This year’s Japanese Film Festival is the biggest to date and presents an exciting line-up that showcases the best of contemporary Japanese cinema, with a mix of new work from established directors and first features from inspiring new talent.
The packed programme includes the Irish premieres of the crowd-pleasing family drama Close Knit, the latest from Naoko Ogigami, whose Rent-a-Catwas a particular favourite with JFFaudiences in 2013; the wickedly humorous At the Terrace, which sees the aftermath of a dinner party implode as social politeness gives way to revelations and scandal; the probing family drama Dear Etranger; and the mysterious, haunting Snow Woman the latest adaptation of the iconic story written by the Irish-Greek author Lafcadio Hearn. Following its recent win at the Japan Academy 2018 for Best Film and Best Director, Irish audiences will also have the opportunity to catch The Third Murder, which sees the great Hirokazu Kore-eda taking a break from his usual family dramas to deliver a dark legal thriller.
For this 10th event the anime selection is particularly strong. As previously announced the Festival is presenting, for one night only, exclusive fan preview screenings of Studio Ponoc’s highly anticipated first feature Mary and the Witch’s Flower, with some screenings already sold-out. The Festival will also host the Irish premiere of acclaimed screenwriter Mari Okada’s directorial debut Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, just weeks after its international premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival. 10 years after Masaaki Yuasa debut Mind Game featured in the first Japanese Film Festival in 2008, it is also fitting that this year’s event will share his latest creations with Irish audiences – Annecy award-winner Lu Over the Wall and The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, which recently won the Best Animated Feature Prize at the Japanese Academy Awards.
Until April 21
