Producers behind Hayakawa Chie’s Cannes competition title “Renoir” will headline a session on Asia-Europe co-production at TIFFCOM in Tokyo on Oct. 30. The event marks a formal tie-up between Japanese accelerator Atmovie Global Track and Europe-based workshop Ties That Bind.
The open panel, called “Building Creative Partnerships,” explores how filmmakers from both regions collaborate to elevate projects to international standards. Case studies of cross-continental productions anchor the discussion. Running alongside the Tokyo International Film Festival, the session welcomes any TIFFCOM badge holder.
Panelists include Mizuno-Gray Eiko, CEO of Tokyo-based Loaded Films, and French producer Christophe Bruncher of Ici et Là Productions. Both worked on “Renoir,” which screened in competition at Cannes in 2025. Mizuno-Gray’s resume also features Hayakawa’s “Plan 75,” a Caméra d’Or special mention recipient at Cannes in 2022 and Japan’s Oscar entry, plus Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s “To the Ends of the Earth.”
She currently develops a Poland-Japan co-production from director Ishikawa Kei and a Japan-Philippines project from Hirayanagi Atsuko. Bruncher, a La Fémis graduate fluent in Mandarin, leads studies for Ties That Bind. His recent co-productions include Muriel d’Ansembourg’s Berlinale selection “Truly Naked” and Kamila Andini’s Toronto title “Four Seasons in Java.”
Meanwhile, Oh Heejung, founder of Seoul and Amsterdam-based Seesaw Pictures, joins the panel. Her productions have appeared at Sundance, Berlin, Locarno, IDFA, Rotterdam and Busan. Moriya Takeshi, Atmovie’s CEO, rounds out the lineup. His credits span TV series “Midnight Diner” and Uchida Eiji’s “Midnight Swan,” named picture of the year at the 44th Japan Academy Film Prizes.
Ahead of the public event, Oh and Bruncher will mentor a closed two-day workshop for accelerator fellows on Oct. 27 and 28. Participants will develop projects and discuss career trajectories through group sessions rather than lectures.
The broader program was curated by Alessandro Gropplero, who heads the Friuli Venezia Giulia Audiovisual Fund and co-founded Ties That Bind. Atmovie Global Track equips Japanese filmmakers for the international co-production market. Organizers note many creators struggle to build cross-cultural trust and communicate beyond their native language. The open session aims to share those lessons with the wider industry.
