22nd Nippon Connection Film Festival – The program is complete!

May 24 to 29, 2022, Frankfurt am Main / Around 100 current Japanese films /
More than 60 workshops, concerts, lectures and performances / Focus: Stories of Youth

Japan in Frankfurt! After two online editions, the 22nd Nippon Connection Film Festival, which will be held May 24 to 29, 2022, will bring the most exciting current Japanese films and culture programs to the city again. Around 100 short and feature-length films showcase the complete range of Japanese cinema – from newcomers to established directors, from anime to documentaries. The film program includes one world premiere, 24 international, eleven European and 30 German premieres. This year’s thematic focus “Stories Of Youth – Coming Of Age In Japan”, supported by the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, deals with the lives and challenges of young people in Japan.

The supporting program, which will include more than 60 workshops, concerts, lectures and performances, is more extensive than ever, promising a fascinating festival week outside the cinema as well. For snacks in between, there will be a wide range of Japanese foods and drinks available on the festival grounds.

The events take place at twelve locations in Frankfurt am Main. The festival centers are at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and NAXOS. Further locations are the Mal Seh’n Kino, the Cinema at the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum and the International Theater Frankfurt. For the first time, screenings and events will also take place at Eldorado Arthouse Kino, Saalbau Bornheim, Museum Angewandte Kunst, Ruby Louise Hotel and Lindley Lindenberg. 

The complete program and tickets will be available starting May 7, 2022 on the festival homepage NipponConnection.com. For the safety of the guests, the audience, and the staff, wearing a mask (medical or FFP2 mask) is mandatory in all indoor areas. 

As a special addition, a part of the film program will be available under the title Nippon Connection On Demand from May 30 to June 6, 2022 on the festival’s platform Watch.NipponConnection (only in Germany). The streaming line-up will be revealed on May 29, 2022.

Nippon Cinema: New works from Japan's most significant filmmakers

Recent works by Japan's most significant filmmakers are presented in the Nippon Cinema section. In They Say Nothing Stays The Same, famous actor and first-time director Joe Odagiri stages a melancholic tale about stagnancy and change in late 19th-century Japan. Director Shinichiro Ueda, who won over genre fans with his surprise hit “One Cut of the Dead” (2017), returns with his latest film Popran, a fast-paced comedy about a man in search of his private parts. Cult director Takashi Miike presents the grand finale of his “Mole Song” trilogy. The Mole Song: Final starts off a non-stop firework of visual gags, wild action, musical interventions and memorable madness. 

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy by Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi is a charming triptych about women who take their fate into their own hands and was awarded with the Berlinale’s Silver Bear for Best Director in 2021. Yuichiro Sakashita’s The Sunday Runoff is a turbulent political comedy. As a replacement candidate, a Japanese MP’s daughter suddenly develops her own political strategy. Sho Miyake’s Small, Slow But Steady is a sensitive character study about a young, hard-of-hearing female prizefighter and was already well-received at this year’s Berlinale. The winner of the Nippon Cinema Award, sponsored by Bankhaus Metzler, will be chosen by the audience and will receive a cash prize of 2,000 Euros. 

Nippon Animation: Musicals, fantastic visual worlds and outstanding animation art

The Nippon Animation section has many visually-stunning stories to offer. The anime musical Belle is one of this year’s special highlights. With his adaptation of the classic tale of “Beauty and the Beast” into a virtual world, Mamoru Hosoda proves once again he is one of the most important contemporary anime directors. The sci-fi high school musical comedy Sing A Bit Of Harmony by Yasuhiro Yoshiura is a colorful take on artificial intelligence. Shion, an AI-powered robot, joins a high school as a new student and transforms the life of the class underdog, Satomi. Masaaki Yuasa, who gained fame through his eccentric magnum opus “Mind Game” and the Netflix show “Devilman Crybaby”, returns to the cinema with Inu-Oh. The story about two outsiders who become famous with music and dance in feudal Japan delights with virtuosic animations and an outstanding soundtrack. Dozens Of Norths is the first feature-length film by Oscar-nominated artist Koji Yamamura. Through expressionistic pictures, he copes with the trauma of the triple disaster that shook Japan in March 2011. 

