The Japan Foundation has launched their next initiative to bring Japanese cinematography to the world. JFF Theater is a brand new streaming website that offers free streaming for a growing catalog of Japanese films and videos, complete with multilingual subtitles and worldwide service.
The launch of JFF Theater also comes with the rebrand from JFF Plus to JFF Theater, signalling a new era of accessibility for Japanese films and videos moving forward.
This initiative comes right after Japanese Film Festival Online 2024, an annual online event offering free streaming and multilingual subtitles. This year’s edition was also their largest JFF Online to date, featuring 23 Japanese films and 2 TV dramas for free streaming from June 5th to July 3rd.
JFF Theater celebrated the launch with five new films being added to their catalog: “It’s a Summer Film!”, “Happy Flight!”, “Time of EVE the Movie”, “SUMODO～The Successors of Samurai～”, and “Tora-san in Goto”.
Here is more information about each movie:
“It’s a Summer Film!”, streaming from August 1st to September 30th, follows a girl passionate about samurai films and a boy full of mystery who decide to make a film together that transcends time and space.
“Happy Flight!”, streaming from August 1st to October 31st, follows an emergency on a flight from Tokyo to Honolulu! This ensemble film depicts the on-the-ground staff, cabin attendants and pilots in action.
“Time of EVE the Movie”, streaming from August 1st to October 31st, is an anime film that considers the nature of emotions through the interactions between humans and androids. It will have you questioning: Do androids have souls?
“SUMODO～The Successors of Samurai～”, streaming from August 1st to September 30th, is a film all about sumo — Japan’s national sport. A documentary with rare access into the behind-the-scenes lives of famous sumo wrestlers.
“Tora-san in Goto”, streaming from August 1st to October 31st, is a documentary shot from 1993 and over 22 years chronicled a large family who make their living as udon noodle makers on the Goto Archipelago in Nagasaki Prefecture.
