Tokyo’s Premier Content Market Opened with a Robust Seminar Lineup Focused on International Collaboration and IP Evolution
Amid the ongoing excitement of the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), which had opened on October 27, its affiliated content market, TIFFCOM 2025, commenced on Wednesday, October 29. As Asia’s key platform for content business, TIFFCOM 2025 brings together international producers, distributors, broadcasters, and IP scouts for three days of deal-making, networking, and industry insights. The first day of the market featured a particularly strong and diverse seminar program, highlighting global adaptations, co-production strategies, and the rising influence of Asian storytelling. Furthermore, the seminar lineup for the second day promised to be equally significant, continuing the momentum with another series of high-level industry discussions.
A key highlight of Day 1 was the launch of the newly rebranded Tokyo IP Market: Adaptation & Remake. Expanding from its previous iteration as «Tokyo Story Market,» it had included visual content production companies alongside publishers, significantly broadening the range of available Japanese intellectual properties. Its inaugural Open Pitch session on October 29 at 10:30 AM (JST) featured presentations from leading rights holders such as KADOKAWA, Kodansha, TOEI, and SQUARE ENIX. This event was open to all TIFFCOM attendees and served as a significant hub for IP discovery.
Keynote: The Future of Japanese Intellectual Property in Global Adaptations: This keynote seminar explored Japan’s role as an IP Treasure Box and the current state of adapting its properties for global audiences. The discussion covered successful case studies from both the Asian market and Hollywood, analyzing how Japanese IP continues to evolve in an era where entertainment transcends borders. The session featured Tetsu Fujimura, CEO of Filosophia Inc., a seasoned executive producer whose credits included the live-action Ghost in the Shell and Netflix’s globally successful One Piece series.
Special Session: Co-production Seminar Case Study & Panel Discussion: Southeast Asian Countries: Focused on providing opportunities for creators to learn about co-production with Southeast Asia, this session included an introduction, a detailed case study of the international co-production Morte Cucina (a film in the TIFF Competition involving Thailand, Singapore, and Taiwan), and a panel discussion titled Soaring dreams in ASEAN Animations. The panel brought together top experts and animation producers from Japan and Southeast Asia, moderated by Lorna Tee (mylab) and featuring speakers like director Pen-ek Ratanaruang and producer Shanty Harmayn.
Animating Asia: Creative Strategies for IP, Storytelling, and Global Reach: This panel gathered creative leaders from Hong Kong and Japan to discuss the rapidly evolving Asian animation industry. They shared insights on producing content that resonates locally and globally, addressing trends in co-production, financing, and distribution. Speakers included Raman Hui, a director with a Hollywood background and major success in mainland China; Polly Yeung, producer of the Annecy-selected Another World; Samuel Choy, producer of the McDull series; and acclaimed Japanese director Koji Morimoto. The session was moderated by animation critic Ryota Fujitsu.
Thai BL & GL’s Magic: A Global Chemistry: This seminar showcased the global appeal of Thai Boys’ Love (BL) and Girls’ Love (GL) stories, exploring how their unique chemistry and narratives enchant audiences across cultures. A significant delegation of twelve key Thai industry figures presented, including executives from GMMTV, THEMEWORK STUDIO, and FRT ENTERTAINMENT, offering a comprehensive look at the producers and studios behind this popular genre.
Current Trends in Turkish Remake Market and the Potential of Japanese Series: Türkiye had become a drama powerhouse by remaking stories from around the world. This seminar explored the latest trends in the Turkish drama market, successful remake cases, and the potential for Japanese content. A leading Turkish licensing company, HECE Medya, represented by Co-Founder Ayşe Ceren Ergenekon, shared the stage with Japanese broadcasters TBS and Yomiuri TV to discuss the unique value created through Turkish-Japanese collaboration.
Gear Up, Go Global! Nippon TV Global Strategy: Nippon TV presented its ambitious global strategy under the new vision, “Change the ‘World’ Through the Power of Content.” The seminar detailed the transformation of its planning and production systems for the global stage, covering content production for international audiences and the development of new AI technologies. Senior executives, including Board Director Keiichi Sawa and Divisional President Masanori Kobayashi, outlined the company’s specific initiatives.
JP-KR Producers Exchange: This seminar, co-hosted by Japan’s Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO) and the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), aimed to foster film co-productions between Japan and Korea. It provided essential information on incentive systems in both countries and introduced five selected producers from each nation who were interested in co-production.
