JFF Blog

To celebrate the final works of this acclaimed filmmaker, the Japanese Film Festival presents a series of Ōbayashi’s last four films in the free, limited event Finding Serenity in Chaos: A Nobuhiko Ōbayashi Tribute at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Sydney.

Want to satiate your J-film craving and reduce your cabin fever? We’ve got you covered!

Kinema Junpo, the oldest film magazine in Japan, has been honouring Japanese films and individuals since 1927. The 2019 award winners were recently announced, and we’re thrilled to see some of our own Japanese Film Festival 2019 films included!

All over the world, female filmmakers are slowly making a debut.

After watching Charlie Chaplin’s films at a very early age, actor Shota Sometani knew he wanted to pursue acting as a career.

Japanese Film Festival 2019 Main Program is out now!

2018 Kinema Junpo BEST 10 films and individual awards.

Don't miss out on tickets to your JFF picks! Tickets are moving quickly for these hot sessions in Sydney and Melbourne. The following sessions are selling like Japanese hotcakes!

A strength in this year’s program is the abundance of young and emerging Japanese film-making talent. Take a look at the three directors under 35 featured in the 2018 program, and the new energy they're bringing to cinema culture.

Written by Natalie Ng from Filmed in Ether for the Japanese Film Festival in Australia. Filmed in Ether is a proud media partner of JFF 2018. Learn about 60s filmmaking and the magical era of classic Hollywood cinema in COLOR ME TRUE.

The highs, the lows - heart-ache and bliss of romance on screen at JFF 2018. Tear-jerker THE 8-YEAR ENGAGEMENT and picturesque COLOR ME TRUE are charming audiences across Australia this season.

Written by Levin Tan from Filmed in Ether for the Japanese Film Festival in Australia. Filmed in Ether is a proud media partner of JFF 2018. Learn about foodie culture through the delectable Singaporean-Japanese coproduction, RAMEN SHOP.

Written by Natalie Ng from Filmed in Ether for the Japanese Film Festival in Australia. Filmed in Ether is a proud media partner of JFF 2018. JFF Classics 2018 is touring to Sydney (Art Gallery of NSW, 3-31 Oct), Melbourne (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) 22 November - 2 December.

Written by Hieu Chau for Japanese Film Festival 2017 in Australia. Filmed in Ether is a proud media partner of JFF 2017. JFF Classics 2017 is touring to Sydney (Art Gallery of NSW, 1-25 Oct), Canberra (National Film and Sound Archive, 6-7 Oct), and Melbourne (ACMI, 23 Nov-3 Dec; screening schedule TBA).

Meet some of the actors leading a new generation of Japanese cinema at the 21st Japanese Film Festival. Join us for special guest Q&A sessions in Sydney (16-26 Nov 2017) and Melbourne (23 Nov-3 Dec 2017). Get to know Mugi Kadowaki, Kiki Sugino, Munetaka Aoki and Sairi Ito.

We don’t want you to go through the pain (and regret) of missing out on JFF films so here’s a list of popular sessions.

Some film-goers prefer to skim through photos, while others watch every trailer before making a decision. No matter what your style is when it comes to choosing films, we hope this handy Melbourne guide to JFF helps!

JFF Classics 2017 is touring to Sydney (Art Gallery of NSW, 1-25 Oct), Canberra (National Film and Sound Archive, 6-7 Oct), and Melbourne (ACMI, 23 Nov-3 Dec; screening schedule TBA).

Some film-goers prefer to skim through photos, while others watch every trailer before making a decision. No matter what your style is when it comes to choosing films, we hope this handy Sydney guide to JFF helps!

Some film-goers prefer to skim through photos, while others watch every trailer before making a decision. No matter what your style is when it comes to choosing films, we hope this handy Sydney guide to JFF helps!

Some film-goers prefer to skim through photos, while others watch every trailer before making a decision. No matter what your style is when it comes to choosing films, we hope this handy Brisbane guide to JFF helps!

JFF Classics 2017 is touring to Sydney (Art Gallery of NSW, 1-25 Oct), Canberra (National Film and Sound Archive, 6-7 Oct), and Melbourne (ACMI, 23 Nov-3 Dec; screening schedule TBA).

Toho Animation has released more information on the upcoming Godzilla animated film. Toho are staying on board as the original producers of the Godzilla franchise, while Polygon Pictures are responsible for the animation. The animated film is an exciting addition to Godzilla's 60+ years of existence.

