Japan Expands Its Cannes Footprint with ATMOVIE GLOBAL TRACK: Five Projects Unveil at Cannes Film Festival Market Showcase
Japan steps into the spotlight with this year’s Country of Honor at the Marché du Film, a powerful new initiative set to redefine its global creative presence. ATMOVIE GLOBAL TRACK, a next-generation accelerator for Japanese filmmakers, will debut at the Marché du Film with five projects selected for a dedicated industry showcase at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in France.
The initiative is supported by the Japan Creator Support Fund founded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and administered by the Japan Arts Council. The program developed through a lab of fourteen fellows working with international mentors, and the selected slate spans genre and tone.
Five selected projects
Her Voice
Shun Seki
A drama following girls in a juvenile detention center as they stage a rehabilitative operetta and begin to reclaim voices they had been unable to use.
Almost Goodbye
Yoshimi Joya
A story centered on a hikikomori living under a fabricated identity in the world of Japanese convenience stores.
My Missing Half
Tomomi Furuyama
A genre-bending, darkly comic road movie about a runaway manananggal desperate to live as human as she searches for her missing half.
Their Own Sake
Soji Arai
Inspired by a true story, a Japanese sake brewer attempts to brew sake in the Arizona desert, where the land is not the only thing that has run dry.
Portrait of Absence
Sachiko Miyase
A road movie tracing three middle-aged women traveling to Europe in search of a missing friend.
Cannes pitch session
The five filmmakers will participate in a dedicated pitching session during Cannes, presenting their projects to international producers, financiers, and sales agents, with further details to be announced.
In addition to the pitching session, multiple pitch events and networking cocktail receptions are planned. Further details regarding the schedule and locations will be announced in due course.
From chief producer Takeshi Moriya
“While Japan is often seen as a source of adaptable IP, this initiative highlights creators empowering their own stories to the global market in their own voices.”
Moriya, known for Midnight Diner and Midnight Swan, added that the program aims to connect these emerging filmmakers with international partners and foster the next generation of globally minded Japanese talent.
International mentors and support producers
The program is enriched by mentors James Bang and Jenna Ku (The World of Love, Little Forest) from AFiS (Busan Asian Film School) in South Korea, who bring valuable international perspectives to the initiative.
Supporting the initiative is a network of producers working across Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, and India.
- Eiko Mizuno-Gray (PLAN 75, Renoir)
- Shin Yamaguchi (Rental Family)
- Chiaki Yanagimoto (AUM)
- Fumie Suzuki Lancaster (Orang Ikan, FUJIKO)
From international collaborator Deepti Chawla
Among the key international collaborators is Deepti Chawla, executive producer on Cannes 2024 title The Shameless and associate producer on Annecy Grand Prix winner Sultana’s Dream.
“What’s emerging here is not just Japanese content, but globally viable cinema at script stage. The focus is on building projects that travel early - structurally, financially and creatively. That shift is what makes this slate relevant to international partners.”
The filmmakers will present to an international pool of producers, financiers, and sales agents, with additional curated pitch events and invitation-only networking receptions scheduled across Cannes in the Japan Pavilion.
ABOUT ATMOVIE GLOBAL TRACK
ATMOVIE GLOBAL TRACK is an accelerator program supporting Japanese filmmakers in developing original projects for the global market. Combining mentorship, workshops, and direct access to international industry networks, the program aims to position emerging talent for co-production, financing, and festival exposure worldwide.
Webpage: https://global-track.net/
