Marion Klomfass is the director and co-founder of Nippon Connection, the world’s largest international film festival dedicated to Japanese cinema. In addition to its diverse film lineup, the festival features a rich cultural program that offers insights into various aspects of Japanese culture. Since its inaugural edition in 2000, which drew over 10,000 visitors, Nippon Connection has demonstrated the strong interest in Japanese film and culture. As the 2025 edition approaches, the festival proudly marks its 25th anniversary.
In her interview with AMP Klomfass talks about her fondest memories of the 25 years of Nippon Connection, how it changes how you view Japanese culture and the various segments of the festival.
Over the years, the festival has experienced many highlights, but also political upheavals and other events. Which memories stand out for you when you think back on 25 years of Nippon Connection?
There is quite a lot that comes to mind and it is hard to choose. The first edition in 2000, however, is one that stands out for the team and myself. We had planned it as a one-time event, but we were overwhelmed by the interest and the sheer amount of visitors to the festival. We never would have thought there were so many people interested in watching Japanese movies with English subtitles. That gave us the motivation to make Nippon Connection an annual event.
Another memory that I can think of has to be the eruption of the Icelandic volcano in 2010 and the subsequent stop of all air traffic in Europe and many other parts of the world. Many of our Japanese guests were forced to extend their stay in Germany since their fights had been canceled. That was quite stressful because we were bombarded with phone calls from their agents and film studios asking us to please have their clients on the next flight back to Japan. Naturally, that was impossible. On the bright side, this event resulted in a marriage and a film project.
One relatively recent memory is the Corona-pandemic and the subsequent lock down. We had already planned the whole festival when the lock down was announced and so we had to change everything. The team was very motivated and full of ideas to make Nippon Connection happen anyway which is why we instead created an online version of the festival. All of the features were made available for streaming and we basically became something of a TV station for six days, creating content nonstop with only 15 people at Mousonturm in Frankfurt.
You once said the motto of your life is: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Isn’t that also a great principle when it comes to running a festival considering the many hurdles you have to master?
25 years of Nippon Connection obviously means facing a lot of challenges and finding solutions for them. It is always quite an undertaking to create a new edition of the festival, but given our experience my team and I have become battle-tested. We always come up with an alternative plan and quick solutions. However, I do not think these problems are unique for Nippon Connection because every festival has to face them. There will always be occasions when a guest has to cancel last minute or you cannot screen a feature for some reason.
Every Nippon Connection has a different motto. This year it is “Obsessions – From Passion to Madness”. How do you come up with them?
The thematic focus each year is being decided by the team selecting the features for the program. We usually start with the process in the summer before the next edition of the festival. There is a whole list of various topics we go through and which we consult. For a few years now this thematic focus has been supported by Kulturfonds RheinMain.
Obsessions is a topic which is closely linked to the cinematic landscape of Japan, but also to our passion for cinema in general. That is why this motto works quite well for this upcoming anniversary.
Another important part of each Nippon Connection is the Nippon Rising Star Award which is given to background artist and art director Kosuke Hayashi this year. How do you select the artists for this particular honor?
Similar to the thematic focus, this is something the team decides. We often meet and talk about people from the Japanese film industry who we feel deserve the Rising Star Award. Once the artist has been chosen, we naturally contact him or her to check whether they are available to come to our festival and join us in Frankfurt.
In the case of Kosuke Hayashi it was an interesting process. Hayashi is someone who is not in front of the camera, but rather acts in the background. However, when you see his work in, for example, Sunao Katabuchi‘s “In this Corner of the World” or Hayao Miyazaki‘s “The Boy and the Heron”, you cannot help but notice his significant contribution. By giving him the award, we wanted to give him a platform and make people aware of his work.
Stephan Riekeles, a gallery owner from Potsdam, who has collaborated with Nippon Connection for some time now, gave the initial idea to give the award to Mr. Hayashi. He had done many exhibitions about manga and anime and he is planning another one on Kosuke Hayashi’s body of work.
What I find intriguing about Nippon Connection is that many of the titles in your program can only be found there and not in any other festival. What are the criteria deciding a film is the perfect fit for the festival?
Starting with the first festival, we wanted to support indie filmmakers in Japan. We now have good connections and we receive screeners through personal contacts as well as from the studios themselves. Additionally, many features are submitted through our homepage.
At Nippon Connection 2000, the first edition, we screened Nobuhiro Yamashita‘s “Hazy Life” and Toshiaki Toyoda‘s “Pornostar”. Those filmmakers were relativly unknown at the time and these were their first features. Nowadays, they are two very renowned directors, and they also present their new projects at Nippon Connection 2025.
Since you have a background in color grading and editing movies, what do you look for in a feature?
Editing is one of the most vital aspects when it comes to the impact a movie has, but it is also something many people still underestimate. This has also been the case for Japanese movies for quite some time, but luckily, many directors have come to learn about and appreciate editing. For quite a few years, Japanese filmmakers understood the label “low budget” quite literally and did not care for aspects such as sound design, editing or camera, which made viewing their work quite challenging at times. But, as I mentioned, this has changed.
One director that has left quite an impression on me is Ema Ryan Yamazaki. She not only directs but also edits her movies, such as “The Making of a Japanese”, which was given the Nippon Visions Audience Award in 2024.
Many people still associate things like sushi, anime and manga with Japanese culture, but when they come to Nippon Connection they experience these are only three of many facets. What would you like to take the visitor of the festival to take home after leaving?
The people coming to our festival are quite diverse and, undoubtedly, this will not change this year. Many come to us because they have these cliches and stereotypes in their mind which you mentioned in your question, and are surprised when they discover something about Japanese culture they did not know before. You could say attending Nippon Connection is quite a learning experience.
In Germany there are now lots of events featuring cosplay and which fulfill these aforementioned cliches. Of course, when you look at our program you will also find a classic tea ceremony or a screening of a well-known anime, but you will also find many features, workshops and lectures showcasing these other parts of Japanese cultures, some of which are troublesome and problematic.
If you are planning to go on an extended vacation to Japan, coming to our festival is good preparation.
When you envision Nippon Connection 2050, what do you see?
Well, I hope we will still be there. We have a lot of creative young minds with lots of ideas which will ensure Nippon Connection will be there for a long time. The festival has always developed with the times and I am confident it will still be there for the next 25 years.
Thanks for the great interview.
