24th Nippon Connection Film Festival: Cinema and Culture from Japan

From May 28 to June 2, 2024, at seven locations in Frankfurt am Main / Thematic focus “Crossing Borders” / Nippon Rising Star Award goes to actress Kotone Furukawa
It's that time again! From May 28 to June 2, 2024, the world's largest festival for Japanese film will once again open its doors in Frankfurt am Main for the 24th time. For six unique summer days, the Nippon Connection Film Festival invites visitors of all ages to gain insights into Japanese cinema and culture and to engage in exchanges in a welcoming atmosphere. The festival's extensive film program offers plenty of topics to talk about, spanning around 100 Japanese short and feature-length films of all genres, from current blockbusters and animation to independent films and documentaries. The majority of the films will be presented as German, European, or international premieres. The culture program, featuring over 50 workshops, lectures, concerts, and a wide range of culinary offerings, also celebrates the diversity of Japan.

Thematically, this year's festival focuses on “Crossing Borders”, exploring the relationship between Japanese cinema and the world outside Japan. In addition to current and historical fiction and documentary films, discussions and lectures will provide food for thought on the thematic encounters, collaborations, and mutual influences of Japanese and international filmmakers. The thematic focus is supported by the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain.

As a special guest of honor, we've invited actress Kotone Furukawa. She will be honored at the 24th Nippon Connection Film Festival with the Nippon Rising Star Award, which recognizes exceptional emerging talent in Japanese cinema. Kotone Furukawa gained international recognition for her outstanding performance in the romantic drama "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy" by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, which won the Silver Bear at the Berlinale in 2021. Many other renowned filmmakers and artists from Japan will also be present at the festival. The audience will have the unique opportunity to learn more about their works and engage in a dialog with them.

The festival's special atmosphere is created by the two pink-lit festival centers, Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm and Produktionshaus NAXOS, featuring numerous Japanese market and food stalls. Additional events will take place at the cinema of the Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum as well as the Eldorado Arthouse Kino, Mal Seh'n Kino, Internationales Theater Frankfurt, and Saalbau Bornheim.

The program and tickets will be available on the festival website as of May 4th, 2024. Hotel partners offer special conditions for a stay during the festival.

About the festival
The Japanese Film Festival Nippon Connection is organized by the 80-member, largely voluntary team of the non-profit association Nippon Connection e.V. It is under the patronage of Mike Josef (Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main) and the Consulate General of Japan in Frankfurt am Main. Since its founding in 2000, Nippon Connection has become the world's largest platform for Japanese cinema and the most popular film festival in Hesse with more than 18,500 visitors in 2023.