With over 50+ films, CAMERA JAPAN Festival is proud to announce its full and diverse line-up, combining films ranging from de newest and best Japanese arthouse, animation, documentaries, short films and classic cinema.
The 19th edition of the festival will be officially opened at Rotterdam based LantarenVenster on September 26th with a festive screening of YAMASHITA Nobuhiro‘s Dutch premiere of One Second Ahead, One Second Behind. One day prior, the festival unofficially kicks off at WORM with a very special screening of Alien’s Daydream. From the 3 – 6 October, the festival moves to Amsterdam’s LAB111.
With five international and seven European premieres, the festival consists of a very special and exclusive film programme. Films such as Afterschool Anglers Club, Gifts from the Kitchen, Promised Land, Sin and Evil and Till the Day I Can Laugh About my Blues will have their first screenings outside of Japan, here, at CAMERA JAPAN Festival.
As if the international premieres were not special enough, the festival is honored to welcome director YAMASHITA Nobuhiro to Rotterdam. With not one, but a total of five (!) new films at the festival, he is truly a special guest indeed. Besides the opening film, the festival will screen the following of his films: Confession, Ghost Cat Anzu, Let’s Go Karaoke! and Swimming in a Sand Pool. Keep an eye on our website for more interesting guests.
As usual, animation films will be present at CAMERA JAPAN Festival. Besides a handful of animated shorts, the festival is proud to present Dutch premieres of the colorful The Colors Within, the prizewinning Ghost Cat Anzu, the magical The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes and the dark Who Said Death Is Beautiful?.
Besides showcasing the newest films from Japan, audiences can expect to see Japanese classics on the big screen. The festival highlights the work of MASUMURA Yasuzo consisting of five films, including the restored All Mixed Up, which had its world premiere at the recent Venice Film Festival.
Just like many editions before, there will be a silent classic screened accompanied by live music from the Rotterdam Kinematic Ensemble: ITO Daisuke’s A Diary of Chuji’s Travels.
Side programming, workshops and exhibitions
In addition to film, CAMERA JAPAN also focuses on other Japanese (visual) arts, culture and food. For example, festival visitors can let their creativity run wild during workshops on traditional instruments (koto), Japanese paper (washi), woodworking (kumiko), various ceramic workshops, making mochi and onigiri. Finally, one can immerse oneself in the Japanese language during the ONK Japanese Language Festival and much more.
Organisation
The CAMERA JAPAN Festival has grown into the largest Japanese film festival in the Benelux and attracts thousands of visitors every year. CAMERA JAPAN is characterized by a very diverse program: in addition to feature films, documentaries and anime, attention is also paid to the many aspects of Japanese culture, including visual arts, music, dance and food.
CAMERA JAPAN has been made possible through contributions by Rotterdam Festivals, The Netherlands Film Fund and Isaac Alfred Ailion Foundation. This festival is part of the Rotterdam festival calendar. For more information and the complete calendar please check www.uitagendarotterdam.nl.
Programme CAMERA JAPAN Festival 2024
Feature Films
Afterschool Anglers Club (JOJO Hideo | Japan 2023 | 83 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Alien’s Daydream (MATSUMOTO Yoshiki | Japan 2023 | 99 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
All the Long Nights (MIYAKE Sho | Japan 2024 | 118 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
All the Songs We Never Sang (Chris RUDZ | Japan 2023 | 115 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Baby Assassins: Nice Days (SAKAMOTO Yugo | Japan 2024 | 113 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
The Box Man (ISHII Gakuryu | Japan 2024 | 120 min | Colour and Black & White | Eng. sub.)
