2017

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2017: Odd Obsessions: Desires, Hopes and Impulses in Japanese Cinema

#JFTFP17

3 February – 29 March 2017

Following 103 screenings up and down the country, the largest ever Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme drew to a close in late March. The season featured 14 films, including contemporary Japanese films, classics, documentary and anime, and toured to 15 venues around the country, including new venues in Stirling and Inverness.

This year we also welcome three very special guests, Naotaro Endo (director of Tsukiji Wonderland), Daishi Matsunaga (Pieta in the Toilet) and Shuichi Okita (Mohican Home Comes), all of whom took part in post-screening discussions of their films in London and around the country.

Below are some of this year’s highlights:

 

Director Daishi Matsunaga visited the UK to attend screenings of his debut feature film Pieta in the Toilet. In addition to appearing at the film’s UK premiere at ICA in London, Matsunaga also travelled to Watershed in Bristol, Showroom Cinema in Sheffield and Quad in Derby.

Another of the 9 UK premieres shown as part of the season was Shuichi Okita’s latest film The Mohican Comes Home. Two of Okita’s films have been released in the UK and his fans turned out in numbers for the screening at the ICA!

Okita also attended screenings of The Mohican Comes Home at the Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast and Exeter Phoenix.

And then in March, we were joined by Naotaro Endo, director of the season’s featured documentary, Tsukiji Wonderland.  Following the film’s sell-out screening at ICA, London in February, Endo joined us for a ‘Filmmaker Talk’ at the Soho Hotel in London, before embarking on a tour around the UK, attending screenings in Broadway in Nottingham, Filmhouse in Edinburgh and Exeter Phoenix.

Amounting to 103 screenings over the two month period, the 2017 edition was our largest yet. Here’s some of your feedback!

https://twitter.com/SengokuSophie/status/827977133435867137

 

https://twitter.com/chaostangent/status/841748646639112194

https://twitter.com/Dare_je/status/830482635067625472

https://twitter.com/rebeccamorrill/status/829072675683328000

https://twitter.com/annamcnally/status/829802615563288577

https://twitter.com/cmasquelier/status/829458654822801408

https://twitter.com/princecolin/status/837039469572288513

https://twitter.com/JeanieFinlay/status/843184758381150209

https://twitter.com/iamjenfoucher/status/829054148624732162

We’ll back in 2018 for the 15th edition. We look forward to seeing you all then!