Celebrating 'True-Indie' Filmmaking & Connecting Global Talent
Tokyo is one of the original Lift-Off festivals, and still one of the strongest. It pulls filmmakers from across the surrounding region, which makes it a real meeting point for indie cinema in Asia, with in-person networking in Shibuya at the heart of it.
It’s made for filmmakers near the start: first and second films, shorts, low-budget features, work with a clear point of view. Tokyo’s selection has real range, from quiet character pieces to bold experimental swings.
Films screen online to a global audience, with networking in Shibuya and online alongside, so the connections you make reach well beyond Japan. The best Tokyo films are shortlisted for the Lift-Off Season Awards, judged across all 12 city festivals each year.
Tokyo Lift-Off Season #17 screened in May 2026. Submissions are now open on FilmFreeway for Season #18. Selected films get an online screening to a global audience, and entry to the festival’s networking events. Standout films get a place in the Tokyo Network Round, and winners are shortlisted for the 17th Lift-Off Season Awards.
Recent Winners
Festival Events
Each festival hosts a series of online and in-person events, connecting filmmaking talent across the globe
Focus Group Feedback
Meet fellow filmmakers, exchange feedback and discuss your projects. Focus Group participants attend an online meeting to pitch their work before participating in the Feedback Session.
In-Person Networking Speeddate
Join us in the city for a showcase & networking event held in conjunction with the festival’s online screenings. Attendees chat to everyone in the room in a 'speed-date' style networking session.
Online Networking SpeedDate
Pitch your future projects or share previous work. Attendees can screen a trailer or pitch deck before meeting with everyone in a 'speed-date' style network session.
Questions?
Once a year, as part of the Lift-Off season. Screenings & events run in May.
Emerging independent filmmakers, especially first and second-time directors working in shorts and low-budget features.
Films screen online to a global audience, with in-person networking in Tokyo alongside the festival.
Through FilmFreeway: Click here.Â
Winning films are shortlisted for the Lift-Off Season Awards, judged at the end of the season across all 12 city festivals.