Japanese Film Festival 2009 | 日本映画祭 2009 | 25 - 30 August | Gallery Theatre National Museum of Singapore

Japanese Film Festival 2009 proudly presents to you an audacious selection of some of the finest in Japanese horror, mystery and supernatural cinema this year. Designed to intrigue, shock and arrest, the compact lineup effortlessly asserts unparalleled Japanese supremacy in these spine-chilling genres yet again.

The six-day festival kicks off with one of the most unconventional and inventive horror classics HOUSE (HAUSU). Two acclaimed works THE BLIND BEAST (MÔJU) and MANJI by MASUMURA Yasuzo (Director-in-Focus) who spearheaded the 1960s Japanese New Wave in cinematic history will do no less than to provoke and inspire. Another rare treat is a well known adaptation of a Japanese ancient ghost tale, THE GHOST STORY OF YOTSUYA (TOKAIDO YOTSUYA KAIDAN), not to be missed by any discerning festival-goer.

Not for the faint-hearted, KICHIKU: BANQUET OF THE BEASTS (KICHIKU DAI ENKAI) by director KUMAKIRI Kazuyoshi is based on a true incident, which gained wide recognition for its extremely harsh and graphic images.

Another offering STRANGE CIRCUS (KIMYÔ NA SÂKASU) by SONO Shion is a disturbing tale which will take you on a cinematic rollercoaster ride, executed in the most gorgeous fashion. RAMPO NOIR (RAMPO JIGOKU), an eclectic mix of short stories by mystery writer Edogawa Rampo, is brought stylistically to life by four visionary directors who challenge and reinvent conventions of Japanese horror. Together with works by SHINDO Kaneto, OBAYASHI Nobuhiko and TSUKAMOTO Shinya, this stellar lineup reveals the staggering depth and breadth of Japanese horror and mystery cinema, from past to present.

In fondest memory of the late ICHIKAWA Jun (Director-in-Attendance 2007), we pay a heartfelt tribute to this great maestro at a special pre-festival screening of buy a suit (ICHIKAWA Jun’s last film). Finally, no words can describe our appreciation for your relentless support. We hope JFF09 will be a starkly unforgettable festival experience for you.

Don’t shut your eyes..

Japanese Film Festival 2009 Committee