Hungarian director Ildiko Enyedi praised the film and talent discovery features of major film festivals like the Tokyo International Film Festivalwhere on Tuesday she began her role as a jury member.

“Festivals are the allies of filmmakers. They help uncover the truth about our work as filmmakers. It’s a kind of game that highlights hidden gems. The press are also allies (and part of this process),” Enyedi said during a meeting between the jury and the media on Tuesday in the Japanese capital.

“It’s not easy to organize a strong and important festival while finding hidden treasures. In programming, it’s much easier to choose the big names. (On the contrary) it is a refined and delicate work to find the hidden gems. And thanks to this festival, (certain) films can experience a courageous and successful journey.

The jury for the main competition in Tokyo is chaired by Hong Kong superstar Tony Leung Chiu-wai (“In the Mood for Love”), with whom Enyedi is currently collaborating on “Silent Friend”, Franco-Italian actress Chiara Mastroianni, director and Hong Kong producer. Johnny To and Japanese actor Hashimoto Ai.

Leung described the Tokyo festival as having “a very broad and visionary vision” with new and emerging female directors, a section on women’s empowerment and retrospectives. “We not only present current events, but also the vast history of cinema. It’s a wonderful opportunity for audiences to learn and feel cinema,” he said.

In a speech that would have made his late father proud, Mastroianni said film festivals reinforce the act of seeing films in theaters.

“(Festivals are) not only an opportunity to discover wonderful filmmakers, but they are also an opportunity for some to discover what it is like to watch a film in a theater, with people around you, people you don’t know, but you know. I will share this experience with. And remembering that watching a movie on the big screen, in a real movie theater, is wonderful,” Mastroianni said.

Always prickly, To explained the importance of having an open mind when venturing onto film festival juries. “In the past, I had anticipation or expectations before watching a movie. In most cases I was disappointed. So now I try not to have any filters or divisions before seeing a film. It should be more intuitive,” he said.

At another point, Leung revealed his fear that he was not intellectual enough for the position of jury president. “We are going to have discussions (as jury members) after seeing these films. Maybe I’m not educated enough or smart enough, but I will try my best not to make mistakes,” Leung said.

But he shouldn’t have worried. His friend Enyedi was present to reassure and streamline the jury process. “A film acts on you, first through your senses, through your guts, and only then, through your intellect. Your instincts can be truly educated. This is what we call culture,” she said. “That’s why film education is so important (it gives us) more tools and we have more tools to translate our feelings into words in a discussion.” But the gut always takes priority.