The 40th Japan Academy Prize was held earlier this March and saw Shin Godzilla sweep numerous awards (staff and cast pictured above).

Kinema Junpo has released their Best 10 and individual awards for 2016! Amongst some familiar and unfamiliar titles, Makoto Shinkai's Your Name is a noticeable absence.

The twentieth Japanese Film Festival (JFF) has drawn to a close for another year! Even a month after the festival has ended, there's still a lot of work to be done (receipts to tally, papers to shuffle, survey data to input—).

Another comic-style review to help you decide on what to watch.

The Bechdel test (/ˈbɛkdəl/ bek-dəl) asks whether a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the two women must be named is sometimes added.

Onibaba is part of the free JFF Classics program and will be screening in Sydney and Melbourne.

Explore the JFF 2016 Main Program by streams and navigate the film line-up based on your interests.

Need help deciding which films to see? Let these limited comic-style reviews help you get to know the films before you purchase those tickets!

Need help deciding which films to see? Let these limited comic-style reviews help you get to know the films before you purchase those tickets!

It's always a challenge trying to trim down your movie list at any film festival. We've compiled all the special events and one-night only films in every city to make sure you don't miss out on films you want to see!

It's always a challenge trying to trim down your movie list at any film festival. We've compiled all the special events and one-night only films in every city to make sure you don't miss out on films you want to see! 

This year for the 20th Japanese Film Festival, we are excited to unveil a range of dramas with a difference: featuring sophisticated plots, challenging issues, and brilliant acting and direction.

Hello, I'm back. Saiko reporting once again for JFF. First of all, I regret to announce that Master Sion Sono's films won't be screening at this year's Festival.

BOOM! And I'm back. I humbly believe that there is no better person to introduce JFF 2016's action-packed titles than your resident Sion Sono fan, Saiko. Regrettably, there is no Sion Sono presence this year but there are a number of beloved directors from the slasher genre fame.

Pochi's back! I've missed writing these JFF blog posts. I hope I was of help last year and I'm really looking forward to introducing more movies to you guys.

We are excited to bring you the first peek of this year's JFF 20th year anniversary line-up.

Keen to find out more about Kyary Pamyu Pamyu before her concert this weekend?

We may not be able to see as many Japanese films as we want released on screens in Australia, but we can still enjoy the new trailers, right? Here is a round-up of new Japanese film trailers in the JFF team's radar this April... And with English subtitles too!

Japanese cinephiles have been following Kinema Junpo, also known as Kinejun, since it was first published in 1919 by a group of students from the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

If you've been coming to the Japanese Film Festival for a few years now or have constantly been watching Japanese movies for a while now, you'll notice a number of actors appearing in multiple films every year.

Not all directors become popular enough to attract a solid following. With Japanese directors, it's particularly hard to get acquainted with their names due to a general lack of opportunities for us to watch Japanese movies outside of Japan. Why not put a face to some of those names behind the lens?

As the festival progresses, I keep noticing a trend amongst festival goers this year - and that is the search for films that must absolutely be seen on the big screen. I rounded up the JFF team and we picked out these cinematic delights that are too good to pass up watching in the movie theatre.

To Japanese JFF fans, grab a free copy of CHEERS or (if you're in Perth) The Perth Express this month.

This is a film review and film edit by staff members Saiko and Pochi. Saiko would like to remind everybody that opinion on this page does not reflect that of the entire JFF's. The craziness is only between himself and Pochi. Let us know what you think by tagging us on all social media with #jff2015au.

Following the film screening on Saturday, 7 November, Director Tomorowo Taguchi will discuss the film in a Q&A session in the cinema. Piece of Cake marks the director’s third feature film. However, he is also a veteran actor who debuted in a starring role with cult favourite Tetsuo: The Iron Man and appeared

For fans of the romance genre, JFF 2015 is the year to invite your friends or your significant other to a romance flick that's not cheesy. After all, there's a reason why we decided to label the romance category as Romance & Relationships this year. Our romance picks for this year's festival go beyond the ove

All the Sono fans in Sydney and Melbourne make sure you catch the Sion Sono double bill! TAG is a very gory and distinctly Sono piece; while Love & Peace is a rare heart-warming film from the director. Since there was not a single drop of blood shed, for a while I was worried I was watching the wrong film.