Five world premieres are in the offing as Japan’s leading film fest tries to up its game to compete with the likes of Cannes and Venice. Among them is the Rie Miyazawa vehicle Pale Moon, the only Japanese film in the 27th TIFF International Competition. With Disney’s Big Hero 6, the studio’s follow-up to Frozen, launching this year’s TIFF, animation is also a keyword of the event. “The World of Hideaki Anno” will screen 50 works by animator Hideaki Anno, the creator of the Evangelion series. Closing the fest is Parasyte, director Takashi Yamazaki’s live-action rendering of the sci-fi manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki. Asian films are also in focus in a festival that, in a bid to rev up its pop culture clout, has AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto as its executive producer. Dan Grunebaum

Oct 23-31, various times and prices. Roppongi Hills and other venues.  Roppongi, Nihonbashi and Higashi-Ginza. http://2014.tiff-jp.net/en/