Tokyo: Competition Jury Discusses Event’s ‘A-List’ Status, Fighting Over Favorite Films

A lively conversation about how the Tokyo International Film Festival is seen globally, and whether things like that even matter, was the main part of a calm and polite press conference for the competition jury on Tuesday.

The 2026 Tokyo competition jury is led by Rolf de Heer, a filmmaker from Australia and the Netherlands.

He has made movies like Bad Boy Bubby, Charlie’s Country, Ten Canoes, and The Tracker.On stage with him were Yov Moor, a French film colorist and producer; Oh Jungwan, a top producer from South Korea; Makiko Watanabe, a well-known Japanese actress; and Alex C.Lo, a producer from Taiwan and the US.

This press conference was different from many recent ones at big European and American film festivals because it didn’t include much political talk.

However, it started with a straight answer from de Heer about why there aren’t more films made together between Australia and Japan, even though both countries support film production strongly.

De Heer was asked about the lack of co-productions between Australia and Japan.

He said, “It doesn’t make sense for a Japanese film to shoot in Australia, or for an Australian film to shoot in Japan.Europe is really good at doing co-productions based just on money.Australia isn’t as good at that.The co-productions that work in Australia are those that naturally need parts filmed in Japan and parts in Australia.Those will always be possible if the scripts are right.”

After the jury members talked about being honored to be part of the competition, the discussion became more lively when they were asked about Tokyo’s standing compared to other international film festivals, especially since Tokyo was recently listed as an “A-list” event by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).

De Heer said, “I think Tokyo has always been seen as one of the top festivals by most people who go to festivals.

In that sense, I don’t think it makes much difference.This categorization is becoming more important in terms of the quality of films that get to the festival.So, in that sense, it might help that it’s now officially an ‘A’ festival, but I don’t think it changes the festival much.”

Oh then laughed and said, “I think Rolf’s answer is… is enough for… is not enough for you?” She added, “Actually, I don’t know much about that.

I’m not a film festival person, so I don’t know what A-list means.Probably A-list means good!But as an audience, we don’t go to the festival because of whether it’s A-list or not.We just go to watch films and enjoy the festival experience.”

When asked if the tier system was becoming unnecessary, de Heer replied, “It matters a lot to some people and not at all to others.

That’s how it should be.”

Later in the discussion, Lo talked about the reputation of Tokyo, saying it was built on two main things: excellent hospitality and a very focused and curious audience that values original storytelling.

Looking ahead to the competition for the Tokyo Grand Prix, the jury also discussed how they would handle disagreements over the 15 films selected.

De Heer said, “It depends entirely on the situation – how much disagreement there is and how split the jury is.I don’t think there is an answer until we get to that point.As far as I understand, I’m with four other reasonable people, and I’m sure we can find a way through so that we don’t end up with a lesser compromise film, but a really interesting one that maybe some of us don’t like.”

Oh added with a joke that she was ready to fight de Heer over the selection.

She said, “Sometimes you want to fight for the film.”

I had an experience where I argued with another jury member for seven hours!

Every other person on the jury didn’t like me.[laughter] But we’re all grown-ups, and there are so many great movies, so we’ll find a way to compromise.I hope I don’t have to argue with him for seven hours this time!

Elsewhere, Moor talked about how happy he was to be invited to join the jury, especially since film colorists are usually not considered for such roles.

“When I got the invitation, I was really surprised because, with my job as a colorist, it’s pretty rare to get such an invitation.And for me… I’ve been in Tokyo for almost two years… it was a big surprise, and also a nice moment for others who do the same job as me to be part of a film festival jury,” Moor said.He added, “For me, it’s like a little dream, and also maybe a chance to show more about my work as a colorist—not just me, but people who do the same job.”

De Heer, who speaks in a quiet and reserved way, also shared some thoughts about his future plans.

