The 24th Japanese Film Festival (JFF) from 5 December 2020 to 3 March 2021 celebrates the subversive in Provocation and Disruption: Radical Japanese Filmmaking from the 1960s to the 2000s. The free program features classics and is coming to cinemas in Canberra (NFSA), Brisbane (QAGOMA), and Sydney (AGNSW).
From revolutionary Japanese New Wave cinema to surrealist psychedelic expressions and gritty cyberpunk, the program features boundary-shattering masterpieces from avant-garde Japanese auteurs including Seijun Suzuki, Shinya Tsukamoto, and Nobuhiko ?bayashi. The program includes a broad selection of films including the 35mm film Diary of a Shinjuku Thief, the horror film Emotion: That Dracula We Once Knew, and the Japanese classic Eros + Massacre. The theme of ‘provocation and disruption,’ will focus on radical filmmaking.
The festival was started by the Japan Foundation in Sydney 1997. The festival’s humble beginnings’ had three free film screenings and is now one of the largest celebrations of Japanese film in the World. The Japan Foundation was established in 1972 in Tokyo and has since expanded to a global network of 25 offices in 24 countries. The Foundation is a non-profit cultural organisation that was established by the Japanese government to promote exchange between Japan and other nations.
In 2019, the Festival celebrated with an audience of 30,000 people across Australia. The success of the festival has continued to grow throughout the years, with showcases of cinematic pieces to 35mm film classics and newly released titles. The festival also includes special guests from Japan for Q&A evenings and events for the audience to enjoy Japanese traditions, both new and old.
The initiative for the festival aims to support and grow interest in Japanese films and cinema culture across the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia.
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