Disturbing Dream-Like Drama ‘Teki Cometh’ Dominates Tokyo Festival Prize List

In a stunning sweep of the main awards, Japanese drama “Teki Cometh” snared three top prizes at the closing night ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival on Wednesday.

The film was named as the Tokyo Grand Prize, or best film, winner. Its helmer Yoshida Daihachi was named best director. Veteran lead performer Nagatsuka Kyozo was also named best actor.

“Teki Cometh” is based on a 1998 novel by Tsutsui Yasutaka about a retired professor, Watanabe Gisuke, who is quietly living out his last days when he receives a mysterious message on his PC that his “enemy” (teki) is coming.

Lensed in black-and-white, the film begins as a record of his daily existence, from his meticulous meal prep – he is a something of a gourmet – to his platonic relationship with a former student (Takeuchi Kumi) that smolders with an unstated but evident mutual passion. But once the enemy announces his presence, the film shifts into darker territory and the man’s dead wife refuses to remain quiet.

“I hope this film can establish [the] kind of relationship with the audience, [that is] not one-sided, but more like a dream that you interpret with you own imagination,” Yoshida told Variety.

The festival’s second prize went to “Adios Amigo” by Colombia’s Ivan D. Gaona. The festival described the film as “a spaghetti western action film, depicting the chaos in the mountains of Columbia at the end of the [20th century] civil war, a sublimely entertaining drama blending various themes: war, friendship, class disparity and colonialism.”

The best actress award went to Anamaria Vartolomei for her role in “Traffic.” The film is directed by Teodora Ana Mihai from a screenplay by Cristian Mungiu It tells the tale of a Romanian couple who become involved in an art theft and deals with the economic disparities between Western and Eastern Europe.

The main competition awards were determined by a jury headed by Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ildiko Enyedi, Hashimoto Ai, Johnny To and Chiara Mastroianni.

Tokyo International Film Festival 2024 Prizes

Tokyo Grand Prix / The Governor of Tokyo Award

“Teki Cometh”

Special Jury Prize

“Adios Amigo”

Best Director

Yoshida Daihachi for “Teki Cometh”

Best Actor

Nagatsuka Kyozo for “Teki Cometh”

Best Actress

Anamaria Vartolomei for “Traffic”

Best Artistic Contribution

“My Friend An Delie”

Audience Award

“Big World”

Asian Future Best Film Award

“Apollon by Day Athena by Night”

Kurosawa Akira Award (joint winners)

Miyake Sho and Fu Tien-yu

37th TIFF Lifetime Achievement Award

Bela Tarr

TIFF Ethical Film Award

“Dahomey”