When asked about his next movie, the director said, “I don’t know… I’m in between, and I’m trying to make decisions about what to do.” He added, “This is another good reason why I enjoy being here, because it acts as a punctuation point.It’s not a very good answer for you, but it is the answer.”

Walter Koenig, Chekov on Original ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 90

 Walter Koenig, who is best known for playing Chekov in the original "Star Trek" series and seven "Star Trek" movies, passed away on Sunday in Los Angeles.Variety has confirmed his death.He was 90 years old.

His representatives shared a statement saying, "Today we are mourning the loss of Walter Koenig, whose talent, kindness, and memorable performances made a lasting impact on fans around the world.

He passed away peacefully at home in North Hollywood last night, surrounded by his daughter and niece."

Walter is most famous for his role as Pavel Chekov, the young and sometimes arrogant navigator on the original "Star Trek" series.

His character was created to attract younger viewers, and his look was inspired by the hairstyle of Davy Jones from the Monkees.Chekov was also used to gently make fun of how the Soviet Union falsely claimed credit for important inventions.

Walter played Chekov in the 2015 TV movie "Star Trek: Renegades," which was meant to be a pilot for a new "Star Trek" series.

The film was funded through crowd-sourcing.Chekov was not part of the original "Star Trek: The Animated Series" because of budget limits, but Walter wrote an episode called "The Infinite Vulcan."

Chekov was a key character in the 1982 movie "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," which is often considered one of the best "Star Trek" films.

Walter also starred as the villainous Alfred Bester in the sci-fi series "Babylon 5," which ran from 1994 to 1998.

Walter Marvin Koenig was born in Chicago.

His family, of Russian Jewish background, originally had the last name Koenigsberg.He attended Fieldston High School in New York and later studied at Grinnell College in Iowa.He initially planned to become a doctor but changed his mind and graduated from UCLA with a degree in psychology.After being encouraged by a professor to try acting, he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York.He met future "Star Trek" cast members like Christopher Lloyd, James Caan, and Dabney Coleman there.

Walter made his TV debut in an uncredited role on "Combat!" in 1962, and later guest-starred on shows like "The Untouchables," "General Hospital," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "Ben Casey," "Gidget," and "I Spy." After the original "Star Trek" series ended in 1969, he continued acting on TV, appearing in shows like "The Virginian," "Ironside," and "Columbo." He also appeared in a low-budget film called "Nightmare Honeymoon" with Dack Rambo.

During the 1980s, when he was working on the "Star Trek" movies, he played Pompey in a 1984 TV version of "Antony & Cleopatra." This show also included Nichelle Nichols and James Avery, who later became a main character on "Star Trek: Enterprise." 

Over the years, he appeared in several low-budget science fiction films.

These included "Moontrap" and "Deadly Weapon" in 1989, as well as "Sworn to Justice," a martial arts movie featuring Cynthia Rothrock, in 1996, and "Mad Cowgirl," an independent horror film, in 2006.

He also wrote and acted in a one-character film called "You're Never Alone When You're a Schizophrenic," which was shown at the 1996 New York Film Festival.

He voiced Chekov in various "Star Trek" video games, including "Starfleet Academy: Chekov's Lost Missions" in 1998.

He guest-starred on an episode of the CBS sitcom "Almost Perfect" titled "Where No Woman Has Gone Before" in 1997 and voiced himself in a 2002 episode of "Futurama" titled "Where No Fan Has Gone Before." This episode also included the voices of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, along with other "Star Trek" actors.

He also appeared on "Diagnosis Murder" and "Son of the Beach." 

He wrote the 2008 sci-fi legal thriller "InAlienable," which he also acted in.

The tagline was "From the mind of Walter Koenig." 

Koenig had a long stage career that lasted for three decades.

In the early 1990s, he performed with Mark Lenard, who played Sarek on "Star Trek," in "The Boys in Autumn." In the play, Koenig played a middle-aged Tom Sawyer who reunited with Lenard's Huckleberry Finn after many years apart.