Nippon Visions: New discoveries, summer feelings and queer cinema

The Nippon Visions section is dedicated to up-and-coming directors and independent films. Young female director Rin Shuto proves to be one of the most intriguing new talents with Unlock Your Heart, a highschool drama about avoiding gender clichés. A dreamy melancholic summer atmosphere pervades Song Of A Dying Summer, the feature-length debut of Kohei Sengen about four friends embarking on their own journeys. The deep action film Pure Japanese by Daishi Matsunaga was produced by leading actor Dean Fujioka, who is also well-known as a musician, model, and director. In this film, stuntman Tateishi tries to help rebellious Ayumi to save her grandfather’s land from yakuza gangsters.

Many queer films will once again be featured in this year’s festival program: Actor Ren Sudo delivers his directing debut with Backlight, a bittersweet summer film set in 1970s’ Southern Japan. Sudo, who also stars in the leading role, presents himself as a promising new voice of queer independent cinema. In Angry Son by Kasho Iizuka, teenager Jungo – half Filipino, half Japanese, and gay – is searching for his father, whom he never got to know. Let Me Hear It Barefoot by Riho Kudo is a sensitive LGBTQ drama and a tribute to Wong Kar-Wais’ “Happy Together”: Two young men develop an affection for each other while staging a trip around the world with audio recordings. 

An international jury honors the best film with the Nippon Visions Jury Award. The winner receives a free subtitling, sponsored by the Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy (JVTA) in Tokyo. The audience will choose the winner of the Nippon Visions Audience Award, sponsored by Japanisches Kultur- und Sprachzentrum in Frankfurt am Main and endowed with 1,000 Euros.

Nippon Docs: Employees under pressure, Kurds in Tokyo and artistic approaches

Fumiari Hyuga’s Tokyo Kurds tells the story of Ozan and Ramazan, two of about 2,000 Kurds living in Japan, suffering from the country's rigid immigration laws. Salaryman, the debut documentary of Costa Rican artist and photographer Allegra Pacheco, dives into the peculiarities of Japan’s white-collar working world. The world premiere Origami accompanies painter Atsushi Suwa as he makes a portrait of a deceased young man. Filmmaker Tadasuke Kotani depicts the artistic approach and creates a meaningful film about the power of memories. From all nominated films, the audience will choose the winner of the third Nippon Docs Award, endowed with 1,000 Euros.

Nippon Retro: Stories Of Youth

For the first time, the focus of the Nippon Retro section matches the thematic focus of the festival. In cooperation with the Japan Foundation Tokyo, the retrospective Stories Of Youth presents eight works from five decades in the Cinema at the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, including A Town Of Love And Hope (1959), the debut of nouvelle vague legend Nagisa Oshima, as well as Mikio Naruse’s overlooked drama The Approach Of Autumn (1960). Muddy River by Kohei Oguri (1981) offers almost neorealist impressions of a childhood in post-war Japan, while Pastoral Hide And Seek (1974) by avantgarde poet Shuji Terayama stages a surrealistic kaleidoscope of memories.

Nippon Honor Award

For the sixth time, the festival will present the Nippon Honor Award. The award is a tribute to outstanding personalities for their special contributions to Japanese cinema. This year’s awardee is renowned actor Masatoshi Nagase. Several of his films can be seen at the festival as German premieres. Masatoshi Nagase will participate in Q&As after the screenings and look back at his career in an extensive talk session. The award ceremony will take place at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm on May 29, 2022 at 7:45 p.m. in Künstlerhaus Mousonturm.

Nippon Culture: Discover Japan!

This year, the supporting program Nippon Culture offers more than 60 exciting events. One highlight of the festival will be the Shadow Play Theatre Kakashiza’s performance on the grand stage of the Saalbau Bornheim, telling stories full of humor and fantasy. The ensemble from Yokohama, the partner city of Frankfurt am Main, was established in 1952 and can look back on numerous international stage and TV performances. Pianist Shinnosuke Inugai and musical singer Mitsuru Kijo will present anime songs and music from “Final Fantasy” video games for Nippon Live On Stage. Exceptional talent Karin Nakagawa and her 25-string koto will fuse traditional and contemporary sounds into a powerful music experience. Furthermore, Rakugo artist Katsura Sunshine, who is celebrated in Japan and Off-Broadway in New York, will give a taste of his astute and sharp storytelling.

