Japanese Film Festival Fringe

Rebecca Varidel
9th Jul 2019

The Japanese Film Festival Fringe program for 2019 kicks off at the end of this month with an off-season program of contemporary Japanese films.

Each film in the series of films adapted from novels will show for one night only — crime thriller The Crimes That Bind (July 25), fantastical anime adventure Penguin Highway (August 15), and dysfunctional love story meets murder mystery Birds Without Names (August 29). Presented by The Japan Foundation, showing at Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney. Tickets on sale at Event Cinemas George Street box office and online.

Based on the book by bestselling crime novelist Keigo Higashino, The Crimes That Bind was an official selection of JFF 2018. Kyoichiro Kaga is an unconventional detective called on to solve the mysterious death of a woman in a Tokyo apartment when police hit a brick wall. His investigation leads him to Hiromi Asai, a celebrity theatre director whose glamorous world seems far removed from the case.

Penguin Highway is an anime adaption of Morimi Tomihiko’s award-winning novel of the same name. When penguins appear fourth-grade student Aoyama’s small town far away from any oceans, the young boy knows there’s a mystery that only he can solve—a mystery that involves the woman he has a crush on. This unforgettable tale about growing up, love, and discovering yourself was a winner of the Fantasia International Film Festival’s Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation award.

The film adaptation of award-winning writer Mahokaru Numata’s mystery novel Birds Without Names centres on the despicable Towako, who lives off her boyfriend Jinji’s meagre earnings while treating him like a worthless slug. Despite Jinji’s dog-like devotion, she constantly reminisces about her horrible ex-boyfriend, Shunichi, even sleeping with other men who evoke memories of him. When she finds out that Shunichi has been missing for five years, she suspects Jinji may know more than he lets on. Part of the Toronto International Film Festival 2017 Official Selection.

TIX on sale now >> japanesefilmfestival.net