He also directed theater productions, including "Hotel Parsadiso" for Company of Angels, "Becket" for Theatre 40, "America Hurrah!" at Oxford Theater, "Twelve Angry Men" at the Rita Hayworth Theatre, "Matrix" at the Gascon Theatre Institute, and "Three by Ten" at Actors Alley in Los Angeles.

He taught acting classes at UCLA, at Actors Alley, and other places.

His satiric fantasy novel "Buck Alice and the Actor-Robot" was re-released in 2006.

He also created the comic book "Raver" published by Malibu Comics.In 2013, Bluewater Comics released the graphic novel "Walter Koenig's Things to Come." 

He wrote two memoirs: "Chekov's Enterprise: A Personal Journal of the Making of Star Trek — The Motion Picture," published in 1980, and "Warped Factors — A Neurotic's Guide to the Universe," published in 1998.

Anton Yelchin played a younger version of Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films.

When the original "Star Trek" series was on air, there was some tension between Koenig and George Takei, who played Sulu.

But they eventually became good friends.In September 2008, Koenig was the best man at Takei's wedding to Brad Altman.

Koenig has a daughter named Danielle, who is an actress and writer, and a son named Andrew, who was an actor and editor.

Andrew passed away in 2010.

John Oliver Issues Urgent Warning Ahead of Midterms About the Republican Party’s Nazi Ties

 John Oliver returned to the "Last Week Tonight" desk after a two-week absence and dedicated the entirety of Sunday night's episode to a "worrying trend" that's been on the rise among the Republican Party ahead of the Nov.3 midterm elections — their apparent affinity for Nazis.

He highlighted Peter Oberacker, a Republican candidate for New York's 19th congressional district, who in 2015 posted a photo to Facebook on Veterans Day memorializing his late grandfather — in full Wehrmacht uniform — who had died fighting for Nazi Germany.

Oberacker later claimed it was the only photo of his grandfather that he had.

Oliver quipped, "If that is the only picture that you have, maybe consider having no pictures of him!

You can sit Veterans Day out.No one will think that's weird."

He then brought up Elon Musk delivering what very much appeared to be a Nazi salute to Trump supporters at a rally following his election in 2025.

"Everything about that screams, 'Nazi!' Well, almost everything.

To be fair to the Nazis, unlike Elon, they at least looked sharp in their suits," Oliver said.

He continued, claiming, "It does feel that the Republican Party has been getting way too comfortable with some, at best, Nazi-adjacent shit, including Paul Ingrassia, Trump's nominee to the Office of Special Counsel, who withdrew his nomination after leaked group chat messages revealed him saying, 'I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it.' And Brandon Herrera, a Republican nominee for Texas' 23rd congressional district, who posted a YouTube video in 2022 where he referred to the MP-40 as 'Hitler's street sweeper' followed by footage of him and a friend goose-stepping to a Nazi marching song."

Even Karl Rove, the architect of George W.

Bush's presidency, issued a warning last month at the Texas Tribune Festival that his party was being taken over by "bigots" like Bo French, a candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner known for racist social media posts, adding, "Nick Fuentes goes to Dallas and meets with a bunch of Republican leaders.This guy is a Nazi."

Oliver argued that Israel's war in Gaza has led "some on the far-right to seize on this moment and elevate antisemitic conspiracy theories, including Tucker Carlson's warm podcast interview with the Hitler-worshipping neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes.

The Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts defended Carlson's chummy interview with Fuentes and said the podcaster was under attack from 'globalist forces,' later walking back the defense by claiming that he, the leader of the top conservative think tank, doesn't pay attention to the news."

Fuentes claimed on his podcast that "whites built everything" and "Jews are money-changers, bullshit artists, psychopaths, charlatans, grifters, manipulators...

why do you think they're so obnoxious?Why do you think they're so fucking obnoxious?They have no manners because they're from the third world.They come from the literal ghetto.They come from the literal ghetto."

