Japanese Film Festival 2026 PR and Marketing Tender

⁠⁠⁠The Japan Foundation, Sydney (JFSY) invites tenders for the following: 

Description:

Tender for the PR and Marketing for Japanese Film Festival 2026

1. Japanese Film Festival 2026 (JFF 2026)

Organiser: The Japan Foundation, Sydney (JFSY)

Dates (TBC): 26 September, 2026, to 20 December, 2026

Locations: Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney

Films: Approx. 15 titles for Latest Releases & 20 titles for Special Series 

Ticket: Approx. $25 for Latest Releases; Free admission for Special Series

2. Specifications

a. Campaign management

i. Work closely with JFSY to build a robust timeline of announcements that will best promote all aspects of the film festival, including the ticketed latest releases and free admission special series.

ii. Advise on all areas of the marketing program. This includes securing the right resources and assets which ensure campaign success.

b. Creative

i. Work with JFSY and suppliers to produce effective campaign assets to promote the project effectively.

c. Advertising

i. Work with JFSY to allocate ad budget and make most effective use of the budget for the goals of the campaign. Including sourcing of quotes, ad booking, management of social media advertising for the program, and allocation of print and outdoor budgets where suitable.

Note:

• Advertising spend must only be used to promote Latest Releases series.

ii. Manage JFF marketing funds and make payments to media and suppliers where necessary.

d. Public Relations

i. Work with JFSY to build a cohesive communications timeline.

ii. Write media releases.

iii. Pitch the festival to media on behalf of JFSY.

e. Campaign reporting

i. Monitor and report on all campaign initiatives clearly, meaningfully, and as accurately as possible. Provide a weekly comprehensive report of the campaign using data sourced from Google Data Studio, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Meta Ads Manager, and etcetera.

f. Ticket revenue

i. Produce invoices to venue stakeholders in accordance with JFSY’s instructions. 

ii. Receive ticket revenue on behalf of JFSY.

Note:

• A payment agreement will be established between JFSY, the bidder, and the cinema venue partner for Latest Releases.

• After JFF, upon receiving permission from JFSY, the bidder is expected to invoice the cinema venue partner holding ticket revenue. Ticket revenue is collected only from the cinema venue partner charging admission for Latest Releases, after the festival concludes and ticket revenue is fully reconciled by the cinema venue partner. 

• Ticket revenue payment will be made as a lump sum.

• Outstanding fees owed to the bidder after ticket revenue payment will be paid from JFSY, while extra ticket revenue received by the bidder will be paid from the bidder, to JFSY and/or the party/parties designated by JFSY.

• The bidder can propose an upfront payment of no more than 30% of the total PR & Marketing budget (Point 4), before JFF concludes, provided that the purpose and reason of this payment is clearly outlined as part of the total budget allocation (Point 4) in the tender proposal. However, all remaining PR & Marketing costs must be covered by the bidder until they can be reimbursed from ticket revenue. 

3. Schedule (TBC)

22 July, 2026 Dates & venues announcement

2 Sep, 2026 Program launch and ticket sales

26 Sep – 13 Oct, 2026 JFF in Canberra

13 – 21 Oct, 2026 JFF in Perth

28 Oct – 17 Nov, 2026 JFF in Melbourne

12 Nov – 20 Dec, 2026 JFF in Brisbane

17 Nov – 20 Dec, 2026 JFF in Sydney

31 January, 2026: Bidder to provide JFSY a comprehensive report of the marketing campaign, including successful aspects and areas for improvement. The bidder is also required to work with the designated venue partner in providing a financial report of the revenue of the festival.

4. Budget

AUD 94,000 (excl. GST)

Note: This budget includes allocations for media spend, advertising spend, professional service fees, and etcetera. Please propose budget allocation as part of the tender bid.

5. Qualification

a. Experience of PR and marketing for film festivals in Australia 

(Desired but not essential)

6. Tender Instructions

a. Closing date & time: Monday, 22 June, 2026; 17:00 (AEST)

b. Please submit the following documents by email to jffau@jff.go.jp.

(a) Proposal (including campaign plan, timeline, list of media to buy, quote, and budget breakdown).

(b) Company outline.

(c) Staff support for JFSY. For example, the number of people allocated to the campaign and their roles. 

(d) Experience of PR and marketing for film festivals in Australia

c. Should you have any enquiries, please contact jffau@jff.go.jp. 

Due to the large volume of tender bids, no phone calls will be accepted.

7. Disclaimer

As the tender proposal is not a finalised document, details of the final PR & Marketing campaign, including the bidder’s proposed budget allocation, may be subject to changes during JFSY’s negotiations with the preferred bidder.