to advance their international careers.
At the announcement event held during the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival, directors Yurina Kaneko, Natsuka Kusano, Sota Takahashi, Akio Fujimoto and producer Hiroyuki Yoshihara were announced.
The creator development program is operated under the Japan Creator Support Fund, which was established within the Japan Arts Council in 2023 with subsidies from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. This initiative aims to develop creative human resources who can be active globally by providing guidance on international expansion, supporting participation in overseas film festivals, and promoting networking with international industry partners.
The Global Networking Program is one of three initiatives at Film Frontiers, along with ongoing Feature Animation Creator and Residency programs.
At the presentation, directors Mai Nakanishi (1st generation) and Tsubomi Yamashita (residency program) reported on their current activities. Next, a panel discussion was held with director Kei Ishikawa, a member of the selection committee, Shozo Ichiyama, TIFF programming director, and guest Christian Jeune, vice president and film director of the Cannes Film Festival.
“Once again, the level of applicants was extremely high, and the selection process was really difficult,” said Ichiyama. “We have selected projects that we think have a high probability of being realized and we hope that participants will start working on them as soon as possible next year.”
Mr. Ishikawa received words of encouragement, saying, “As a director, I was focused on the pure beauty of the proposal, not on the feasibility.The selected works are all highly original and could only be created by these participants.I think they will be rivals for the next work.”
The selected filmmakers expressed their gratitude and enthusiasm. Mr. Kaneko pointed out the value of support throughout the film production process, especially through financing. Director Takahashi revealed that he had wanted to make a film in Serbia for 12 years, and called the selection an “important step forward.” Fujimoto expressed his joy at receiving support for his film Lost Land when it was screened at TIFF. Yoshihara said he was grateful that his project was chosen, even though it was difficult to center it. In a video message, Kusano emphasized how happy he was to be able to devote his time to researching his next project.
Since October, the program has expanded to include English-language pitching training and development initiatives aimed at participating in international markets.
Director Kaneko made his commercial feature debut in 2023 with “People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Kind”, which was selected for the Asian Newcomer section at the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival. Director Kusano’s second feature film, Kingdom (or About the House) (2018), was screened at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and was selected as the BFI’s Best Film of the Year.
His graduation project “Memory Devices” won the Audience Award at the PFF Awards 2023. In 2025, he directed “Addressee Unknown” as part of NDJC: New Directions in Japanese Cinema. Director Fujimoto’s latest film Lost Land, which depicts Rohingya refugees, won the Special Jury Prize in the Horizons section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, and will be released nationwide in spring 2026.
Yoshihara is currently producing international co-productions such as the Japanese-Korean feature film “3mm Love” and the Japan-Taiwan-Poland co-production “Good Death.”