Cue Oliver: "It makes it all the more laughable that Tucker made such a show of offering Fuentes, a man who's literally spent thousands of hours on the internet saying whatever he wants, the chance to finally say what he thinks...

And the worrying thing is, it's not just Tucker.Fuentes has been inching closer and closer to mainstream Republicans over the years, such as GOP Congressman Paul Gosar, who gave the keynote speech at Fuentes' America First Political Action Conference in 2021 and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who did the same in 2022."

Trump also famously had dinner with Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago in November 2022.

Kanye West brought him there, just one month after West tweeted, “I’m going death con 3 on Jewish people.”

Oliver said, “Nazis getting power doesn’t usually end well for anyone, including the Nazis themselves, who didn’t have a great ending in 1945.” He also talked about the Republican Party’s “groyper problem,” pointing to a study by the Manhattan Institute that found 37% of current GOP members think the Holocaust was exaggerated or didn’t happen as described, including 54% of men under 50.

Oliver then mentioned leaked group chats from Young Republican leaders who praised Hitler and used racist language.

Oliver said some people say, “Calm down. This is just a bunch of kids and bad streamers.Ignore it,” which is what JD Vance said when asked about the group chat.But those weren’t kids—they were adults in their twenties and thirties.

Oliver added, “The far-right group in the Republican Party isn’t new.

From the John Birch Society to Barry Goldwater and Pat Buchanan, the GOP has always allowed bigots, crazies, and conspiracy theorists in.” He even joked about the Nixon Tapes, saying they would be on Rumble today.

Other questionable GOP candidates include Marshall Rawson, who ran for Florida House District 10 and marched with neo-Nazis in Charlottesville.

Oliver noted that when 28 GOP officials were asked if they would condemn Rawson for his neo-Nazi ties, only three responded, and two of them supported him.

Oliver concluded, “Far-right views in the Republican Party are not something to ignore.

Some of them are even on the ballot in nine days, in an election where the biggest campaign spender is Elon Musk, who’s part of the Adolf-aloha wave.”

Korea Box Office: Anime Phenomenon ‘Chiikawa’ Remains Unstoppable as Yeon Sang-ho Thriller ‘Paradise Lost’ Debuts

 Japanese animated film "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island" dominated the South Korean box office over the weekend of October 23-25, capturing nearly 45% of the total ticket revenue in its fourth week.According to data from KOBIS, the Korean Film Council's tracking service, the Toho-distributed fantasy film earned $2.5 million from 320,293 admissions across 1,115 screens, accounting for 44.7% of the weekend market.

The film, directed by Kei Oikawa and adapted from the popular manga by Nagano, follows a small protagonist and their companions as they travel to a scenic coastal island and uncover a sinister local mystery.

Driven by enduring youth and family turnout, the animated blockbuster pushed its cumulative South Korean earnings to $17.5 million from 2,248,137 total admissions since its release on September 30.

Hur Jin-ho's political thriller "The Assassin(s)" came in second, earning $520,822 from 68,241 admissions across 730 screens, capturing 9.2% of the market.

The period drama, distributed by Hive Media Corp, reconstructs the August 15, 1974 assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee and stars Yu Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho as they investigate irregularities surrounding the inquiry into the death of First Lady Yuk Young-soo.

Despite facing persistent political backlash and legal challenges, the film's theatrical run continues.

Conservative civic groups and bereaved family members have lodged defamation complaints, alleging historical distortion over its depiction of state involvement.Despite protests that previously prompted 19 film guilds to issue a joint statement defending cinematic freedom, the release lifted its total to $25 million from 3,374,517 admissions since its September 23 rollout.

CJ Entertainment's psychological thriller "Paradise Lost" opened in third place, generating $502,962 from 66,699 admissions across 803 screens for an 8.9% market share.