After two online editions, the infamous Nippon Heimkino will return to the stage of the Mousonturm. Filmmaker Jörg Buttgereit and film scholar Marcus Stiglegger take the reissue of Buttgereit's standard work “Japan – Die Monsterinsel” as an inspiration to browse through the history of Japanese monster films. 

Besides various lectures on Japanese art and culture, the panel discussion “Japanese Film Industry – Women Raising Their Voice” will shed light on the working conditions of women in the film industry, a topic that has also been brought up in the context of the #MeToo movement.

A large culinary program offers tasty soul food and exquisite Japanese delicacies. Visitors can join three cooking classes, on Japanese sweets, miso paste and bento, or learn about sake, Japanese liquor and green tea in tasting workshops.

In the festival centers Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and NAXOS, Nippon Food & More offers numerous market stalls with delicious Japanese food, as well as a variety of films, accessoires and much more. The entrance to the festival grounds is free.

On the virtual market place Nippon Online Market, fans of all things Japanese can find more interesting offers starting from mid-May 2022: NipponConnection.com/de/Market

Nippon Kids

Nippon Kids offers an exciting program for children and teenagers. Hayao Miyazaki’s classical anime My Neighbor Totoro is great fun for the whole family. In a calligraphy workshop, children can draw their very first Japanese words. Monsters and demons come to life in a manga course where young artists can try themselves with pens and paper. An online lecture gives insights into the lives of children and teenagers in Japan.

Complete program and tickets (from May 7, 2022): NipponConnection.com

The festival

The Japanese Film Festival Nippon Connection is organized by the 70-member, largely voluntary, team of the non-profit association Nippon Connection e.V. It is under the patronage of Angela Dorn (Hessian Minister for Science and Art), Peter Feldmann (Lord Mayor of Frankfurt am Main) and the Consulate General of Japan in Frankfurt am Main. Since its founding in 2000, Nippon Connection has become the world’s largest platform for Japanese cinema and the most popular film festival in Hesse. 

All Films and Events of the 22nd Nippon Connection Film Festival

May 24–29, 2022, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 

(as of April 27, 2022)

Most of the films will be shown in the original Japanese version with English subtitles. Belle and Mystery Train will be shown in the original version with German subtitles. My Neighbor Totoro will be shown in the German version. 

NIPPON CINEMA

Any Crybabies Around? by Takuma SATO, Japan 2020, German premiere

The Asadas by Ryota NAKANO, Japan 2020, German premiere

A Balance by Yujiro HARUMOTO, Japan 2020

The End Of The Pale Hour by Hana MATSUMOTO, Japan 2021, International premiere

Intolerance by Keisuke YOSHIDA, Japan 2020, European premiere

Just Remembering by Daigo MATSUI, Japan 2021, German premiere

Last Of The Wolves by Kazuya SHIRAISHI, Japan 2021, German premiere

A Madder Red by Yuya ISHII, Japan 2021, European premiere

The Mole Song: Final by Takashi MIIKE, Japan 2021, German premiere

My Brother, The Android And Me by Junji SAKAMOTO, Japan 2020, European premiere

Mystery Train by Jim Jarmusch, USA / Japan 1989

Film concert: Okabre Plays A Page Of Madness

Parasite In Love by Kensaku KAKIMOTO, Japan 2021, European premiere

Popran by Shinichiro UEDA, Japan 2022, German premiere

Sensei, Would You Sit Beside Me? by Takahiro HORIE, Japan 2021, European premiere

Small, Slow But Steady by Sho MIYAKE, Japan / Frankreich 2022

The Sunday Runoff by Yuichiro SAKASHITA, Japan 2021, German premiere

Talking The Pictures by Masayuki SUO, Japan 2019, German premiere

They Say Nothing Stays The Same by Joe ODAGIRI, Japan 2019

Under The Stars by Tatsushi OMORI, Japan 2020, German premiere

We Made A Beautiful Bouquet by Nobuhiro DOI, Japan 2020, German premiere

What She Likes... by Shogo KUSANO, Japan 2021, German premiere

Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy by Ryusuke HAMAGUCHI, Japan 2021

