The Japanese Film Festival (JFF) returns in 2017 with a line-up of the very best of fresh and classic Japanese cinema, for a huge national tour of Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, from October 13th to December 3rd. With each city’s program carefully curated by the Japan Foundation, Sydney, the 2017 Festival will present the most exciting new films direct from Japan, including comedies, samurai and yakuza action, manga adaptations, romances, drama and much more.
“Every film in this year’s program was handpicked to present fresh perspectives and showcase the next generation of Japanese cinema,” said JFF Program Coordinator, Margarett Cortez. “Among this selection are genre-benders such as BEFORE WE VANISH by veteran Kiyoshi Kurosawa, stunning arthouse comeback film SNOW WOMAN by Asia’s indie darling Kiki Sugino, and international collaborations such as GUKOROKU – TRACES OF SIN by filmmaker Kei Ishikawa and Polish cinematographer Piotr Niemyjski. We’re also excited to introduce new blood in the Japanese cinema industry through a short film special supported by ‘New Directions in Japanese Cinema’, a Japanese government program supporting emerging filmmakers.”
Cortez explained that the Festival will open in true Japanese style with MUMON: THE LAND OF STEALTH, an action-packed film about a deadly ninja with unmatched strength who accidentally triggers a deadly battle between a warlord’s army and the ninjas in his province. Directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura (Fish Story) and starring Satoshi Ohno (The Locked Room), this film will have audiences on the edge of their seats. Other program highlights of the 2017 Festival include BIRDS WITHOUT NAMES, a visceral tale of lust, devotion and redemption from Kazuya Shiraishi (The Devil’s Path) fresh from the Toronto International Film Festival; MY UNCLE, a heartfelt comedy about a young boy who embarks on a transpacific adventure with his eccentric, free-loading uncle; and A DOUBLE LIFE, a poignant drama from first-time feature film director Yoshiyuki Kishi, which was nominated for Best Director and Best Actress at London’s Raindance Film Festival in 2016. For the first time the Festival will also include a short film program with screenings of WE’RE SHOOTING A MOVIE, DAD’S WEDDING and HIGH HEELS – A FAIRY TALE BORN OF OBSESSION, and the popular JFF Classics program will pay tribute to the late director Seijun Suzuki who earned a cult following for his avant-garde films and who has been called an inspiration by many contemporary directors, including Quentin Tarantino and Jim Jarmusch.

For More Information about tickets and the classics program
• CANBERRA – 13 to 22 October 2017 at Dendy, Canberra Centre
• ADELAIDE – 19 to 22 October 2017 at GU Filmhouse Adelaide
• BRISBANE – 25 to 29 October 2017 at Event Cinemas Brisbane City Myer Centre
• PERTH – 1 to 5 November 2017 at Hoyts Carousel, Cannington
• SYDNEY – 16 to 26 November 2017 at Event Cinemas George Street
• MELBOURNE & CLASSICS – 23 November to 3 December 2017 at Hoyts Melbourne Central & ACMI Cinemas
• CANBERRA CLASSICS – 6 to 7 October 2017 at National Film and Sound Archive
• SYDNEY CLASSICS – 1 to 25 October 2017 at Art Gallery of NSW