Festival season is truly upon us again, and it’s with great joy that we welcome JAPAN CUTS back for a 16th edition. After a break in 2022, the Japan Society in New York returns one of our favourite festivals to cinemas from 26 July to 6 August.
The festival’s full lineup, which includes 29 films — made up of 24 feature-length films and five short films, and including five International Premieres, 10 North American Premieres, and seven U.S. Premieres — is now up on the official JAPAN CUTS website where you can also buy tickets. All of our past and future coverage right here.
We are very pleased to be back covering JAPAN CUTS again this year. It’s their first fully in-person Here’s a couple of films we are already keen to see.
From the End of the World
After an eight year absence from our screens, Goemon and Casshern director Kazuaki Kiriya takes a different approach in this story of the final two weeks of the planet Earth and the young girl (Aoi Ito, Her Love Boils Bathwater) who has the power to save it. Described as having a “mind- and time-bending narrative,” it’s the kind of sci-fi we can really get on board with.
THE FIRST SLAM DUNK
During the ’90, the Chicago Bulls ruled US basketball but it was Takehiko Inoue’s manga series that dominated Japanese sales, with 170 million copies sold. Now the original manga creator has made his directorial debut, adapting his own work to the screen and winning the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Animation of the Year in the process. What a way to open the festival.
Winny
Remember P2P filesharing? Or the widespread media attention around programs like Napster? In Japan, there was a similarly high profile case around the titular program, created by Isamu Kaneko (played by Masahiro Higashide from Asako I & II). When Winny users begin to use the program for the sharing copyright material, the creator is arrested for “proliferating piracy.” Toshimitsu Dan (Takahiro Miura), a lawyer specializing in cybercrime, takes on the case.
Single8
Many of us were inspired by certain key films from our collective pasts, whether it was to make, write about, or just watch a lot of movies. Director Kazuya Konaka was notably inspired by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) to make his debut Claws in the year he turned 13. Known for directing episodes and cinematic pieces for the Ultraman series, here he returns to his roots and follows a group of kids in 1978 who see Star Wars and want to make movies of their own.
People Who Talk to Plushies Are Kind
Following several short and mid-length films, and a contribution to anthology 21st Century Girl, director Yurina Kaneko makes her feature length debut. Set in a “Plushies circle” at a university in Kyoto, this film adapts a novella from Ao Omae and explores introversion, sexuality, gender, and broader notions of tolerance. It really does sound like people who talk to plushies are kind.
Wandering
If you recognise the name of Korean-Japanese director Lee Sang-Il, it’s probably from films like Hula Girls (2006), Villain (2010), and the tense, multi-layered Rage (2016). In his latest film, it follows the alleged kidnapping of a nine-year-old by a university student and the long fallout from that event.
The Fish Tale
Taking the fish-out-of-water concept quite literally, this charming character piece about an enthusiastic ichthyologist is a surefire bet for cult status. Based loosely on the autobiography of celebrity fish expert Sakana-kun, One Fish at a Time: My Life!, director Shuichi Okita and equally offbeat co-writer Shiro Maeda (A Honeymoon in Hell: Mr. & Mrs. Oki’s Fabulous Trip) introduce us to “Meebo” (the singularly named Non). A breezy affair that basically looks for the good in people, the low-key LGBTQIA+ narrative is sure to find some fans. Read our full review.
Amiko
Not to be confused with the 2017 film of the same name, this debut from director Yusuke Morii focuses on the eponymous outsider. Living in the mountains with a protective mother, Amiko’s imagination and different way of looking at the world keeps him at odds with his contemporaries.
When Morning Comes I Feel Empty
Festival guest Yuho Ishibashi follows Sayounara with an examination of the day-to-day life of part-time konbini worker Nozomi (Erika Karata). When she meets someone from her past, her connections to the world slowly form again and we learn more about her past.
Tokyo Melody: A Film about Ryuichi Sakamoto
The death of Ryuichi Sakamoto this year was felt by lovers of cinema all over the world. His music is instantly recognisable, especially the award-winning scores behind Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), The Last Emperor (1987), and The Revenant (2015) to name a few. In tribute, JAPAN CUTS are playing this 1985 Franco-Japanese television co-production shot during the recording of Sakamoto’s 1984 album Ongaku Zukan.
Short Cuts Program
One of our favourite things from the last few years of JAPAN CUTS is seeing some of the up and coming directors emerging from the shorts program. In 2020, it was Toshiaki Toyoda’s 20-minute epic Wolf’s Calling and Yoko Yamanaka’s Amiko. In 2021, we saw Anshul Chauhan (Kontora) make an additional mark with Leo’s Return. This year we see the directorial debut of composer Hiroyuki Onogawa (Flashback Before Death), a crowd-funded anime (Okamoto Kitchen), and many more. Lots to get excited about!
