The production minds behind director Hayakawa Chie's Cannes competition drama "Renoir" are set to lead an industry discussion on bridging Asian and European filmmaking at Tokyo's TIFFCOM market on Oct. 30. The session coincides with Japanese accelerator Atmovie Global Track formalizing a strategic partnership with the European co-production workshop Ties That Bind.
Titled "Building Creative Partnerships," the open panel will explore the collaborative dynamics between directors and producers striving to elevate domestic projects to international scale. Running in conjunction with the Tokyo International Film Festival, the presentation is accessible to all registered TIFFCOM badge holders and relies on practical case studies from cross-border productions.
Experienced Cross-Border Producers on the Panel
The panel lineup features prominent producers with proven track records in multinational projects. Speakers include Mizuno-Gray Eiko, CEO of Tokyo's Loaded Films, and French producer Christophe Bruncher of Ici et Là Productions. Both collaborated on Hayakawa's "Renoir," which competed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025. Mizuno-Gray also backed Hayakawa's breakout "Plan 75," which secured a Caméra d’Or special mention at Cannes in 2022 before representing Japan in the Oscar race, and Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s "To the Ends of the Earth."
Currently, Mizuno-Gray is developing a Poland-Japan co-production with director Ishikawa Kei as well as a Japan-Philippines film with Hirayanagi Atsuko, while also serving as a support producer for the accelerator and sitting on this year's Tokyo festival Asian Future jury. Bruncher, head of studies for Ties That Bind, recently co-produced Muriel d’Ansembourg’s Berlinale feature "Truly Naked" and Kamila Andini’s Toronto selection "Four Seasons in Java," both featured at this year's Tokyo festival.
Mentorship and Accelerator Collaboration
Joining them on stage are Oh Heejung, founder of Seesaw Pictures based across Seoul and Amsterdam—whose works have screened at Sundance, Berlin, Locarno, Rotterdam, and Busan—and Atmovie CEO Moriya Takeshi. Moriya founded the accelerator and previously produced the television drama "Midnight Diner" and Uchida Eiji’s "Midnight Swan," which won picture of the year at the 44th Japan Academy Film Prizes. Atmovie Global Track producer Sekiguchi Mio, who worked on Uchida’s "Fiamma," curated the event.
Before the public panel, Oh and Bruncher will guide a closed, two-day intensive workshop on Oct. 27 and 28 for Atmovie Global Track fellows. Built around active project development and career strategy rather than passive lectures, the workshop program was curated by Alessandro Gropplero, head of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Audiovisual Fund and co-founder of Ties That Bind alongside EAVE and the Udine Far East Film Festival.
Expanding Japanese Cinema onto the International Stage
Atmovie Global Track is designed to prepare Japanese creative talent to navigate the international marketplace. Supported by the Japan Creator Support Fund—established by the Japan Arts Council through Agency for Cultural Affairs funding—the initiative offers professional mentorship and lectures from global and domestic industry figures.
Organizers noted that creators frequently encounter hurdles when attempting to establish trust across borders or communicate outside their native languages. Through pitch milestones like the Japan Pavilion at Cannes in May 2025 and the Japan Pitch session at the Busan International Film Festival in October, the accelerator aims to demystify foreign markets. The upcoming TIFFCOM session on Oct. 30 serves as the next milestone to help Japanese producers and filmmakers forge long-term international creative networks.
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Source: Variety
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