Welcome to the Tokyo CINEMASTERS International Film Festival.
We are hosting our 4th Annual Festival on November 11, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan.

Our film festival was founded with a clear mission: to discover exceptional films and directorial talent from across the globe, and to nurture the next generation of cinema.

Japan embraces all cinema, regardless of country, language, or race. The culture of watching films with subtitles is well established here, with a multitude of international films released each year.

However, the majority of those releases are limited to commercial films. The reality is that a wealth of fantastic international directors and independent films remain undiscovered, never reaching Japanese audiences. The lack of truly "international" film festivals in Japan has long been an issue.

This festival brings together films and people active on the global stage, in a country where new and diverse movements are constantly born.
A festival where you can experience cinematic works that transcend the boundaries of race and language.

The festival will be held at J:COM Urayasu Concert Hall — a beautiful theater in the city of Urayasu. Located just outside Tokyo and home to Tokyo Disney Resort, it is one of Japan's most vibrant entertainment hubs. Nominated films will be screened at this venue.

Separately from the festival, we also run the CINEMASTERS Short Film Bank — an IMDb-style database for short films. Each listed film appears with its credits, synopsis, and cast & crew, searchable by director name, genre, and country, with playback through your own YouTube/Vimeo embed. This is an independent, free service with no connection to festival submissions — nothing you submit to the festival is ever added to it. If you'd like your short films in the database, past works included, you can register them yourself, for free: cinemasters.jp/films/join

Awards & Prizes

Best Drama Short
Best Horror Short
Best Animated Short
Best Narrative Music Video

- Films under 40 minutes are considered short films.
- No premiere requirements.
- Non-English language submissions must include English subtitles.

Rules & Terms

By submitting your film, you agree that TOKYO CINEMASTERS INT'L FILM FESTIVAL (TCIF) may use portions of your film (including trailers, teasers, and posters) for promotional purposes.

To submit a film, you must have created the project yourself, own the rights, or have explicit permission from the rights holder to submit the film to us.

PLEASE READ THE RULES BELOW BEFORE SUBMITTING:

You must fully comply with these Entry Rules & Regulations, including all deadlines, film lengths, entry materials, and other requirements.

TCIF will review all films in their entirety. Submissions will be watched and evaluated by our Selection Committee, a panel of professional filmmakers.

1. Entries in non-English languages must include English subtitles.
2. You must own or have obtained all necessary rights to any material you submit to the festival.
3. Multiple entries are allowed. You may submit more than one film, or submit to multiple categories, but a separate entry fee must be paid for each submission.
4. Once a film is chosen as an Official Selection, the filmmaker will be notified directly.
5. All submission fees are non-refundable.