The full lineup for the Japanese Film Festival Online 2022 (February 14th – 27th, 2022) has been officially announced.

The festival, organized by the Japan Foundation, will be held virtually for FREE in 25 countries (Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, USA, and Vietnam) and will screen 20 films (user registration is required before viewing), including feature films and documentaries.

Please be aware that the schedule and program content may change with no prior announcement. Depending on the country, some of these films might not be accessible. Films are presented with subtitles in at most 15 languages. However, for some films, only English subtitles will be available. We will update this article with images and trailers soon.

A message to the audience:
Due to the current pandemic, many people around the world are grappling with feelings of pain, sadness, and isolation. In these times, our hope is that this film festival can provide even some small sense of relief, and help people to live with a positive outlook on the future. For this year’s festival, we have selected 20 films, from new releases to classics, which fit with the theme.

Scenic beauty across the seasons, visually stunning and vividly colorful Japanese food, the changing of society from traditional to modern, and fantastic worlds which transcend space and time… our hope is that by experiencing these various worlds within Japan, viewers will feel refreshed, and whether this festival gives many people or even just one person the dream to one day visit Japan, then I will be very happy. – Masafumi Konomi (JFF Producer)

FEATURES

Aristocrats | 2020 | Director: Yukiko Sode
A humanistic drama that questions the state of contemporary life through the perspectives of two female protagonists of different backgrounds. Winner of 2021 Luxembourg City Film Festival Grand Prix Prize.

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AWAKE | 2020 | Director: Atsuhiro Yamada
A thrilling coming-of-age drama depicting the fateful battle between a professional shogi player and a shogi software developer.

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Bread of Happiness | 2012 | Director: Yukiko Mishima
Heart-warming dramedy about a cafe in the middle of the great outdoors serving delicious bread and coffee to people with pain in their hearts.

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Happy Flight | 2008 | Director: Shinobu Yaguchi
An ensemble aviation comedy delving into the response of on-the-ground staff, cabin attendants and pilots during an emergency flight from Tokyo to Honolulu.

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Her Love Boils Bathwater | 2016 | Director: Ryо̄ta Nakano
Featuring Japanese Academy Award winning performances from Rie Miyazawa and Hana Sugisaki (Pieta in the Toilet, JFF 2015), the film delves into the powerful bond between a strong-willed and deeply-loving mother and her family.

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It’s A Summer Film | 2020 | Director: Sо̄shi Masumoto
An innovative coming-of-age masterpiece about a high schooler who is obsessed with old samurai films and sets out to craft her own film project.

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Ito | 2021 | Director: Satoko Yokohama
A touching drama about a shy country girl who chooses a part-time job at a “maid café”. Winner of the 2021 Osaka Asian Film Festival Grand Prix and Audience Award.

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Masked Ward (JFF 2021) | 2020 | Director: Hisashi Kimura
A tense mystery set in the eerie confines of a hospital, where a chilling psychological battle unfolds and eventually leads into a chain of surprising twists.

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Mio’s Cookbook | 2020 | Director: Haruki Kadokawa
An invigorating period drama exploring friendship and the art of cooking about a young chef who dreams of being reunited with her best friend.

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Oz Land | 2018 | Director: Takafumi Hatano
An adventure-drama exploring the journey of a new employee assigned to an amusement park, and the fun-filled chronicles of her growing pains.

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Patema Inverted | 2013 | Yasuhiro Yoshiura
A girl and a boy living in two different worlds, that exist upside-down from each other, change the future. Characters “rise” underground and “fall” into the sky in this truly innovative animation.

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RASHOMON | 1950 | Akira Kurosawa
A group of murder witnesses all give completely different testimonies. One of the most celebrated films in Japanese history that questions whether there is such thing as truth in this world.

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ReLIFE (JFF 2017) | 2017 | Director: Takeshi Furusawa
A peculiar love story about a 27-year-old who is granted the opportunity to re-live his high school years and explore new destinies.

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The Chef of South Polar | 2009 | Director: Shuichi Okita
A classic Japanese comedy film that follows the bittersweet and charming daily lives of a group of men living in the Antarctic, where their only joy is to eat.

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The Floating Castle | 2012 | Director: Shinji Higuchi and Isshin Inudо̄
Riveting historical spectacle about the samurai who stands up for their dignity during Japan’s civil war period.

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Time of EVE the Movie | 2010 | Director: Yasuhiro Yoshiura
A moving exploration of the nature of emotions seen through the lens of interactions between humans and androids.

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Under the Open Sky | 2021 | Miwa Nishikawa
The story of a former yakuza’s struggles to be accepted by society, even as he tries to live an earnest life.

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Until the Break of Dawn | 2012 | Director: Yūichirо̄ Hirakawa
Spiritual drama starring award-winning Japanese actor Tо̄ri Matsuzaka (The Blood of Wolves) in a tale about the inner conflicts of those who seek contact with the dead.

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DOCUMENTARIES

Sumodo ~ The Successors of Samurai ~ (JFF 2021) | 2020 | Director: Eiji Sakata
An eye-opening and rare behind-the-scenes exploration of the lives of famous sumo wrestlers.

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The God of Ramen (JFF 2013) | 2013 | Director: Takashi Innami
A mouth-watering examination of the life of Kazuo Yamagishi, founder of a legendary ramen shop in Tokyo, who had an immense influence on the Japanese ramen industry.

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– Availability by Country –
SEE CHART

For more information, please go to: https://jff.jpf.go.jp/watch/jffonline2022/

About JFF (Japanese Film Festival):
In 2016 The Japan Foundation, as part of the JFF Asia-Pacific Gateway Initiative, established the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) with the aim to share Japanese cinema with 10 ASEAN countries as well as Australia. Starting in 2017 with China and India, the festival expanded to Russia in 2018. In 2019, the festival was held in 12 countries and 56 cities, attracting over 170,000 visitors over the course of the year. In 2020, it was held both in physical and online, and the first JFF Plus: Online Festival 2020-2021 recorded a total of more than 220,000 views from 20 countries around the world.