Cannes Market and TIFFCOM Launch Japan IP Market
The market formalizes a direct pipeline between Japan's IP holders and the global film and TV adaptation industry, leveraging Cannes' position as a major distribution hub.
Reporting from 2 sources: The Hollywood Reporter Anime, Deadline Japan.
The Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival and TIFFCOM, the Tokyo International Film Festival content market, are partnering to launch a new three-day event dedicated to Japanese intellectual properties. The inaugural Japan IP Market will run from May 15 to 17, 2026, aboard the Art Explora catamaran at Cannes' Vieux-Port. The market will feature pitch sessions, one-on-one meetings, and conferences aimed at connecting Japanese rights holders with international producers and buyers for film and TV adaptations. Participating companies include Amuse Creative Studio, Kadokawa Corporation, Shochiku, Toei Company, Nihon Bungeisha, Nippon Animation, and Shufu To Seikatsu Sha. A keynote titled "The Future of Japanese IP in Global Adaptations" will be delivered by Tetsu Fujimura, executive producer of Netflix's live-action "One Piece" adaptation. Additional sessions include a France-Japan partnership focus and a discussion on manga and anime publishers and broadcasters featuring Crunchyroll and Glénat Editions. Japan is the country of honor at this year's Cannes Film Market. The announcement follows a 15 percent growth in Japan's anime industry, which exceeded $25 billion in revenue in 2024, according to the Anime Industry Report published at TIFFCOM last November.
The Japan IP Market will run for three days during the Cannes Film Market, which this year honors Japan as its country of focus. The event is hosted on the Art Explora catamaran docked at Cannes' Vieux-Port, a venue distinct from the main Palais des Festivals. Participating rights holders span major studios like Kadokawa and Shochiku as well as publishers such as Nihon Bungeisha and Shufu To Seikatsu Sha, indicating the market targets both film-ready properties and literary works with adaptation potential. Tetsu Fujimura, whose Netflix "One Piece" series is among the most prominent live-action manga adaptations, will deliver the keynote. The conference program also includes a France-Japan session examining co-production ties between the two countries, and a panel on manga and anime publishing featuring Crunchyroll and French publisher Glénat Editions. Marché du Film executive director Guillaume Esmiol said the initiative reinforces the market's strategic focus on IP rights. TIFFCOM CEO Yasushi Shiina described Cannes as the ideal environment to showcase Japanese content across multiple formats. The Anime Industry Report, released at TIFFCOM last November, showed Japan's anime sector grew 15 percent to over $25 billion in revenue in 2024, a figure cited by sources as context for the market's timing.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- The Hollywood Reporter Anime Cannes, Tokyo Film Festivals to Launch Japan IP Market
- Deadline Japan Cannes Market and TIFFCOM Partner On Japan IP Event