NIPPON ANIMATION

Belle by Mamoru HOSODA, Japan 2021

Dozens Of Norths by Koji YAMAMURA, Japan / France 2021, German premiere

Inu-Oh by Masaaki YUASA, Japan / China 2021

Mein Nachbar Totoro by Hayao MIYAZAKI, Japan 1988

Millennium Actress by Satoshi KON, Japan 2001

Sing A Bit Of Harmony by Yasuhiro YOSHIURA, Japan 2021, German premiere

Short films:

3 Intestine Road, Fish Island by Moe WAKABAYASHI, Japan 2022, International premiere

919 by Tai ISHII, Japan 2022, International premiere

Before Dawn by Wei XU, Japan 2022, International premiere

A Bite Of Bone by Honami YANO, Japan 2021

Boogerly Love by Kano IKEDA, Japan 2022, International premiere

Fourth Period Swimming Class by Mayo KOBAYASHI, Japan 2022, International premiere

HA・NA・KU・SO by Amane ODA, Japan 2022, International premiere

I Wanted To Be Wanted. by higoAKARI, Japan 2022, International premiere

Iizuna Fair by Sumito SAKAKIBARA, Japan 2021, German premiere

Invisible by Zeng Liang LIN, Japan 2022, International premiere

Krasue by Ryo HIRANO, Japan 2021

Liminal Park by Moe KISHIMOTO, Japan 2022, International premiere

Monorail by Shizuko TABATA, Japan 2020

nowhere by Asaki NISHINO, Japan 2022, International premiere

On Time Off Time by Hirotoshi IWASAKI, Japan 2020

Poetics Of The Garden by Sachiyo KUROSAWA, Japan 2022, International premiere

Poo Down Hill Up by Yuta MASUDA, Japan 2022, International premiere

Pukkulapottas And Hours In The Forest by Takeshi YASHIRO, Japan 2021

RED TABLE by Hakhyun KIM, Japan 2021

Stained Smell by Amane ABE, Japan 2022, International premiere

Still Life by Masa KUDO, Japan 2021

Winter Star by Jiayin CHEN, Japan 2022, International premiere

NIPPON VISIONS

Angry Son by Kasho IIZUKA, Japan 2022, International premiere

Backlight by Ren SUDO, Japan 2021, German premiere

Just The Two Of Us by Keita FUJIMOTO, Japan 2020, German premiere

Let Me Hear It Barefoot by Riho KUDO, Japan 2021, German premiere

Melting Sounds by Kahori HIGASHI, Japan 2021, European premiere

Mr. Suzuki -A Man In God's Country- by Omoi SASAKI, Japan 2020

Ninja Girl by Yu IRIE, Japan 2021, European premiere

One Day, You Will Reach The Sea by Ryutaro NAKAGAWA, Japan 2022, German premiere

Pure Japanese by Daishi MATSUNAGA, Japan 2022, International premiere

Ring Wandering by Masakazu KANEKO, Japan 2021, German premiere

Song of a Dying Summer by Kohei SENGEN, Japan 2021, International premiere

Unlock Your Heart by Rin SHUTO, Japan 2021, International premiere

Short films:

Everything In Its Right Place by Williy LAU, Japan 2021, German premiere

Funny by Keisuke SAKUMA, Japan 2021,EP

Go Seppuku Yourselves by Toshiaki TOYODA, Japan 2021, German premiere

Goodbye! by Fuka NAKATSUKA, Japan 2021

Last Judgement by Shinya KAWAKAMI, Japan 2019, European premiere

Like In Movies by Yo KOMAYA, Japan 2021, German premiere

Manga Girls by Takashi OKADO und Yuki KEDOIN, Japan 2021, German premiere

Psychology Counselor by Zenzo SAKAI, Japan 2021, International premiere

School Radio To Major Tom by Takuya CHISAKA, Japan 2020, German premiere

Volte-Face by Kanshi IWASAKI, Japan 2021

Wao by Emi YASUMURA, Japan 2020, German premiere

NIPPON DOCS

Double Layered Town / Making A Song To Replace Our Positions by Haruka KOMORI, Natsumi SEO, Japan 2019, German premiere

