Now in its 21st year, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024 returns to Showroom Cinema in February with a diverse selection of Japanese films on the theme of memory, all screening in the UK for the first time.

Memories are a powerful force in our minds, inspiring many Japanese filmmakers in classics like Tokyo Story, After Life and the recent Ghibli anime The Boy and the Heron. Japan has undergone rapid changes in the last century, transforming from a fiercely independent empire to the unique nation that we know today, where nature and tradition coexist with futuristic technology. Perhaps this explains why memory is such a rich source of inspiration for filmmakers as they make sense of human experience.

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024 aims to explore how Japanese filmmakers use memories in their work. The programme will showcase films where memories drive people's minds or behaviour. The selection spans various genres, including drama, romance, LGBTQ+ stories, comedy, and political satire, with each film mirroring the Japanese society of its time.

The programme features work by seasoned directors and emerging talents, demonstrating the versatility of contemporary Japanese films. The Japan Foundation in London has been organising an annual Japanese film programme since 2004, in close partnership with UK film venues and advisors. Every year, they curate a selection of Japanese films that they believe are worth showing to UK audiences, choosing a theme highlighting trends in Japanese cinema to places where the films have never been screened.

Showroom Cinema is proud to host these special one-off screenings for anyone curious about Japanese cinema, from 4 to 27 February. A few highlights include the screening of Ice Cream Fever on Tuesday 6 Feb with an in-person Q&A with the director Tetsuya Chihara to discuss his stylish directorial debut, based on an award-winning short story by Mieko Kawakami about the interconnected lives of women that converge at an ice cream shop.

The Snow Flurry will be presented from a 35mm print and is a rare opportunity to watch Keisuke Kinoshita’s 1959 masterwork, a profoundly moving melodrama that critiques family traditions and societal barriers in post-war Japan. Shinya Tsukamoto’s Shadow of Fire, which explores the aftermath of WWII, was voted the winner of Best Asian Film Award at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024 will run from 4 – 27 February at Showroom Cinema. Find out more and book tickets: /japantouring24

https://www.jpf-film.org.uk/