Directed and co-written by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sung, the mystery follows a desperate mother navigating a closed religious community while searching for her missing son.Following its world premiere at Toronto and an October 21 mid-week rollout, the title has accumulated $769,865 from 104,877 total admissions.

Warner Bros.

and DC Studios' "Clayface" debuted in fourth place, collecting $388,947 from 48,245 admissions across 655 screens for 6.9% of the market.Since opening on October 21, the film has grossed $595,460 from 77,153 viewers.

CJ ENM's gambling drama "Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub" took fifth place in its fifth weekend, taking in $371,743 from 46,919 admissions across 618 screens to claim 6.6% of receipts.

Directed by Choi Kook-hee and starring Byun Yo-han, Noh Jae-won, and Ayaka Miyoshi, the fourth installment in the franchise pushed its total to $15.3 million and stands on the brink of two million tickets at 1,999,477 admissions.

Plus M Entertainment's period drama "Still Shining" opened in sixth place, earning $148,298 from 21,564 admissions across 562 screens.

Directed by Song Il-gon and starring veteran actor Kim Hye-ja alongside Cha Mi-kyung, the drama traces the lifelong bond between two women who promised to sing together in Seoul during the Japanese colonial era.Counting mid-week business since its October 21 debut, the release has taken $278,527 from 41,037 viewers.

Universal's tentpole "The Odyssey" placed seventh in its twelfth weekend, drawing $164,558 from 20,189 admissions across 341 screens.

Its cumulative haul reached $106.2 million from 12,311,245 admissions since opening on August 5.

Amazon MGM Studios and Warner Bros.' psychological thriller "Verity" opened in eighth place, pulling in $120,876 from 16,416 admissions across 458 screens and has grossed $178,096 from 25,190 admissions since its October 22 bow.

Director Kore-eda Hirokazu's live-action manga drama "Look Back" took ninth place in its third weekend, earning $126,854 from 15,624 admissions across 190 screens, lifting its cumulative total to $1 million from 131,051 admissions.

Rounding out the top 10 was domestic action thriller "Killing Time" with $82,439 from 11,244 admissions across 274 screens.

Directed by Jang Jun-yeob and featuring Ryu Hye-young and Nam Yoon-su, the movie follows a well-known YouTube group that faces a major downfall when one of their members dies in an accident during a live stream.

To regain their popularity, the group decides to pull off a bold and risky comeback.However, strange people then drag them into a dangerous real-life survival challenge.Since it came out on October 21, the thriller has made $135,388 from 19,121 viewers.

For the weekend, the total box office earnings were $5.6 million, which is less than the previous week's total of $6.7 million.

Inde Navarrette Teases Her Rogue Southern Accent for New ‘X-Men’ Film: “Sugar!”

Inde Navarrette has teased her Southern accent for her role as Rogue in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe X-Men reboot.During a recent interview with Etalk, Navarrette shared a sneak peek of Rogue’s iconic catchphrase, “Sugar!” She said, “Oh!You know what?God bless me, I haven’t done a lot of practice.But, ah!I mean, my version’s just, ‘Sugar,’” while delivering the line.She added, “But I think that, you know, I’m gonna work on it, if you don’t like it, and I’m gonna figure out and talk to the Marvel team on what we wanna do.”

Rogue, whose real name is Anna Marie, is originally from Mississippi and has the ability to temporarily absorb others’ powers and memories, according to Marvel Comics.

Navarrette joins the cast alongside Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Prof.X, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Maya Boyd as Storm, Asa Germann as Angel, and Adam Driver as Mr.Sinister.

The film, which will be directed by Jake Schreier, is set to release on May 5, 2028.

Navarrette expressed excitement about taking on the role, saying, “I also recognize that with acting comes the freedom of being a completely different person, one of those people being Rogue, Anna Marie… paying homage, paying respect to the incredible writers that are a part of Marvel, with Jake Schreier directing, taking what they want to do, adding my own sauce, and then going from there!”

