Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2009

Tokyo’s foremost indie film festival hits the ripe old age of ten this year with one of its best line-ups to date. Strong contenders in the competition section include Korean auteur Yang Ik-Joon’s bleak drama Breathless, Yeo Joon Han’s hit Malaysian comedy Sell Out! and Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi’s No One Knows About Persian Cats, which won the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The festival will also offer local audiences their first chance to see films including Ming-Liang Thai’s experimental Faces, Courtney Hunt’s gritty thriller Frozen River and Toshiaki Toyoda’s period drama The Blood of Rebirth (pictured). Note that the majority—though not all—of the screenings will have English subtitles.

Tokyo FILMeX
10th anniversary edition of the upstart international film festival. Nov 21-29, various times and prices. Yurakucho Asahi Hall and other locations. Nearest stn: Yurakucho. See website for details. www.filmex.net