Japanese Movie Competition returns in September with 12 motion pictures without spending a dime

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The Japan Basis Manila will display screen 12 Japanese movies without spending a dime from September 18 to October 26 throughout Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Angeles, and Davao

MANILA, Philippines – The Japan Basis Manila is bringing again the Japanese Movie Competition (JFF) 2025 this September with the theme “Bridg(e)ing.”

Working from September 18 to October 26, the competition will tour Metro Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Angeles, and Davao, screening 12 Japanese movies without spending a dime.

This yr’s theme highlights “cinema as a bridge,” linking the previous and the long run, human and expertise, physique and spirit, and particular person tales with shared group experiences.

Japanese film marathon

The lineup bridges timeless classics and up to date releases. Among the many highlights is Love Letter (1995, 4K restoration), Shunji Iwai’s iconic romance of affection, loss, and reminiscence set in opposition to Otaru’s snowy backdrop, and 18×2 Past Youthful Days (2024), a Japan–Taiwan co-production that explores past love and guarantees throughout time.

Japanese cinema’s most enduring works are additionally on this system. Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) returns as an epic story of swordsmen defending a village from bandits, whereas Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning Spirited Away (2001) takes audiences again into its enchanting spirit world. Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost within the Shell (1995) rounds out the classics with its cyberpunk imaginative and prescient, questioning what it means to be human.

‘A Samurai In Time.’ Picture courtesy of The Japan Basis Manila

Newer movies combine critical themes with lighthearted tales. Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist (2023), a Venice-winning drama, meditates on ecological stability and disruption, whereas A Samurai in Time (2024) brings humor to the combination with a time-traveling warrior who stumbles into fashionable movie units. Anime followers can sit up for Cell Swimsuit Gundam SEED Freedom (2024), the most recent chapter within the mecha saga, and Cells at Work! (2024), a live-action tackle the hit manga set contained in the human physique.

‘The Boy and The Canine.’ Picture courtesy of The Japan Basis Manila

Alongside these are new releases with a spread of genres and emotional depth. Showtime 7 (2025) unfolds as a tense thriller a couple of disgraced anchor caught in a bomb negotiation, whereas Teasing Grasp Takagi-san (2024) gives a young romance tailored from Soichiro Yamamoto’s manga. Closing the lineup is The Boy and the Canine (2025), a transferring drama about resilience, companionship, and therapeutic after catastrophe.

The movie competition opens on September 18 at Shangri-La Pink Carpet Cinema earlier than transferring to SM Metropolis Baguio (Sept 26), SM Metropolis Cebu, SM Metropolis Lanang, and SM Metropolis Clark, then returns to Manila for screenings on the UP Movie Institute and concludes at SM Metropolis Manila. Particular screenings at universities will comply with in November.

Earlier this yr, JFF January 2025 featured 12 movies nationwide, together with the Japanese-Filipino co-production DitO starring Manny Pacquiao, alongside worldwide titles like Godzilla Minus One, Excellent Days, and Akira.

For full schedules and particulars, go to japanesefilmfestph.jfmo.org.ph or comply with @jfmanila on Fb and Instagram. – with reviews by Trixia Policarpio/Rappler.com

Trixia Policarpio is a Rappler intern learning BA Inventive Writing on the College of the Philippines Diliman.