by James Fletcher
It’s been a tumultuous year for traditional cinemagoers as the pandemic continues to wreck havoc on cinema houses, and by extension, Australia’s flourishing film festival circuit.
And now, the latest, and arguably Australia’s most popular film festival, The Japanese Film Festival, presented by The Japan Foundation, is looking to follow its international festival partners in taking a large portion of its 2020 program online, showcasing a wildly diverse package of cinematic treats which will be streaming for free.
Widely billed as the largest festival of Japanese cinema outside of the archipelago itself, 2020 marks the 24th year for The Japanese Film Festival (JFF) in Australia. And although this year boasts a reduced catalogue, audiences can still look forward to three finely curated programs including Classics, offering rare 35 and 16mm film screenings for free; Satellite, which will look to tour a hand-picked selection of movies to select locations, and JFF Plus: Online Festival, a brand-new online program for 2020, streaming free films in 20 countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
“We’re thrilled to bring the very best in Japanese cinema to audiences across the trans-Tasman in 2020!” said Japanese Film Festival Director, Yurika Sugie. “This year’s program showcases a diverse selection of films traversing award-winning contemporary works and familiar favourites from Japan’s most celebrated auteurs.”
Headlining the program is a number of award winning films that include Tokyo International Film Festival Audience Award winner Tremble All You Want (above), a quirky rom-com about a young woman who must choose between her childhood crush and her imperfect boyfriend; Shanghai International Film Festival Best Screenplay winner Key of Life, a deadpan comedy that sees a struggling actor and an amnesic hit man exchange identities; and the torrid family drama One Night, from director Kazuya Shiraishi.
Devotees of Japanese culture can also look forward to past favourites from the JFF including 2011’s Railways, a sentimental tale of a grief-stricken man who finds solace in his childhood dream of becoming a train conductor; the nostalgic drama A Story of Yonosuke (JFF 2013), which interweaves two timelines to paint a rich portrait of one man’s life from his 1987 college days to present; and Lady Maiko (JFF 2014), a musical comedy that charmingly blends musical theatre and geisha culture to reveal a young girl’s aspirations of becoming a maiko.
2020 also sees the return of JFF popular animation showcase with a number of shorts and feature-length films from the likes of the legendary Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell), award winning stop-motion animator Takeshi Yashiro (Moon of a Sleepless Night) and the acclaimed fantasy adventures tales Tokyo Marble Chocolate and Sumikkogurashi: Good to be in the Corner (below).
Fans of uniquely Japanese documentaries will be treated to the award winning Peace, a visual essay-style observational film that offers a glimpse into the daily lives of cats and people coexisting in Okayama city; Tora-san in Goto, a 22 year odyssey chronicling the lives of a family of udon noodle makers in the Nagasaki Prefecture; and Tsukiji Wonderland, a delicious seafood odyssey focusing on the now defunct Tsukiji fish markets and its unique Tokyo tenants.
Additional 2020 JFF program highlights include: Café Funiculi Funicula, a fantasy-infused tale about a mystical coffee shop which allows patrons to time travel; Ecotherapy Getaway Holiday, a captivating dramedy in which seven elderly women become lost in mountainous terrain during a wilderness tour gone awry; teen music romance Our 30-Minute Sessions, about a dead musician who attempts to reunite his old band and former girlfriend; Stolen Identity, a surreal thriller exploring the story of a woman who becomes the target of a serial killer; and the nostalgic The Flavour of Green Tea Over Rice, legendary director Yasujirō Ozu’s blissfully warm 1952 Japanese classic, about a middle aged couple who find common ground over a shared meal.
“From iconic past JFF favourites to incredible new discoveries, JFF Plus presents a rich cross section of Japanese cinema that viewers can enjoy from the comfort of their own homes,” reiterates Japanese Film Festival Programmer, Susan Bui.
For a list of current, and upcoming films featured in the 2020 JFF program, including venues and dates for the Satellite program, head to the official Japanese Film Festival site.
