The Tokyo International Film Festival (T.I.F.F.), approved by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPH), has been held since 1985 as one of the 12 major film festivals of the world. The T.I.F.F, which includes a feature-length film competition at its core, is also the biggest film festival in Asia and attaches importance to actively supporting Asian films and to discovering and cultivating new film directors from all over the world. The festival was held biannually until 1991 and then changed to an annual festival.