from 26th September 2026
The Japanese Film Festival Australia returns for its landmark 30th year with screenings in Canberra, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney from September to December. Since its inception in 1997, the festival has introduced Australian audiences to the dynamic voices shaping Japanese cinema, and is now one of the largest celebrations of Japanese films in the world.
From 26th Sept to 29th Nov 2026, the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) returns to showcase the best of contemporary Japanese filmmaking, featuring Australian premieres, international festival favourites, award-winning features and box-office hits from some of Japan’s leading directors.
Canberra – 26 September – 13 October 2026
Perth – 13 – 21 October 2026
Melbourne – 29 October– 17 November 2026
Brisbane – 12 November – 20 December 2026
Sydney – 17 – 29 November 2026
The festival opens with the Australian premiere of Look Back, the highly anticipated new title from acclaimed filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda. Other highlights include Tokyo Taxi from the legendary Yoji Yamada, Cannes-selected animated feature We Are Aliens, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s samurai drama The Samurai and the Prisoner, Berlinale prize winner AnyMart, Takashi Miike’s SHAM, and the hit romantic drama 1st Kiss. In addition to its festival lineup, JFF 2026 presents a dedicated Animation Showcase, a free retrospective celebrating legendary composer T?ru Takemitsu, and a selection of the latest releases direct from the Japanese box office.
Whether you’re a long-time fan of Japanese cinema or discovering it for the first time, this anniversary edition offers a unique opportunity to experience some of the year’s most exciting films on the big screen.