For th 8th Pittsburgh Japanese Film festival, we focused on horror films as our sidebar. We also brought a bunch of new release films premiering in Pittsburgh for the first time. With 19 films, the festival continues to grow and break attendance records every year. Now the largest in the Rust Belt and one of the largest in the country, we notice people are traveling in from other states to attend the festival, which is really awesome.
The First Slam Dunk
By Takehiko Inoue
Animation, 2022
This high energy new manga adaptation is a heart pounding ode to the beauty and drama of basketball. A "speedster" teenage point guard follows in the footsteps of his famous older brother. He and his teammates fight their way to the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.
A Man
By Ken Ishikawa
Thriller, 2022
PITTSBURGH PREMIERE
This searing new psychological thriller boasts a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Venice Film Festival premiere. After a divorce, a woman finds happiness with her second husband and their new family. When he suddenly dies in a tragic accident, she discovers he was not the man she thought she married.
Blue Giant
By Yuzuru Tachikawa
Animation, 2023
This film finds its strength and depth though electric performances and a stunning jazz soundtrack in a film about the power of music. Dai Miyamoto’s life is turned upside down the day he discovers jazz. A former high school basketball player, Dai picks up a saxophone and begins practicing day and night, determined to become one of the greatest of all time.
Monster
By Hirokazu Koreeda
Drama, 2023
Director Hirokazu Koreeda (known for Shoplifters) crafts an intricate and complicated thriller with shifting perspectives that poignantly capture the anguish of parenting and the unknowable quality of children. Monster, which took home the award for "Best Screenplay" at Cannes, follows the journey of a mother who investigates her young son’s sudden and strange behavior.
Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes
By Junta Yamaguchi
Sci-Fi Comedy, 2020
OPENING NIGHT
PITTSBURGH PREMIERE
We are kicking off the 2024 festival with a mind-bending sci-fi comedy that defies the laws of time and space in the most unexpected and hilarious ways. Directed by Junta Yamaguchi, this inventive film takes viewers on a wild ride through a bizarre temporal anomaly that occurs in the most unlikely of places.
Baby Assassins 2: Babies
A Film By Yugo Sakamoto
Action, 2023
PITTSBURGH PREMIERE
The wildly fun and energetic Baby Assassins return to Row House Cinema in the sequel we didn’t know we needed! What are two teen assassins to do when they’re benched from, their official duties by their organization? They take part time day jobs to make ends meet… until they encounter other assassins looking to finish them off.
Ninja vs. Shark
By Koichi Sakamoto
A genre where ninjas battle sharks, 2023
CLOSING NIGHT
PITTSBURGH PREMIERE
The title on this one says it all! We’re closing out our 2024 festival with this fantastically wild and gory b-movie from Japan paired with a brew & view — which means you’ll have 0n-theme beer delivered to your seat at key moments of the film!
Ichi The Killer
By Takashi Miike
Action, 2001
Prepare to descend into the gritty and violent underworld this cult classic, "Ichi the Killer." This Japanese crime thriller, adapted from Hideo Yamamoto’s manga, takes audiences on a disturbing and adrenaline-fueled journey through the chaotic streets of Shinjuku.
Shorts Program
Various Filmmakers
Mixed genres, 2024
Enjoy a one-night only selection of Japanese short films compiled by programmers at Row House Cinema.
House
By Nobuhiko Ôbayashi
Cult Horror, 1977
HORROR SIDEBAR
This wild ride of a film is a cult classic delight. It’s gory, trippy, and a little silly… but never boring. Hoping to find a sense of connection to her late mother, Gorgeous and six of her friends takes a trip to the countryside to visit her aunt at their ancestral house. The girls soon discover that there is more to the old house than meets the eye.
Kuroneko
By Kaneto Shindo
Horror, 1968
HORROR SIDEBAR
In the ethereal realm between horror and fantasy, Kuroneko unfolds as a tale of revenge and supernatural intrigue in ancient Japan. A woman and her daughter-in-law fall victim to a band of marauding samurai. they are brutally attacked and left for dead, but their spirits are not so easily extinguished.
Ringu
By Hideo Nakata
Horror, 1998
HORROR SIDEBAR
We couldn’t do a horror focus without this iconic piece of Japanese horror. Ringu is a spine-tingling atmospheric. masterpiece that transcends the genre. Directed by Hideo Nakata and based on the novel by Koji Suzuki, Ringu beckons viewers into a world where ancient curses and modern technology collide with horrifying consequences.
The Face Of Another
By Hiroshi Teshigahara
Horror, 1966
HORROR SIDEBAR
This avant-garde science fiction masterpiece, based on the novel by Kobo Abe, explores the profound existential crisis of an anonymous man whose disfigured face becomes the canvas for a provocative experiment in identity and empathy. Shot in crisp black and white, this cinematic exploration of the human condition remains a thought-provoking and visually arresting experience.
Noroi The Curse
By Kôji Shiraishi
Horror, 2005
HORROR SIDEBAR
Told through chilling found-footage, this horror film plunges viewers into the heart of Japanese folklore and paranormal phenomena. This eerie masterpiece takes audiences on a terrifying journey through the investigation of a string of mysterious events by a paranormal expert.
Tokyo Story
By Yasujiro Ozu
Drama, 1953
Often cited as one of the greatest films ever made, Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story has been a classic since its release in 1953. This masterpiece follows an aging couple’s trip to visit their grown children in Tokyo, and the generational conflict that arises as they discover how they’re seen as a burden to their family.
Lonely Castle In The Mirror
By Keiichi Hara
Animation, 2023
Shy outcast kokoro has been avoiding school for weeks when she discovers a portal in her bedroom mirror. She reaches through and finds herself transported to an enchanting castle where she is joined by six other students to play a game. However, anyone who breaks the rules will be eaten by a wolf.
High And Low
By Akira Kurosawa
Film Noir, 1963
Kurosawa’s exemplary contribution to the film noir genre is both ingenious thriller and brilliant commentary on contemporary Japanese society. Based on Ed McBain’s detective novel King’s Ransom, the film stars powerhouse Toshiro Mifune as a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a ruthless kidnapper.
A Page Of Madness
By Teinosuke Kinugasa
Silent Horror, 1926
HORROR SIDEBAR
We’re thrilled to include this groundbreaking Japanese silent film that defies conventions and plunges viewers into the depths of madness and despair. Set within the walls of a mental asylum in Japan, the film follows the story of a janitor who takes a job at the institution in order to be closer to his wife.
Future Boy Conan
By Hayao Miyazaki
Anime, 1978
NEW RESTOARTION
Watch the newly restored first three episodes of Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial debut! Twenty years ago, a terrible war fought with magnetic weapons caused the earth’s axis to tilt, and earthquakes and tidal waves destroyed civilization. Conan is born into this new world, raised by his adopted grandfather on an isolated island.
