Japanese Film Festival 2025
2025/9/16
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| Auckland 6-9 November 2025 @ Academy Cinemas (44 Lorne Street, Auckland CBD) | ||||||
Japanese Film Festival 2025 Flyer |
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| Free Admission NZ$1.50 online booking fee applies. |
English Subtitles |
Booking required at |
Experience Japan on the Big Screen – Japanese Film Festival 2025
Get ready for six amazing movies that will take you on a rollercoaster ride—edge-of-your-seat thrills, laugh-out-loud moments, and stories that will touch your heart. The Japanese Film Festival is more than a showcase of films—it is a celebration of culture and exchange, offering New Zealand audiences an inspiring window into Japan.
All films are presented in Japanese with English subtitles.
Join us for an unforgettable cultural experience.
| THU 6 NOV 6:00pm | FRI 7 NOV 6:00PM | SAT 8 NOV 1:00PM | |||
| Yudo | Masked Ward | AI Amok | |||
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©2023 YUDO Film Partners |
©2020 "MASKED WARD" Film Partners | ©2020“AI Amok”Film Partners | |||
| From Oscar-winning screenwriter Kundō Koyama (Departures), this warm and witty drama unfolds in a nostalgic provincial bathhouse where two estranged brothers and eccentric patrons face change, tradition, and community. Yudo is a heartfelt celebration of Japan’s bath culture. <<More |
A substitute doctor (Kentarō Sakaguchi) is drawn into a tense hostage crisis inside a former psychiatric hospital, where nothing is as it seems. Based on Mikito Chinen’s bestselling novel, Masked Ward is a gripping mystery thriller full of twists and secrets. <<More |
In 2030, the benevolent medical AI Nozomi malfunctions, putting lives at risk. Kiryū (Takao Ōsawa), co-creator of the system, becomes a suspect and must navigate a high-stakes chase to restore order. Directed by Yū Irie, this thrilling, Black Mirror-esque suspense combines cutting-edge tech with relentless tension.<<More | |||
| SAT 8 NOV 3:30pm | SUN 9 NOV 1:00PM | SUN 9 NOV 3:30PM | |||
| Step | Children of the Sea | Not Quite Dead Yet | |||
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©2020 "STEP" Film Partners |
©2019 Daisuke Igarashi・Shogakukan/ "Children of the Sea" Committee |
©2020 Shochiku Co., Ltd. Fuji Television Network, inc. |
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| After his wife’s sudden death, Kenichi (Takayuki Yamada) navigates single parenthood and lingering grief. Adapted from Kiyoshi Shigematsu’s novel, director Ken Iizuka delivers a subtle, moving portrait of family and resilience.<<More | This visually stunning anime follows Ruka, a teenage girl drawn into a mysterious aquatic world. Alongside Umi and Sora, who were raised by dugongs, she uncovers the secrets of the deep as strange phenomena ripple across the Earth. <<More |
Metalhead singer Nanase (Suzu Hirose) faces chaos when her widowed father fakes his death amidst a pharmaceutical conspiracy. With a shinigami (Lily Franky) and quirky allies, this offbeat comedy from director Shinji Hamasaki delivers darkly humorous thrills and undead antics. <<More |
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