The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme comes to York’s City Screen Picturehouse

From the 29th of February until 28th March, The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP24) will be screening a carefully curated selection of films at York’s City Screen Picturehouse.

Whether you’re already a fan of Japanese cinema or just curious to see what it’s about, take this as a chance to go on a fun and unique cinema date. 

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme is the UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, and this year sees the biggest showcase ever put on by the Programme. The tour started on 2nd February and ends on 31st March and the programme is visiting 30 cities in the UK. New stopovers this year include Oxford, Lancaster, Chichester, Liverpool and as far as Orkney.

There will be five selected screenings in York, allowing there to be something for everyone. The selected screenings include: 

• The Fish Tale – Thursday 29th of February
• Egoist – Thursday 7th of March
• Winny – Thursday 14th of March
• YOKO – Thursday 21st of March
• Shadow of Fire – Thursday 28th of March

The tour will take place at a selected other 29 cities around the UK on respective dates – screening schedules and plot descriptions for each film are available on The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme website.

Image via Youtube – YOKO trailer

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Since 2004, the Japan Foundation have been organising annual Japanese film programmes. The Programme’s website states: “Each year, from recently released contemporary films to classics and anime, the Japanese films which we believe are worth showing but do not necessarily have an opportunity to be screened in this country are curated under a carefully chosen theme to highlight trends in Japanese cinema and showcase the versatility and uniqueness displayed by its filmmakers.”

This year’s selection of films will explore the theme: “Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema”.

“Memories play a powerful role in the mind. Shaped fluidly by individuals or time, they have been a source of inspiration for many filmmakers, fuelling their creativity to craft colourful stories.

“The JFTFP24 delves into Japanese cinema to explore how memories are employed in the cinematic voices of Japanese filmmakers, from films where memories are a focal point to works where they play a subliminal role in driving or affecting people’s minds and behaviour.”

The Programme website adds: “With an incredibly diverse range of films all based on memories, time, and reflections, this year’s programme is set to provide UK audiences with memorable stories and unforgettable moments.”

Image via Youtube – The Fish Tale trailer    

As part of their aim to reach a broader audience, the programme is offering a Young Ambassadors scheme in which successful applicants will have the opportunity to attend a screening of one of the films, write a short report, and promote on their social media profiles.

Elly Hoyland, a third year English Literature student from the University of York expressed her excitement to be selected as an Ambassador, explaing how “foreign films can be impossible to find, or often are of poor image quality with poorly translated subtitles” and emphasised her approval of seeing these “independent films make it to the big screen”.

She added: “I hope that this passion for indie international features can extend to the cinema in the future”.

So, take a break from studying, grab your friends, and get yourself a ticket at York’s City Screen Picturehouse. Here’s to having fun whilst helping to support independent cinema!

Featured Image via Youtube

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