As Japan’s film industry enters its third decade in the new millennium, the inaugural ACA Cinema Project online film series 21st Century Japan: Films From 2001–2020 takes a look back at the last 20 years of Japanese cinema to celebrate some of the most remarkable narrative fiction films and filmmakers that define the era. Covering a wide range of production styles and genres — from small budget independent debuts to festival favorites and award-winning major studio releases — this diverse slate of 30 feature films and shorts offers a guided tour of modern Japanese cinema, including special spotlights dedicated to the work of Kiyoshi Kurosawa and a selection of free breakout films by up-and-coming filmmakers.
Series highlights include the online US premieres of Red Post on Escher Street — the latest film by cult favorite director Sion Sono, co-presented with Grasshopper Film — and Yukiko Mishima’s female-driven romantic drama Shape of Red, both with exclusive video Q&As. In addition, the series offers access to a slew of hard-to-see gems otherwise unavailable to stream in the US by some of Japan’s most internationally prominent filmmakers — including titles from Hirokazu Kore-eda, Naomi Kawase, Takashi Miike, Shinya Tsukamoto, Ryosuke Hashiguchi, and Miwa Nishikawa — as well as directors who are lesser-known in the West and ripe for discovery.
Co-presented by Japan Society and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in collaboration with the Visual Industry Promotion Organization.
From February 5–25, stream 21st Century Japan: Films From 2001–2020 at film.japansociety.org.
All-Access Passes with a 21-day rental window are available for $99 from January 29–February 4. Individual films with a 3-day rental window are $8–$12. Japan Society members receive 20% on all rentals with a coupon code. All films are available to rent within the US and stream in Japanese with English subtitles unless otherwise noted.
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