AUGUST 5, 2013 "Captain Phillips" for Opening Film and "The Kiyosu Conference" for Closing Film The 26th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) announced that "Captain Phillips" directed by Oscar nominee Paul Greengrass has been selected as the OPENING FILM. "Captain Phillips" stars two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US container ship Maersk Alabama.   For the CLOSING FILM, "The Kiyosu Conference" by one of the most successful and beloved director in Japan, Koki Mitani, has been selected. "The Kiyosu Conference" is Director Mitani's long awaited 6th feature film based on the novel of the same name penned by the director himself. In contrast to Mitani's original modern day story lines, his latest undertaking is a historical epic.   Also TIFF introduced actress Chiaki Kuriyama as the "Festival Muse." She is a Japanese actress and singer who is active in film, theater, and television. Born in 1984, she made her screen debut in 1995. In 1999, she received wide recognition in Japan for her starring role in the Japanese horror film, Shikoku. Following a features role in the action film, Battle Royale (2000), Chiaki appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Volume 1 (2003), which earned her international recognition. Other film appearances in clued major roles in Takashi Miike's The Great Yokai War (2005), Shion Sono's Exte (2008), and Mamoru Oshii's Sky Crawlers (2008) and most recent works, ATARU The First Love & The Last Kill (2013) and SPEC Close: Progress & Crisscross Version (2013).   PRESS ACCREDITATION (Deadline: September 24, 2013) We have just started accepting applications for the Press Accreditation on August 1 (Japan time). Applications must be received by no later than, September 24, 2013. Please note that all members of the press are advised to apply for Press Accreditation in advance to cover festival events. TIFF website : www.tiff-jp.net/en/press/ The 26th TIFF will be held from October 17th to 25th, 2013 for 9 days in Tokyo, Japan. Its affiliated multi-content market TIFFCOM2013 will be held from October 22nd to 24th in the Tokyo Bay Area during the festival.