18th Japan Movie Festival Hamburg (Japan-Filmfest Hamburg)

Notice! After our printed festival brochure’s editorial deadline there were some changes to movie screening starting times and some errors found. The accurate movie data and starting times you can find here on our website at the correspondent movies and in our always updated version of the festival’s timetable. You’ll find a summary of all changes on our ► errata-page ◄.

The 18th JFFH: Between gentle and tough – Japanese Cinema of lost innocence

At the end of May the wait is finally over. From the 31st of May until the 4th of June 2017 we will present the latest movie productions from Japan at our cooperating movie theatres Metropolis Kino, 3001 Kino and Studio-Kino. That means five days of cinematic pleasure for you.

This year’s focus lies on Japanese Cinema of great emotion. The loss of innocence can bring a single life to the verge of desperation or can cause the destruction of a whole society. Whether it’s all engulfing love or powerful emotions in the face of an existential threat, Japan’s directors dedicate themselves to the dramatic escape of big emotions stemming from social conventions: In the case of Japanese reality of life, which is based on the control of strong emotions, a cinematic outlet. In particular, this bravery, to face the great emotions unreservedly, fascinates the fans of Japanese cinema around the world. The opening movie alone is a good example of that, since it is an existential drama, showing people in an emotional exceptional situation. The life of a young girl falls to pieces because of a traumatic event. Lost innocence in the face of a threatening world. The world premiere of Innocent Blood in the presence of director Michihito Fuji (7th, Where is the better Future) will, on the 31st of May at Metropolis Kino, usher in five exciting festival days. Another highlight of this year’s festival focus is the drama The Seal Of The Sun by Futoshi Sato, which controversially addresses the nuclear disaster of Fukushima.

Focus and program selection of 2017 18th JFFH

Continuing the tradition, our Japanese guests will present their latest work personally to you. Other than Michihito Fujii, the director of this year’s opening movie, leading actress Keiko Shirasu and director Naoyashi Kawamatsu of the movie Dead Of Night, Junichi Yamamoto, director of Meatball Machine and Requiem 1 and Requiem 2, as well as director Toshinari Yonishi and leading actress Hitomi Uno of the movie Sapphire will be present.

A special place in our festival’s schedule is held by you, our fan’s, favorite genre cinema. Thus, we are delighted to welcome cult director Yoshihiko Nishimura (Kodoku Meatball Machine) in Hamburg, a dyed-in-the-wool artist of Japanese effect cinema. In this way, the exchange between fans and filmmakers is also one of the focus points of this year’s festival.