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(Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang – Hai Phong – Hanoi) The Japan Foundation 「JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL 2024」

Hà nội, Hồ Chí Minh, Đà Nẵng, Hải Phòng
01.11 - 28.12.2024

The Japan Foundation in Vietnam proudly present the JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL 2024, a unique 16th edition specifically made for movie fanatics in Vietnam. The journey of the film festival will last for two months (November 1 – December 28), passing through four beautiful cities of Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong, and Hanoi.

The Japanese Film Festival is one of the largest annual cultural events organized by the Japan Foundation, aimed at bringing Japanese cinema closer to audiences around the world. In Vietnam, after more than 16 years of presence in this S-shaped country, the festival has introduced countless outstanding Japanese films to Vietnamese audiences and has gradually gained growing love and support from the local community. Continuing this cinematic journey, the Japanese Film Festival 2024 promises not to disappoint, showcasing a collection of 11 handpicked smash-hit movies over the final two months of the year.

Opener of this year’s Film Festival is the blockbuster Godzilla Minus One, marking its debut in cinema in Vietnam. This iconic Japanese sci-fi about Godzilla won the Best Visual Effects award at the 96th Academy Awards and was made to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the series. The original Godzilla 1954 will also be showcased at the festival with a special, one-time screening—so don’t miss it!

At the same time, we proudly present the legendary AKIRA, one of the most influential and iconic animated films in the history of Japanese anime, who paved the way for Japan’s animation industry to gain international recognition. Other animated highlights include SAND LAND by Dragon Ball creator Toriyama Akira, and HAIKYUU!! The Dumpster Battle, one of the greatest sports anime. Like Godzilla 1954, HAIKYUU!! will have a single screening in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

LET’S GO KARAOKE! – a popular adaptation of the famous one-shot manga by Yama Wayama will also be a highlight of the festival. The manga is known to have been published in Vietnam and have garnered a large fanbase, making this movie a special treat for fans. As part of the excitement, we are thrilled to announce that director Yamashita Nobuhiro, the visionary behind this successful live-action adaptation will attend at the Japanese Film Festival 2024 in Hanoi. Stay tuned to the Film Festival’s Fanpage for more details on this exciting event!

For drama lovers, films like Evil Does Not Exist, Mom, Is That You?!, All The Long Nights, and We Made A Beautiful Bouquet are must-sees, as well as MATCHED, the only horror movie in the festival, all offering equally captivating options for the audience.

 

A. Event schedule
■ HCMC
[Opening] 19:30 Friday 1 November 2024
[Duration] Friday 1 November – Saturday 16 November 2024
[Venue] Galaxy Nguyen Du
116 Nguyen Du St., W. Ben Thanh, D. 1
[Admission] 50,000 VND/ 1 ticket/ 1 screening session
[Ticket sale] At venue and on the website/ App of Galaxy from 26 October
■ DANANG
[Opening] 19:30 Friday 22 November 2024
[Duration] Friday 22 November – Sunday 24 November 2024
[Venue] Galaxy Danang
Coop Mart, 478 Dien Bien Phu St., Thanh Khe Dist.
[Admission] 50,000 VND/ 1 ticket/ 1 screening session
[Ticket sale] At venue and on the website/ App of Galaxy from 16 November
■ HAI 
[Opening] 19:30 Friday 6 December 2024
[Duration] Friday 6 December – Sunday 8 December 2024
[Venue] Galaxy Hai Phong
Fl.7 Nguyen Kim Mall, 104 Luong Khanh Thien St., Ngo Quyen Dist.
[Admission] 50,000 VND/ 1 ticket/ 1 screening session
[Ticket sale] At venue and on the website/ App of Galaxy from 30 November
■ HANOI
[Opening] 19:30 Friday 13 December 2024
[Duration] Friday 13 December – Saturday 28 December 2024
[Venue] National Cinema Center
87 Lang Ha St., Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi
[Admission] 50,000 VND/ 1 ticket/ 1 screening session
[Ticket sale] At venue and on the website of the cinema from 7 December

 

B. Movie   (Films are screened with Vietnamese and English subtitles, except for Godzilla Minus One)
1. GODZILLA MINUS ONE ゴジラ-1.0   

An ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER – Best Visual Effects, commemorating the 70th anniversary of Godzilla series, stars KAMIKI Ryunosuke, HAMABE Minami, YAMADA Yuki, AOKI Munetaka, YOSHIOKA Hidetaka, ANDO Sakura and SASAKI Kuranosuke. A guilt-ridden pilot, SHIKIJIMA Koichi, finds new strength and courage to stand up against Godzilla that suddenly appeared, in helping a young woman, OISHI Noriko and the little orphan girl in her care. Hailed by many reviewers and legions of worldwide fans as one of the best Godzilla movies of all, this is a must-see film.

