The 34th Tokyo International Film Festival welcomes actress Hashimoto Ai for the Festival Ambassador. Ms. Hashimoto will appear at the official events as the face of the 34th TIFF.
 

 
Hashimoto Ai, Actress
Message
Every year, I have watched the utter commitment of the people involved in organizing the Tokyo International Film Festival.
 
Every year, they gauge the landscape around the world and in Japan and deliberate what kind of festival it should be, and what kind of presence it should have in the world of cinema.
 
As someone who has found solace in film and art, I have always wished to work with such people and take action for the future of cinema, even if only a little.
 
Yet, I’ve always felt conflicted about my lack of knowledge, experience, and skill to fulfill such aspirations.
 
As I assume the role of Festival Ambassador this year, I plan to delve deep, and try to see for my own what I can do, and what kind of future to envision.
 
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity, and I will give it my utmost.
 

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Profile
Born in 1996 in Kumamoto. Hashimoto Ai garnered attention for her acting debut in Confessions (2010; dir. Nakashima Tetsuya). She starred in The Kirishima Thing (2012; dir. Yoshida Daihachi) for which she won the Kinema Junpo Award for Best New Actress and the Japan Academy Prize for Newcomer of the Year. She was also awarded an Elan d’or Award for her supporting role in the NHK morning drama series “Ama-chan” (2013). Hashimoto made her first overseas appearance at Berlinale in 2015 with the two films, Little Forest (2014; dir. Mori Junichi) and Wonderful World End (2015; dir. Matsui Daigo). She is active in various fields, ranging from TV drama to anime to theater. Hashimoto presently stars in NHK taiga drama “Reach Beyond the Blue Sky” (2021).