A comfortable option for streaming Japanese films

Good news for lovers of Japanese films who don’t want to go to the cinema and risk catching the deadly coronavirus in doing so. The “Japanese Film Festival Online” is a perfect choice, as it is streaming a dozen indie films that can be watched anywhere on their PCs and smartphones for three months.

Launched for the first time, the new streaming service JFF Online is a collaboration between JFF Magazine and Moosic Lab, a project that has produced numerous popular films in recent years by bringing upcoming film directors together with musical artists to create new films with a single song as a starting point.

The programme consists of 12 carefully selected films, 10 of which are award-winners which received good reviews at domestic and international festivals. The impressive line-up includes:

The Sacrament, a teen drama/ horror about a young director who puts his hopes into making a hit movie into a mysterious, beautiful woman. Directed by Isola Iwakiri.

Girls’ Encounter, a bittersweet and beautiful story based on the true experiences of 23-year-old female director Yuka Eda.

Please Don’t Go Anywhere, a teen drama/fantasy about a high schoolgirl who is in love with her senior schoolmate and becomes obsessed with jealousy over his girlfriend. Directed by Rin Shuto.

Rent A Friend, a romantic comedy that questions the eternal theme of male and female friendship, taken by a new up-and-coming female director, Mayu Akiyama.

Moonless Dawn, a teen drama about lonely boys and girls is the directorial debut of Harika Abe.

Life Finds A Way, a drama where fiction and reality collide. Starred in and directed by Hirofumi Watanabe.

Infinite Foundation, an entirely improvised film about a lonely high schoolgirl who grows into a mature individual through the many encounters she goes through. Directed by Akira Osaki.

Sayounara, a teen drama that reveals the true personalities of

Yuki’s classmates after one of her friends suddenly dies. Directed by Yuho Ishibashi.

Wander Life, a teen drama about a lonely schoolgirl who has no means to express her feelings other than to write them down. Directed by Naho Kamimura.

Excited Death, a romantic comedy about a woman who becomes a stalker when she’s in love. Directed by Kohei Inoue.

Inner Loop Couple, a drama about a young man and woman who discover the beauty of Tokyo at night as they wander the streets of the capital after the last train leaves. Directed by Taro Shibano.

Made In Japan, a portrayal of the abject misery that results from a small lie on social media. Directed by Yusaku Matsumoto.

All films have English subtitles and are being broadcast from early this month to the end of May, free of charge, and no registration is required.