Cate Blanchett will attend the 39th edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) to celebrate the Japan premieres of five short films supported by the Displacement Film Fund (DFF), of which Uniqlo is a founding partner. TIFF‘s 39th edition runs from October 26 to November 4, 2026.
The screenings will take place in the same week that Blanchett is to be honored in Tokyo with the prestigious Praemium Imperiale Award for her achievements in film and theatre.
“I am privileged to have the opportunity to share the inaugural short films supported through the Displacement Film Fund with audiences at Tokyo International Film Festival,”
said Blanchett.
“In a world where conflict and persecution are driving displacement and division, cinematic storytelling has a vital role to play in connecting with the experiences of others. Being displaced shouldn’t mean filmmakers abandon their creativity; in fact their stories may feel even more urgent.”
The Displacement Film Fund screening is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026, at Hulic Hall Tokyo. TIFF will screen the five works comprising the fund’s first selection in alignment with the DFF‘s mission to highlight underrepresented voices through the power of cinema. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Mohammad Rasoulof (Sense of Water), director Shahrbanoo Sadat (Super Afghan Gym) and Blanchett. The festival said it believes the conversation will foster deeper understanding and awareness of refugee issues.
The Fund’s First Selection
Allies in Exile (United Kingdom/Syria, 40 min.), directed by Hasan Kattan, follows two Syrian filmmakers with a past shaped by war as they document the trauma of waiting for asylum, using friendship and storytelling to survive exile.
Rotation (Ukraine/Turkey, 12 min.), directed by Maryna Er Gorbach: “Rotation” is a therapeutic hypnosis ritual experienced by a young Ukrainian woman who shifted from civilian life to military service.
Sense of Water (Iran/Germany, 39 min.), directed by Mohammad Rasoulof: in the chill of exile, an Iranian writer confronts a foreign language.
Super Afghan Gym (Germany, 14 min.), directed by Shahrbanoo Sadat, is set in a gym in downtown Kabul, where a group of housewives gathers during the only hour of the day reserved for women.
Whispers of a Burning Scent (Somalia/Austria/Germany, 28 min.), directed by Mo Harawe, centers on a quiet wedding musician who finds his private life exposed to public scrutiny.
Inside the Displacement Film Fund
Co-founded and led by Cate Blanchett, the Displacement Film Fund champions and funds the work of displaced filmmakers, or filmmakers with a proven track record in creating authentic storytelling on the experiences of displaced people. The fund was announced in January 2025 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) by Blanchett, actor, producer and UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador, together with IFFR‘s Hubert Bals Fund, as a pilot short film funding scheme.
The DFF was founded in partnership with Amahoro Coalition, Master Mind, the Tamer Family Foundation, UNIQLO and Dutch cultural foundation Droom en Daad. The Hubert Bals Fund serves as the managing partner, and UNHCR as the strategic partner. With the addition of The SP Lohia Foundation as a new major partner, the fund confirmed its second edition at IFFR 2026.
Blanchett‘s visit brings together two sides of her work: a screen career recognized by the world’s major festivals and awards, and an active commitment to filmmakers whose stories often go unseen. For TIFF, the program gives displaced voices a place in its 39th edition, both on screen and in open conversation with audiences.
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