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Blanchett Champions Displaced Voices at Tokyo Film Fest
16 Sep
Summary
- Cate Blanchett attends Tokyo Film Festival for short film premieres.
- Fund supports displaced filmmakers with authentic storytelling.
- Five short films from the fund debut in Japan this week.
Cate Blanchett will attend the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) from October 26 to November 4, 2026. Five short films, supported by the Displacement Film Fund co-founded by Blanchett, are set to premiere in Japan. This fund supports filmmakers experiencing displacement and those documenting such experiences.
The fund was established in January 2025 with the International Film Festival Rotterdam's Hubert Bals Fund serving as managing partner. UNHCR is a strategic partner, alongside several other foundations and corporate backing.
Blanchett expressed her privilege in sharing these inaugural films, emphasizing cinema's role in fostering empathy amidst global conflict and persecution. "Being displaced shouldn't mean filmmakers abandon their creativity; in fact their stories may feel even more urgent," she stated.
Following the screenings, Blanchett will join directors Mohammad Rasoulof and Shahrbanoo Sadat for a Q&A. Rasoulof's "Sense of Water" follows an Iranian writer in exile, while Sadat's "Super Afghan Gym" is set in Kabul. The selection also includes "Allies in Exile," "Rotation," and "Whispers of a Burning Scent."
Blanchett's Tokyo visit coincides with her receiving the Praemium Imperiale Award. Her feature "Father Mother Sister Brother" (2025) is slated for Japanese release on November 20, 2026.
