Japanese Film Festival 2017

Overview

From the heartfelt animation of Studio Ghibli to the sword-swinging excess of Takashi Miike, if there's one thing that Japanese cinema is known for, it's variety. And while neither feature on this year's Japanese Film Festival program, there's plenty more where they came from— including true tales of dentists who became pop stars, watercolour explorations of the impact of war and Tokyo murder mysteries.

Screening at Hoyts Melbourne Central and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image from November 23 to December 3, JFF 2017 continues the annual festival's fondness for diversity as it showcases the latest and greatest movies that Japan has to offer. Take its opening and closing films: kicking things off is historical ninja flick Mumon: The Land of Stealth, while acclaimed drama Radianceheads from Cannes to the fest's last night.

Other highlights include Japan's next Oscar submission, Her Love Boils Bathwater; a haunting modern take on an ancient ghost story in Snow Woman; and perhaps the movie with the best moniker in the lineup, Hamon: Yakuza Boogie. Throw in Sion Sono's lurid Antiporno, darkly comic coming-of-age tale Love and Other Cults, and alien takeover effort Before We Vanish — as well as a lineup of Seijun Suzuki classics — and the scene is set for a delightful dip into Japan's movie magic.