1. A still from the Japanese Film Festival
    Photograph: Supplied
  2. A still from the Japanese Film Festival
    Photograph: Supplied
  3. A still from the Japanese Film Festival
    Photograph: Supplied
  • Film, Film festivals

Japanese Film Festival

Mums, manga and melodrama: here are the highlights of this year’s JFF program

Ashleigh Hastings
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Time Out says

The Japanese Film Festival (JFF) returns for its 28th edition this spring, presenting ten fresh feature films in partnership with the Japan Foundation. Running from October 21 until November 3, the festival will present an eclectic mix of Japan’s best and latest cinema.

In addition to new release films, there will also be a special series showcasing the classic works of director Shohei Imamura, known for his focus on the experience of the lower classes. 

Opening JFF this year is Mom, Is That You!?, a commentary on Japanese workplace culture that promises to be as heartwarming as it is cutting. Fans of period films will enjoy Shadow of Fire, a historical drama set amongst the ruins of World War II. 

If laughs are what you’re after, opt for The Dancing Okami to see the place where tap dancing and traditional Japanese hospitality meet, or A Samurai in Time, which pays homage to Japan’s most famous samurai stuntman, who died on-screen more than 50,000 times. 

Manga lovers can see the long-awaited epic feature Sand Land, or the award-winning Let’s Go Karaoke. If romance is more your thing, Our Secret Diary serves up a bittersweet high school love story. 

Elsewhere in the festival, younger viewers and nostalgic grownups will enjoy The Imaginary, an animated treat directed by a former Ghibli animator. For the thrillseekers out there, Out follows the real experience of a 17-year-old former gang leader, while Matched traces a sinister story of online dating gone wrong.  

Screenings for new releases will take place at the Kino from October 21-29, while special series screenings will be at ACMI from October 31-November 3. 


More details about the JFF program can be found on the festival’s website.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out the best art and exhibitions happening now.

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