The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival has announced its lineup, featuring Takashi Yamazaki’s monster sequel “Godzilla Minus Zero” as the centerpiece feature.
Running from October 26 to November 4, the festival opens with the world premiere of Zeze Takahisa’s musical drama “Sukiyaki” and closes with Yeon Sang-ho’s South Korean zombie thriller “Colony.” The event takes place alongside the TIFFCOM 2026 industry market, which runs from October 28 to 30 under the organization of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Unijapan.
“Godzilla Minus Zero” Serves as Festival Centerpiece
Director Takashi Yamazaki returns to the franchise with “Godzilla Minus Zero,” following his work on “Godzilla Minus One,” which won the Academy Award for best visual effects at the 96th Academy Awards. Set in 1949, two years after the events of the prior film, the story follows the Shikishima family as a new threat emerges. Ryunosuke Kamiki returns as hero Koichi Shikishima, starring alongside Minami Hamabe as Noriko Oishi.
According to festival programming director Ichiyama Shozo, the film is “a true sequel to ‘Godzilla Minus One,’ one of the standouts in the Godzilla series, and it brings a powerful new interpretation of Godzilla, delivering a level of surprise that far exceeds expectations.” The feature marks the first time a Japanese feature has been shot for Imax screens. Toho Co., Ltd. is scheduled to release the film locally in Japan on November 3.
“Sukiyaki” Opens the 39th Edition
The festival opens on October 26 with “Sukiyaki,” directed by Zeze Takahisa from a screenplay by Minato Takehiko. The drama is based on the true story of the 1963 song “Sukiyaki,” which spent three consecutive weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard charts during a period when Japan was recovering from postwar turbulence.
The film centers on composer Nakamura Hachidai, lyricist Ei Rokusuke, and singer Sakamoto Kyu, played respectively by Junichi Okada, Tori Matsuzaka, and Taiga Nakano. Ichiyama stated that the project chronicles the dramatic stories of artists who inspired postwar Japan, interwoven with musical masterpieces. Toho will release the film in Japan on December 25.
“Colony” Closes the Festival
Closing out the festival is the South Korean zombie blockbuster “Colony,” directed by Yeon Sang-ho, whose prior credits include the 2016 film “Train to Busan.” The narrative follows Professor Se Jeong, played by Gianna Jun, who becomes trapped inside a Seoul skyscraper during a bioterror attack when a rapidly mutating virus is unleashed.
The cast also features Koo Kyo-hwan and Ji Chang-wook. After a midnight screening at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie grossed $44.3 million at the South Korean box office, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing title of the year in that market. Gaga Corporation is scheduled to distribute the film in Japan in 2027.