A scene from "Tremble All You Want" 2017 (c) (Tremble All You Want) Production Committee

Organizers of the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), Japan's biggest film fiesta, are gearing up for the event's official launch in October with a special screening of a movie that won over audiences last year. (See free ticket offer below.)

"Tremble All You Want," winner of the Audience Award at the 30th TIFF in 2017, will be shown at Akasaka Civic Center Hall in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Sept. 30 this year, as a prelude to the festival. The screening will be co-hosted by the Minato City Committee and TIFF.

The romantic comedy, based on the novel "Katte ni Furuetero" by Risa Wataya, a recipient of Japan's prestigious Akutagawa literary prize, tells the story of a woman in a life of unrequited love, who wavers between two "boyfriends." Playing the lead role is Mayu Matsuoka, known for her role in the film "Shoplifters," winner of the top Palme d'Or at the 71st Cannes Film Festival in May this year. The boyfriends are played by Daichi Watanabe and Takumi Kitamura.

The 31st TIFF is set to kick off this year on Oct. 25, and will run until Nov. 3, at Tokyo's Roppongi Hills, Ex Theater in the capital's Minato Ward, and other venues in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The festival's related market, TIFFCOM 2018 (Japan Content Showcase 2018), will run from Oct. 23 to 25 at the Sunshine City Convention Center in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

This year, TIFF will feature events collaborating with a variety of cultural organizations to promote the festival and Tokyo to foreign visitors, along with some open-air screenings. For more information, visit the official festival site at http://2018.tiff-jp.net/en/

TICKET GIVEAWAY

Festival organizers have announced they have a total of five pairs of tickets to give away for the pre-festival screening of "Tremble All You Want" to readers of The Mainichi.

Pre-festival film screening details:

* Title: "Tremble All You Want"

* Date: Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. (screening starts at 4 p.m.)

* Place: Akasaka Civic Center Hall (Akasaka Community Plaza 3F, 4-18-13 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-5413-2711)

* Total tickets available in giveaway offer: 5 pairs (total of 10 people)

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How to apply for ticket giveaway:

To apply for the ticket giveaway, email the TIFF organizing committee at: tiff31st_present@tiff-jp.net with the following subject title and information:

Subject: The Mainichi TIFF Ticket Giveaway

Body of email: Please include your full name and mailing address.

The giveaway offer closes on Wednesday, Sept. 19 (Japan time). Tickets will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis, while tickets last.