The 35th Tokyo International Film Festival welcomes actor Hashimoto Ai as the Festival Ambassador. Ms. Hashimoto will appear at official events as the face of the 35th TIFF.
 

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I did not expect to have the pleasure to serve as ambassador for two consecutive years and am both surprised and pleased. If I may be so bold as to state my hopes for the festival, it would be that it become a beacon of light for all fervent film lovers who are compelled to make films despite the dire situations they face, and who strive to change the situation if even a little while nevertheless choosing to carry on making films.
 
Profile
Born in Kumamoto prefecture in 1996. Hashimoto Ai first gained major attention with Nakashima Tetsuya’s Confessions (2010). She was awarded the Kinema Junpo Best New Actress Award and the Japan Academy Film Prize Newcomer of the Year for her performance in Yoshida Daihachi’s The Kirishima Thing (2012). She also won the Elan d’or Newcomer of the Year Award for her appearance in the NHK television series Amachan (2013). In 2015, she participated for the first time in the Berlin International Film Festival with Mori Junichi’s Little Forest: Summer & Autumn (2014) and Matsui Daigo’s Wonderful World End (2015), both in which she had starring roles. Hashimoto’s career spans a variety of fields beyond film including television dramas, animation, and theater. In 2022, she stars in the television drama Home Tutor (NTV).