2023 | 125’ | Sci-fi | T13
Dir. YAMAZAKI Takashi
Film is screened with only Vietnamese subtitle

2. GODZILLA ゴジラ(1954)

The legendary monster of Odo Island awakens from the experiment of the atomic and hydrogen bomb tests. As it lands in Tokyo, Tokyo is destroyed and becomes abandoned. Should the dangerous weapon be used against this giant creature? Director HONDA Ishiro worked with visual effects maestro TSUBURAYA Eiji (now famous for Ultraman) and composer IFUKUBE Akira, whose iconic scoring has become inseparably linked to the Godzilla universe. Starring TAKARADA Akira and HIRATA Akihiko as well as SHIMURA Takashi who had his defining role in SEVEN SAMURAI in the same year.

1954 | 97’ | Sci-fi | T13
Dir. HONDA Ishiro

3. AKIRA

July 1988— World War III breaks loose. Then, in 2019, in megalopolis Tokyo…

As the leader of a group of young robust delinquents, Kaneda spent his nights tearing through the urban wastes, racing his motorbike against rival groups. One night while riding with his gang, his friend Tetsuo suddenly encounters a strange boy― the product of human experimentation— and is injured in the ensuing crash. Shortly thereafter, a military squadron appears to take the boy and Tetsuo away to an army research facility. Determined to free Tetsuo from capture, Kaneda sneaks into the army research lab. However, a regimen of extreme experimental procedures has awakened a new power in his friend, and now he is consumed by madness.

N/A

 

1988 | 124’ | Anime | T16
Dir. OTOMO Katsuhiro

 

4. SAND LAND                     

Sand Land is a mysterious world where demons and humans eke out an existence in a barren desert wasteland. In hopes of replenishing their water supply, Fiend Prince Beelzebub, a demon named Thief, and a human named Sheriff Rao team up and embark on a journey in search of the Legendary Spring.

2023 | 106’ | Anime | T13
Dir. YOKOSHIMA Toshihisa

5. Let’s Go Karaoke! カラオケ行こ!

As his school’s choir club leader, 14-year-old Satomi (SAITO Jun) has only one thing on his mind – the upcoming final competition before he graduates middle school. However, his routine is disrupted when he’s approached by Kyoji (AYANO Go), a menacing yakuza with an unusual request: “Let’s go karaoke!” Baffled and cautious, Satomi soon discovers the off-key gangster needs singing lessons to avoid losing his gang’s karaoke contest and a harrowing punishment… a bad tattoo selected by the boss himself! Reluctantly, Satomi agrees to help Kyoji through a series of karaoke sessions, and the duo forge an unexpected friendship. Featuring comedic twists, heartwarming moments and of course, a stellar soundtrack, this adaptation brings WAYAMA Yama’s beloved manga series to life!

2024 | 108’ | | Comedy, live-action | T13
Dir. YAMASHITA Nobuhiro

6. MATCHED マッチング

Successful at work but shy in love, wedding planner Rinka reluctantly joins a dating app at the urging of her colleague. She matches with a blonde-haired charmer named Tom, but on the first date Rinka quickly realises something off about this mysterious stranger. What began as an innocent meeting soon takes a rotten turn: Tom starts sending an endless stream of messages, and unbeknownst to Rinka, he’s a suspect in a murder case targeting users of the same dating app… the victims of which were all Rinka’s clients! Frightened by Tom’s relentless pursuit, Rinka seeks help from app developer Kageyama, soon finding comfort in her newfound hero’s arms. Is this finally Rinka’s happy-ever-after, or is something sinister still lurking in the shadows?