I Go Gaga, Welcome Home Mom by Naoko NOBUTOMO, Japan 2022, International premiere

Origami by Tadasuke KOTANI, Japan 2022, World premiere

Paper City by Adrian Francis, Australia, Japan 2021, German premiere

Salaryman by Allegra Pacheco, 2021, German premiere

Satoshi Kon, The Illusionist by Pascal-Alex Vincent, Japan / France 2021, German premiere

Target by Shinji NISHIJIMA, Japan 2021, European premiere

Tokyo Kurds by Fumiari HYUGA, Japan 2021, European premiere

NIPPON RETRO

The Approach Of Autumn by Mikio Naruse, Japan 1960

Canary by Akihiko SHIOTA, Japan 2004

Children Hand in Hand by Susumu HANI, Japan 1964

Muddy River by Kohei Oguri, Japan 1981

Pastoral Hide And Seek by Shuji TERAYAMA, Japan 1974

A Town Of Love And Hope by Nagisa OSHIMA, Japan 1959

The Young And Wild by Nobuhiko OBAYASHI, Japan 1986

Young Murderer by Kazuhiko HASEGAWA, Japan 1976

NIPPON CULTURE

Concerts

Nippon Live On Stage: Die Yamasakis / Nippon Live On Stage: Final Fantasy Meets Anime / Nippon Live On Stage: Ichitaro & Friends / Nippon Live On Stage: Karin NAKAGAWA / Nippon Open Air

Food

Cooking class: Bento / Cooking class: Miso / Cooking class: Nerikiri & Ohagi / Tasting workshop: Japanese liquor / Tasting workshop: Sake / Tasting workshop: Suntory Masterclass / Workshop: Japanese tea / Lecture: Soy sauce 

Workshops

Gyotaku  Workshop/ Haiku Walk / Ikebana Workshop / JLMI Online – Interactive Course For Japanese Learners / Kamihimo  Workshop / Kintsugi  Workshop/ Manga workshop: Storyboarding / Nihon Buyo  Workshop / Shodo  Workshop / Workshop: Workshop: Tidy up the Japanese way / Workshop: Japanese Literature Translation / Workshop: Zen Meditation / Kakashiza: Hand Shadow Workshop

Performances

A Black Kite – Pulsation Of Souls by Usaginingen / Kakashiza: Hand Shadow ANIMARE / Nihon Buyo Performance / Rakugo

Lectures, Panel discussions and more

Cool Japan Made In Unterföhring / The Role Of Samurai Women During The Edo Period / Explore Shizuoka / Graphic Design in Japanese TV Dramas / H.P. Miyabe TARO And The Frankfurt Art Scene / Japanese Toys Through The Ages / Magic Lanterns in Japan / Lyric Walks Through Tokyo / New And Unknown Destinations For Your Next Trip To Japan / Lecture: Representations Of Okinawa In Film / Dream Job Mangaka?! / From Manga To Animation: Two Manga Artists And Their Dream Factory / Online Lecture: An Artistic And Musical Journey Through Okinawa / Online Lecture: Paranoia And The Information Society / Online Workshop: Subtitling / Panel Discussion: Stories Of Youth / Panel Discussion: Women Raising Their Voice / Online Film Talk: Masatoshi NAGASE / Film Talks

Furthermore

Nippon Food & More / Nippon Heimkino / Nippon Online Market / Rajio Taiso – Japanese Radio Calisthenics / Special Guided Tour: Japanese Dolls And Toys / Exhibition: I Lived In The Ocean

NIPPON KIDS

My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao MIYAZAKI, Japan 1988

Gyotaku Workshop for Kids / Workshop: Japanese Moon Picture / Manga Workshop: Yokai / Online Lecture: How Do Children Live In Japan? / Shodo Workshop for Kids / Workshop: Japanese Children’s Songs