UNIQLO Hosts Talk Event with Actress TAO OKAMOTO and International Film Festival Directors to Share the Power of Film in Amplifying Refugee Voices and Driving Social Change

UNIQLO, in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Toho Co., Ltd., hosted the 'PEACE FOR ALL × Displacement Film Fund: Special Short Film Screening' on Thursday, June 18, at TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills, ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20. The event marked the launch of a new collaborative T-shirt under UNIQLO’s charity T-shirt project 'PEACE FOR ALL' with the Displacement Film Fund (DFF), featuring a film screening and a panel discussion.

From left in the photo: Naomichi Ichiyama (Programming Director, Tokyo International Film Festival), Claire Stewart (Managing Director, International Film Festival Rotterdam), Tao Okamoto (Actress/Model/Film Director), Hiroyasu Matsuoka (President, Toho Co., Ltd.), and Koji Yanai (Director, Group Senior Executive Officer, Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.)

'PEACE FOR ALL × Displacement Film Fund: Special Short Film Screening'

Prior to the screening, a panel discussion brought together Claire Stewart, Managing Director of the International Film Festival Rotterdam; Naomichi Ichiyama, Programming Director of the Tokyo International Film Festival; Tao Okamoto, an actress who recently became the first Japanese woman to win Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival and who is also active as a model and film director; and Koji Yanai, Director and Group Senior Executive Officer of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. The four discussed the power of film in amplifying refugee voices and driving social change.

During the panel, Claire Stewart emphasized the urgency of the Displacement Film Fund’s mission: to support filmmakers who have been forcibly displaced and to bring stories about displacement and refugees to wider audiences. She noted that, from an industry perspective, such a collaboration between cultural and charitable organizations and a company like UNIQLO is extremely rare, calling it a 'very unique fund.' In response, Naomichi Ichiyama praised the films as 'centered on refugee themes and directed by refugee filmmakers, yet not driven solely by theme—these are outstanding films artistically.' He expressed deep admiration for the selection of talented directors and the high cinematic quality of the works, explaining how this led to their screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Tao Okamoto shared personal stories from her family’s refugee background and her motivations behind directing her film 'My Sweet Home,' expressing strong empathy for the Displacement Film Fund’s mission. She stated, 'When individual stories reach more people, empathy spreads—and that can lead to a better, kinder world.' She passionately urged audiences to watch these films now.

At the special screening, two of the five inaugural supported films by the Displacement Film Fund were shown. The first, 'Rotation' by director Marina El Gorbachi, portrays a young Ukrainian woman temporarily removed from the frontlines, using hypnotherapy to cope with reality during her recovery. The second, 'Allies in Exile,' a documentary by director Hassan Kattan, documents the daily lives of the filmmaker and his close friend and fellow filmmaker Fadi, as they live in a refugee applicant hotel in London after fleeing Aleppo, Syria, first to Turkey and then to the UK. 'Allies in Exile' won the 'Refugee Reporting Award' at the One World Media Awards in the UK the day before the screening. A special message from director Hassan Kattan was also shared during the event.

Message from Director Hassan Kattan:

This film is my lived experience as an asylum seeker. I lived with my friend Fadi in a facility for refugee applicants, waiting endlessly for a decision with no clear future. Many others in similar situations were there with us. Making this film was my life’s mission—to answer the persistent question that haunts me: 'Why did I choose to become a refugee?' What this film reveals is my life, my best friend Fadi’s life, what we witnessed, and what we experienced and felt firsthand. This is the reality of the asylum process. The media only reports numbers, statistics, and political debates about refugees, but I have seen many asylum seekers—talented people, people who deeply love their families, all brave individuals who believe in the future. The filmmaking process was not easy. I had to confront my own pain and face myself directly. Yet at the same time, making the film became a form of healing. Filmmaking is not only about telling stories—it’s also a way to overcome the past.

Comment from Koji Yanai, Director and Group Senior Executive Officer, Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.:

UNIQLO has been supporting refugees for over 25 years. We are deeply grateful to our customers and many others who have supported us, helping expand this circle of support. I believe films have the power to move people’s awareness. The films by the first group of supported directors span fiction and documentary, deeply reflecting the directors’ personal experiences, and are characterized by profound emotional impact, empathy, and strong persuasiveness. I believe these works will spark greater interest in and understanding of refugee issues in Japan. I am especially excited that they will be screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October, where Japanese audiences can experience them. We will continue to support the Displacement Film Fund and amplify the voices of refugees.

About the Displacement Film Fund (DFF)

The Displacement Film Fund was established to support and grant funding to filmmakers who have been forcibly displaced, or those with a proven track record of creating films about displacement. Announced by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in 2025, founding partners include Mastermind, UNIQLO, Droom en Daad, Tama Family Foundation, and Amahoro Collective. The Hubert Bals Fund serves as the operational partner, and UNHCR as the strategic partner, launching a short film grant program. At the 55th IFFR, Ardi Rohia and the SP Rohia Foundation were announced as new major partners, pledging continued support following the success of the pilot year.

The five short films produced with the fund’s inaugural support are: 'Allies in Exile' by Hassan Kattan, 'Rotation' by Marina El Gorbachi, 'Sense of Water' by Mohammad Rasoulof, 'Super Afghan Gym' by Shahrbanoo Sadat, and 'Whispers of a Burning Scent' by Mo Halawe.