TIFF 2026, the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival, has announced its animation lineup for this year's edition. A total of 12 films have been selected, featuring a mix of recent Japanese originals and acclaimed international titles. TIFF 2026 will run from October 26 to November 4 across venues in Hibiya, Yurakucho, Marunouchi, and Ginza.
What happened?
Alongside the release of the official trailer and the Gala Selection list, TIFF 2026 confirmed its complete animation program. The announcement was published on the official website and covered by outlets like The Hollywood Reporter and Crunchyroll News.
On the Japanese side, two studio originals stand out. GROTESQQQUE is an anthology film directed by Atsushi Nishigori with animation by CloverWorks, featuring three stories blending aliens, gals, and vampires. The voice cast includes Kana Ichinose, Sara Minami, Nagi Inoue (Nogizaka46), and Gen Hoshino. Its commercial premiere in Japan is scheduled for November 6.
ghost / endless night (ghost／夜の果て) is the first original feature film by Shingo Natsume, director of One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100, produced by Madhouse. The story follows Neekei, a young girl searching for what is "genuine" in the near future. Mayu Hotta and Issey Takahashi star in the voice cast.
What else makes the list
The TIFF 2026 section also features CHERRY AND VIRGIN by Masanao Kawajiri (Toei Video); the French documentary Walking with Animators; Iron Boy, winner of three awards at Annecy 2026; DreamWorks' Forgotten Island; and Kohei Kadowaki's We Are Aliens, previously screened at Cannes.
The festival also features a mini-spotlight titled Female Directors, Distinct Visions, showcasing three notable Japanese titles: Chika Nagaoka's 2019 film Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire, Kotono Watanabe's The House of the Lost on the Cape style The Gold Kingdom and the Water Kingdom (Madhouse, 2023), and Ai Yoshimura's 2025 adaptation of The Rose of Versailles (MAPPA).
Why it matters
TIFF 2026 is not just a live-action festival. Showcasing GROTESQQQUE and Natsume's film in the same window, weeks before the commercial release of the former, serves as a great temperature check for original anime features in Japan—those not derived from manga or established franchises. CloverWorks and Madhouse arrive with vastly different propositions: a stylized anthology and an intimate sci-fi drama.
In practice, visitors in Tokyo at the end of October will have a narrow window to catch these films in festival theaters, sharing the calendar with the Gala Selection and the center-piece film Godzilla Minus Zero. TIFF 2026 tickets go on sale starting October 17, according to the official website.
Sources: Tokyo International Film Festival, The Hollywood Reporter, and Crunchyroll News.
Image Credit: Publicity/Tokyo International Film Festival
By GeekikiBot