2024 | 110’ | Thriller | T18
Dir. UCHIDA Eiji

 

7.All The Long Nights 夜明けのすべて

Fujisawa gặp khó khăn trong việc kiểm soát cơn cáu kỉnh mỗi khi cô đến tháng và dễ dàng bùng nổ thành cơn giận dữ. Một ngày nọ, cô đã không thể kìm nén cơn giận lên một đồng nghiệp tên là Yamazoe chỉ vì một việc cỏn con. Tuy nhiên, Yamazoe có vẻ không mấy bận tâm cải thiện mối quan hệ giữa hai người, dù anh chỉ mới vào làm trong công ty. Anh từng mắc chứng rối loạn lo âu, đã gần như từ bỏ mọi thứ, kiệt sức và mất đi ý chí sống. Được các đồng nghiệp tát nước đẩy thuyền, cặp đôi phát triển một tình cảm đặc biệt dành cho nhau. Họ không phải là bạn bè, cũng không hẳn là người yêu, mà giống như đồng chí hơn. Trước khi nhận ra điều đó, cả hai bắt đầu có nghĩ rằng ngay cả khi mọi thứ dù có không đi đến đâu thì hai vẫn có thể giúp đỡ người kia.

 

2024 | 119’ | Drama | T13
Dir. MIYAKE Sho

8. MOM, IS THAT YOU?! こんにちは、母さん

Làm việc trong giới “tinh hoa” ở Tokyo nhộn nhịp, giám đốc nhân sự Akio (OIZUMI Yo) thấy mình thực sự kiệt sức giữa những vấn công việc, cuộc ly hôn sắp xảy ra và mối quan hệ căng thẳng với cô con gái đang tuổi đại học, Mai (NAGANO Mei). Để giải thoát mình khỏi những căng thẳng của cuộc sống hiện đại, Akio quyết định về thăm ngôi nhà thời thơ ấu của mình ở trung tâm thành phố, nơi mẹ anh là bà Fukue (YOSHINAGA Sayuri) đang sống. Nhưng thay vì hình ảnh người mẹ trung niên quen thuộc, Akio hoàn toàn sốc khi được chào đón bởi quý bà Fukue tân thời, mà đó vẫn chưa phải là điều ngạc nhiên lớn nhất với anh… bà ấy dường như đang yêu! Tác phẩm thứ 90 của cựu chiến binh điện ảnh YAMADA Yoji là bức chân dung ấm áp về gia đình nhiều thế hệ ở Nhật Bản thời nay.

2023 | 110’ | Drama | T13
Dir. YAMADA Yoji

9. EVIL DOES NOT EXIST 悪は存在しない

Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. Like generations before them, they live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a glamping site near Takumi’s house, offering city residents a comfortable ‘escape’ to nature. When two company representatives from Tokyo arrive in the village to hold a meeting, it becomes clear that the project will have a negative impact on the local water supply, causing unrest. The agency’s mismatched intentions endanger both the ecological balance of the nature plateau and their way of life, with an aftermath that affects Takumi’s life.

2023 | 106’ | Drama | K
Dir. HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke

10. We Made a Beautiful Bouquet 花束みたいな恋をした

The last train at midnight leaves a group of stragglers stranded at the station, who opt for a bar rather than paying for a taxi home. Among them are twenty-two-year-olds Mugi and Kinu, whose curiosity for one another is fated to have a lasting and more intricate outcome than initially expected. Caught in the period of youth when many enter the gruelling Japanese workforce, the pair live under the pressure of maintaining an income without compromising their creative passions. Patient and bittersweet, this romance chronicles the fleeting lifespan of love, as Mugi and Kinu reckon with the hard realities of societal life imposing on their relationship and senses of self.

N/A

 

2021 | 124’ | Romance | T16
Dir. DOI Nobuhiro

11.HAIKYUU!! The Dumpster Battle 劇場版ハイキュー!! ゴミ捨て場の決戦

Karasuno High School and Nekoma High School face each other in an official match for the first time ever, in the third round of the Spring Nationals. It means Karasuno and Nekoma’s long-standing dream, The Dumpster Battle, a battle between the crows and the wildcats, is about to begin. After numerous practice matches in the past year, Shoyo Hinata and Kenma Kozume finally get the chance to play against each other in a match that ends immediately if they lose and cannot be replayed.

2024 | 85’ | Anime | P
Dir. MITSUNAKA Susumu

 

■ For more details on the Japanese Film Festival 2024, please scan QR code:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Japan Foundation in Vietnam
27 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
TEL 024-3944-7419 (Mr. Kataoka: 109 | Ms. Trang: 135)
or send message to the JFF Vietnam’ s Fanpage by scanning above QR code

▶️ Visit Us at:
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Website: https://hn.jpf.go.jp/

 

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The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam

27 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam

jpfhanoi@jpf.go.jp

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