During the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) Closing Ceremony on November 9, "Hold Me Back" directed by Akiko Ohku received the Audience Award, the only award given this year due to COVID-19. Ohku said, "I'm really honored to receive this award for a second time. In these past 3 years, the world has changed, and while other festivals had to move online, TIFF was able to have audiences inside theaters, watching the films together. I'm so grateful to all the audience members and I hope I'll soon be able to shake all your hands." (Images: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/202011116971?p=images) At the 33rd TIFF, 138 films selected from 1,356 submissions from 107 countries and regions were screened from October 31 to November 9, 2020. - The New "Asia Lounge" Conversation Series Co-presented by The Japan Foundation Asia Center and TIFF The Japan Foundation Asia Center (JF) and TIFF are now in their seventh year of collaboration. This year, JF and TIFF co-hosted the conversation series "Asia Lounge," a new initiative proposed by world-renowned director Hirokazu Kore-eda, who worked with the members of a curatorial committee to organize the event. It featured daily online conversations between leading Asian film directors and their Japanese peers, who discussed a myriad of topics. Guests included Kim Bora (South Korea), Huang Xi (Taiwan), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand), Mouly Surya (Indonesia), Tsai Ming-Liang (Malaysia/Taiwan) and Rithy Panh (Cambodia). Although originally conceived as a physical lounge where filmmakers from around the world would enjoy free-form conversations and exchanges, it had to move online in this inaugural year due to COVID-19, but audiences worldwide were able to participate virtually in Q&A sessions. - Other Joint Initiatives by JF and TIFF The JF and TIFF jointly showcased the rich and diverse culture of Asian cinema in the Tokyo Premiere 2020 and World Focus sections. Also, as a part of the JF's Southeast Asian film restoration efforts, the 4K digitally restored version of Yasmin Ahmad's masterpiece "Mukhsin" (Malaysia, 2006) was presented for the first time in the world. Official Website: The Japan Foundation Asia Center: https://jfac.jp/en/ Tokyo International Film Festival: https://2020.tiff-jp.net/en/ Source: Tokyo International Film Festival