Available now through to 15 June, the Japan Foundation has launched a new programme: JFF+ Independent Cinema.

The free online streaming programme features 12 Japanese independent films, selected by managers from independent cinemas throughout Japan. These "mini-theatres" have nurtured the diversity of Japanese cinema culture and brought it up to its current state.

Since 2020, the Japan Foundation has held the Japanese Film Festival Online twice for international viewers, with the aim of the new programme to show the diversity of Japanese cinema.

Although the number of Japanese films produced is one of the largest in the world, only a handful of films have been introduced overseas. This program provides a great chance for the international audiences to discover new Japanese films.

Alongside the films, the JFF website features interviews with directors and stories of mini-theatres, bringing the current state of Japanese film culture from multiple perspectives in its own context.

• Words by
• Joe Harris

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