JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Wellington 26 - 28 September 2025 at Roxy Cinema
Upper Hutt 11, 12 October 2025 at Whirinaki Whare Taonga
The Japanese Film Festival is held annually in order to encourage the growth and understanding of Japanese culture in New Zealand. Each year, we try to give the people of New Zealand some insight into the Japanese culture, customs, and traditions of Japan, alongside what is popular in Japan's society today, through film.
All films will be in Japanese with English subtitles..
Tickets
Roxy Cinema, Wellington - Online booking fee: ($2.01) Tickets become available soon
Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Upper Hutt - Free tickets at Tickets become available soon
Screening Schedule
Roxy Cinema
26 - 28 SEP 2025
- 26 SEP 6:10pm What Did You Eat Yesterday?
- 27 SEP 11:00am Hit Me Anyone One More Time
- 27 SEP 1:30pm I Am What I Am
- 27 SEP 3:45pm The Nighthawk's First Love
- 28 SEP 11:00am ON-GAKU: Our Sound
- 28 SEP 1:00pm Love At Least
Whirinaki Whare Taonga
11 - 12 OCT 2025
- 11 OCT 10:30am What Did You Eat Yesterday?
- 11 OCT 1:00pm Hit Me Anyone One More Time
- 11 OCT 3:45pm I Am What I Am
- 12 OCT 10:30am ON-GAKU: Our Sound
- 12 OCT 12:15pm The Nighthawk's First Love
- 12 OCT 2:30pm Love At Least
What Did You Eat Yesterday?
Director: Kazuhito Nakae
Year: 2021
Length: 120 mins
Genre: Drama
Rating: TBC
Story: Shiro, a lawyer, and Kenji, a hairdresser, are a couple who cherish their quiet daily life together. A trip to Kyoto for Kenji's birthday stirs emotional distance, especially after Shiro sees Kenji with a mysterious young man. As tensions rise, they face the fragility of their once peaceful life—and question whether they can return to it.
Hit Me Anyone One More Time
Director: Kōki Mitani
Year: 2019
Length: 127 mins
Genre: Comedy
Rating: TBC
Story: A man wakes up with amnesia and discovers he is the Prime Minister of Japan — widely hated and dubbed the worst in history. As he hides his memory loss with help from his secretaries, he navigates scandals, blackmail, a crumbling family, and an impending U.S. presidential visit. With nothing to lose, he rediscovers his ideals and shakes up the nation.
I Am What I Am
Director: Shunji Iwai
Year: 2022
Length: 104 mins
Genre: Drama
Rating: TBC
Story: Kasumi, who has never felt romantic or sexual attraction, faces pressure to marry at 30. After a failed relationship with a man who develops feelings, she reconnects with Maho, a former classmate. Their bond grows, but Maho decides to marry. As their paths diverge, Kasumi must decide what it means to live authentically — on her own terms.
The Nighthawk's First Love
Director: Yutaka Yamamoto
Year: 2021
Length: 95 mins
Genre: Drama
Rating: TBC
Story: Aiko Maeda (Rena Matsui), a science student with a birthmark on her face, has avoided love and fun since childhood due to teasing. Focused only on research, her life changes when she's interviewed for a book about people with facial marks. The book becomes a film, and through her friend Marie (Risa Oda), Aiko meets director Tobisaka (Ayumu Nakajima). As her feelings for him grow, Aiko is forced to confront her long-held insecurities.
On-Gaku: Our Sound
Director: IWAISAWA Kenji
Year: 2020
Length: 71 mins
Genre: Anime
Rating: TBC
Story: High school delinquent Kenji convinces his friends Ota and Asakura to start a band — despite none of them having any musical experience. With two basses and drums, they form a unique trio and are unexpectedly moved by the sound they create. Naming themselves Kobujutsu, they soon discover a school folk group called Kobijutsu. Despite their contrasting styles, the two bands bond over music and set their sights on an upcoming rock festival in August.
Love At Least
Director: Kosai Sekine
Year: 2018
Length: 109 mins
Genre: Romance, Drama
Rating: TBC
Story: Yasuko (Shuri), suffering from depression and isolation, lives with her indifferent boyfriend Tsunaki (Suda Masaki). When his ex-girlfriend Ando (Naka Riisa) reappears, tensions rise as she pushes Yasuko to rejoin society—and tries to break them up.
