Academy CEO Bill Kramer Makes First Asia Trip for Tokyo Festival Award

Academy CEO Bill Kramer will make his first trip to Asia later this month to collect the Tokyo International Film Festival's Global Cinema Leadership Special Award on Oct. 28.

The 39th edition of the festival runs Oct. 26–Nov. 4 and has built a program titled Academy in Tokyo around the visit. Kramer will be joined in the Japanese capital by two colleagues: Academy president Lynette Howell Taylor and Meredith Shea, the organization's chief membership, impact and industry officer.

The festival said the award recognizes Kramer's contribution to the growth of the worldwide film business and to film culture. That is a broad citation. It does not name specific initiatives, and Kramer's tenure — he took the top job in 2022 after running the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which opened in September 2021 — is still under three years of awards-season scrutiny.

What is on the schedule?

The three executives share a stage on Oct. 28 at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya Hall for a 90-minute panel moderated by TIFF festival director Hisamatsu Takeo. According to the festival, the session will take the audience behind the curtain of the Oscars and outline the Academy's international initiatives and membership programs. The conversation will also cover how the organization views international cinema today and where it is heading.

After the panel, Kramer receives his award. Later that day, the Academy holds a private reception for members from across the globe.

On Oct. 29, Kramer returns to the same venue for a one-on-one with Toho president and CEO Matsuoka Hiro. Their session will examine the state of the global film business and the outlook for theatrical and streaming distribution, along with ways to deepen cross-border partnerships.

Both public events are free, but advance reservations are required. Booking details have yet to be released — a caveat for anyone planning around the trip.

Who are the principals?

Kramer has pushed to broaden the Academy's 11,000-strong membership and give it a more international makeup. He runs the organization's global operations, from the Oscars and the Academy Foundation to the $500 million Academy100 campaign.

Howell Taylor is in her second term as president. She is an Oscar-nominated producer whose credits include "A Star Is Born," "The Accountant," "Captain Fantastic" and "Blue Valentine." She joined the Producers Branch in 2014 and co-produced the 92nd Oscars telecast in 2020, earning an Emmy nomination.

Shea is the first person to hold her post, with a remit covering membership, awards administration, talent development and outreach to film festivals and international territories.

Matsuoka has steered Toho's overseas expansion, including its acquisitions of Gkids and Anime Limited, and oversaw production of Oscar winner "Godzilla Minus One." In 2025, Toho posted its best-ever results at the Japanese box office. Matsuoka also sits on the board of trustees of the Academy Museum — a link that predates this summit.

What does this change for international cinema?

In the near term, not much on its own: two free panels and an award do not shift distribution economics. The signal matters more. The Academy is sending its top three executives to a market where Toho just recorded its best-ever box office year, and TIFFCOM, the content market running alongside the festival Oct. 28–30, gives those conversations a commercial floor. Whether the visit produces concrete partnerships beyond rhetoric will only be visible after the delegations fly home.