In addition to her role in the X-Men reboot, Navarrette will star in Apple Original Films’ sci-fi thriller The Waffle House Index, which she will also executive produce.

SAG-AFTRA Extends Duncan Crabtree-Ireland’s Contract and Adds CEO to Title

The SAG-AFTRA board voted Saturday to renew Duncan Crabtree-Ireland's contract as the union's national executive director for another four years, adding the title of CEO to his role.

Crabtree-Ireland's contract, which was set to expire in 2028, will now run through June 20, 2032.

The financial terms of the agreement were not revealed.He was paid $1.1 million for the 2026 fiscal year.

The extension will keep Crabtree-Ireland in place through the next round of negotiations with major studios, with the current deal set to expire in June 2030.

In a statement, the union said that the extension will provide "added stability and continuity for the union during a time of unprecedented industry disruption."

Crabtree-Ireland has spent nearly his entire career at SAG-AFTRA, serving as general counsel and chief operating officer before being named national executive director in 2021.

He has made artificial intelligence a key focus of the union's negotiations, reaching a series of agreements that aim to allow performers to capture the upside of AI while protecting them from unauthorized uses of their likenesses.He was also a central figure in the 2023 actors' strike.

Sean Astin, the president of SAG-AFTRA, praised Crabtree-Ireland in a statement after the vote.

"to battle giant global transnational corporations, we need expert leadership with a track record of successful bargaining and significant operational management expertise," Astin said.

"That is Duncan.He is a powerful executive who has led our union at the bargaining table, in the halls of Congress and in boardrooms and conference rooms across the industry and the world.We are thrilled to have guaranteed Duncan's continued service to the members of SAG-AFTRA."

The extension was approved with 98.34% of the board in favor in a weighted vote.

"Leading SAG-AFTRA's staff is the honor of my career, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to keep doing this work," Crabtree-Ireland said.

"As we continue fighting for human creativity, the coming years will be crucial for charting the path forward.I intend to fight alongside our leadership to make sure our members control their image, likeness, voice, and destiny in the workplace, and that they are compensated fairly in the process.I thank President Astin, the national officers, and the National Board for their trust, and our extraordinary staff team for everything they make possible."

Avengers: Doomsday’ Teaser Falls Flat After Promise of a New Look: ‘That’s It??’

Marvel fans were disappointed after the studio released a new teaser for *Avengers: Doomsday* during Game 1 of the World Series, showing only a few brief scenes.

In the clip, Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic threw the ceremonial first pitch, followed by commentary from several MLB players.

The teaser also included glimpses of Chris Evans’ return as Steve Rogers, as well as the destruction caused by Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.Other notable MCU characters seen were Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Letitia Wright’s Black Panther, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, and Anthony Mackie’s Captain America.

There were no major reveals, despite the tease that the first Rays vs.

Brewers game would feature an exclusive preview of the movie.

Fans responded with mixed reactions, with some expressing frustration over the short preview.

One wrote, “I had to watch 3 innings of f*ing BASEBALL for this s*.” Another added, “oh so like 3 new seconds lol.” A third said, “All of that just for like 10 seconds of new footage.”  

A different fan noted, “sooo 1 new scene … barely,” while another bluntly wrote, “THAT’S IT???”

However, not everyone was upset, as others voiced excitement for the upcoming movie.

One fan defended, “I actually like that they’re recycling the same scenes.” Another said, “I don’t want them to give too much away like with ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’”  

A different fan expressed a similar sentiment, writing, “I honestly am not mad they didn’t show more, I want to enjoy every minute in that theatre.”  

Watch the new teaser for yourself above.

*Avengers: Doomsday*, arriving in theaters on December 18, was written by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely and produced by Kevin Feige and the Russos.

It will immediately be followed by a sequel, titled *Avengers: Secret Wars*, to be released on December 17, 2027.