The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

9 February — 10 March 2021 Entrance is free — Visit now

The Japan Foundation is making its touring film programme free this year, with a streaming selection of titles available for you to watch from home without charge. Running from 9th February to 10th March, the UK’s largest festival dedicated to Japanese cinema is hoping to bring movie lovers together with a curated set of 18 films loosely based around themes of existence and belonging.

From comedies, to crime pictures, period dramas and films centring LGBT issues, the idea is that there should be something for everybody, with British film fans provided with a glimpse into the variety on offer in a Japanese multiplex.

Of note is Mrs Noisy, Amano Chihiro’s comedic inspired-by-true-events tale of a neighbourly dispute that escalates into a viral sensation. Kōji Fukada’s (Harmonium) A Girl Missing is a tense drama with much to say about Japanese societal convention. Meanwhile, the mammoth Labyrinth of Cinema is an experimental, kaleidoscopic journey through the violent history of Japanese film — it is also the final work by Japanese master director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House.)

9 February — 10 March 2021 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme

Manchester
Restaurant
Fairfield Social Club

Launching in spring 2024, Fairfield Social Club is a multi-purpose site next to Angel Meadows Park in the Green Quarter.

Cumbria
Theatre
The Coro

Nestled in the heart of Ulverston, a rural market town on the fringes of the Lake District, stands The Coro —an esteemed historic hub for arts, culture, and entertainment

Cumbria
Shop
Sam Read Bookseller

Award-winning small bookshop in the Lake District. Est. by Sam Read in 1887. Run by Will Smith and Polly Atkin.

Restaurant
Capri

Capri serves up homely, family-style Italian food in North Yorkshire.

Manchester
Restaurant
Manchester Wine Tours

Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, taking in four or five venues across three hours, plus six high-quality glasses of wine.

Sheffield
Shop
Juno Books

Friendly local queer and intersectional feminist bookshop in Sheffield. Visit for interesting fiction and non fiction books.

Restaurant
The Dusty Miller

Family friendly pub situated in the beautiful village of Mytholmroyd.

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