If you love everything from the Shinkansen to the sakura, you're in for a treat. The Japanese Film Festival (JFF) is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Australia with a bumper program of films. Melburnians can catch films ranging from samurai adventures and spine-tingling horror to award-winning dramas and spectacular animation at ACMI and The Kino from October 29 to November 17.
Opening night features Look Back, the latest film from acclaimed director Hirokazu Kore-eda. Adapted from the manga by Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto, it follows two young manga artists whose childhood rivalry develops into friendship, with unexpected consequences.
Other highlights include Tokyo Taxi, from 94-year-old director Yōji Yamada, starring Takuya Kimura as a driver taking an elderly passenger on a journey through memories and loss. There's also Bring Him Down to a Portable Size, a moving story about family and reconciliation, and Purehearted,which follows a young Okinawan entrepreneur determined to launch an authentic sugarcane rum.
For a dose of nostalgia, don't miss a newly remastered edition of Hula Girls. Based on a true story, this much-loved 2006 drama follows women in a struggling Fukushima coal-mining town who learn traditional hula dancing in an attempt to save their community.
Fans of action and suspense can look forward to The Samurai and the Prisoner, the first period drama from horror director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and Samurai Vengeance, a gripping tale of murder, revenge and hidden motives. There's darker territory in AnyMart, a darkly comic convenience-store thriller, and Sham, based on a real-life criminal case.
Animation lovers are equally well catered for. Highlights include We Are Aliens, the directorial debut of Kōhei Kadowaki, which explores a childhood friendship turned upside down; ChaO, an imaginative romantic comedy about a mermaid princess and a human office worker; and All You Need Is Kill, a fresh animated take on the science-fiction story behind Hollywood's Edge of Tomorrow.
The festival also brings back its JFF Special Series, this year celebrating legendary Japanese film composer Tōru Takemitsu, with a retrospective of films featuring his scores, including Ran, Harakiri and Woman in the Dunes.
The Japanese Film Festival Melbourne runs from October 29 to November 17 at ACMI and The Kino. General admission tickets are $25. For the full program and tickets, visit their website.
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