Bushido (SHIRAISHI Kazuya | Japan 2024 | 129 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Confession (YAMASHITA Nobuhiro | Japan 2024 | 76 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Desert of Namibia (YAMANAKA Yoko | Japan 2024 | 137 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Fly Me to the Saitama – From Biwa Lake with Love (TAKEUCHI Hideki | Japan 2023 | 116 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Great Absence (CHIKA-URA Kei | Japan 2023 | 133 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Hoyaman (SHOJI Teruaki | Japan 2023 | 106 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Ichiko (TODA Akihiro | Japan 2023 | 126 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Kyrie (IWAI Shunji | Japan 2023 | 178 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Let’s Go Karaoke! (YAMASHITA Nobuhiro | Japan 2024 | 107 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
The Moon (ISHII Yuuya | Japan 2023 | 144 min | Colour | Eng. Sub)
One Second Ahead, One Second Behind (YAMASHITA Nobuhiro | Japan 2023 | 119 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Penalty Loop (ARAKI Shinji | Japan 2024 | 99 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Promised Land (IIJIMA Masashi | Japan 2024 | 89 min | Colour | Eng. sub)
Qualia (USHIMARU Ryo | Japan 2023 | 96 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Retake (NAKANO Kota | Japan 2023 | 110 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Shin Masked Rider (ANNO Hideaki | Japan 2023 | 121 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Sin and Evil (SAITO Yuki | Japan 2024 | 115 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Six Singing Women (ISHIBASHI Yoshimasa | Japan 2023 | 113 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Stay Mum (SEKINE Kosai | Japan 2024 | 128 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Swimming in a Sand Pool (YAMASHITA Nobuhiro | Japan 2024 | 86 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Tatsumi (SHOJI Hiroshi | Japan 2023 | 108 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Till the Day I Can Laugh about My Blues (TAKEDA Karin | Japan 2023 | 99 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Worlds Apart (SETA Natsuki | Japan 2024 | 139 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Yoko (KUMAKIRI Kazuyoshi | Japan 2023 | 113 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Documentaries
Carving the Divine: Buddhist Sculptors of Japan (SEKI Yujiro | Japan 2023 | 98 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
The J-Horror Virus (Sarah APPLETON & Jasper SHARP | UK 2023 | 95 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Gifts from the Kitchen (KIKUCHI Hisashi | Japan 2024 | 89 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
The Making of a Japanese (Ema RYAN YAMAZAKI | Japan/USA/France/Finland 2023 | 99 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Anime
The Colors Within (YAMADA Naoko | Japan 2024 | 101 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Ghost Cat Anzu (KUNO Yoko & YAMASHITA Nobuhiro | Japan/France 2024 | 97 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (TAGUCHI Tomohisa | Japan 2022 | 83 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Who Said Death Is Beautiful? (NAKAJIMA Ryo | Japan 2023 | 68 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Short Animation Selection (Various directors | Japan 2021/22/23/24 | 92 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
MASUMURA Yasuzo retrospective
All Mixed Up (MASUMURA Yasuzo | Japan 1964 | 91 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Hoodlum Soldier (MASUMURA Yasuzo | Japan 1965 | 103 min | Black & White | Eng. sub.)
Kisses (MASUMURA Yasuzo | Japan 1957 | 74 min | Black & White | Eng. sub.)
Nakano Spy School (MASUMURA Yasuzo | Japan 1966 | 96 min | Black & White | Eng. sub.)
The Wife’s Confession (MASUMURA Yasuzo | Japan 1961 | 91 min | Black & White | Eng. sub.)
Film + Live Music
A Diary of Chuji’s Travels (ITO Daisuke | Japan 1927 | 111 min | Black & White | Eng. sub.)
Shorts
Third Wheel (Kevin HAEFELIN | Japan 2023 | 4 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Whispers Through Time (HIGA Asato | Japan 2024 | 5 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia Selection (Various directors | Japan 2022/23/24 | 108 min | Colour | Eng. sub.)
Workshops
The Art of Japanese Paper Making
Koto Workshop
Kumiko Woodworking Workshop
Mochi Workshop
Onigiri Making workshop
ONK Japanese Language Festival
Shibui Ramen Bowl Workshop
Wabi Sabi Cup Making Workshop
