MOVIE

Rikako Yagi, whose appearance in the Netflix original series “First Love: First Love” is a hot topic, introduces the movies that have influenced her in her acting career.

Aiko Masubuchi, a curator, producer, and translator based in New York and Tokyo, discusses the future of Japanese film.

Hirotaka Nozaki, aka Nozaki-kun, spends his days visiting zoos and aquariums and working on film production. His short film Endangered Species reveals the real picture of the enigmatic Nozaki-kun.

Nippon Connection, a Japanese film festival in Frankfurt, Germany, is returning to in-person screenings for the first time in two years. The 22nd edition of the festival will be held from May 24 to 29. It will screen more than 100 of the latest Japanese films and present cultural programs to experience Japanese culture through workshops, lectures, concerts, and other events. Some films will be offered online after the festival.

A column about Drive My Car written by critic Shun Fushimi, about the film’s effortlessness and what it obscures.

Haruomi Hosono’s concert documentary, which was shot in 2019 in New York and Los Angeles, is finally complete. Director Taketoshi Sado, a close collaborator of Hosono’s, tells us how Hosono feels about the U.S.

Up-and-coming filmmaker Yuki Kobayashi talks about his latest movie, “Naraku no Hane (Wings of the Abyss),” which depicts skaters who are being excluded from society.

Akimi Ota captured the world’s attention with his directorial debut Kanarta: Alive in Dreams. Just in time for the film’s theatrical release in Japan, we spoke to him about the filmmaking process—from conception to production—as well as his sentiment behind the film.

In “Mainstream,” Gia Coppola realistically depicts the dangers in becoming addicted to SNS to fulfil the desire for recognition. Director Gia Coppola talks about the background of the film and her thoughts on Japan.

This month, the 15th edition of North America’s largest festival of contemporary Japanese cinema, Japan Cuts, returns to NYC.