September 25th 2022 O.A.

Japan Film Festival Los Angeles 2022

The 17th Japan Film Festival Los Angeles introducing Japanese and Japan-related movies was held, and its opening ceremony happened on September 16th at JAPAN HOUSE in Hollywood.

33 titles were chosen from public submissions and played online and in theaters.
From Japanese movies with their world premiere, short films by Japanese directors based in LA, to documentaries directed by Japanese American directors were introduced.

At the opening ceremony, the newly installed Consul General of Japan, Kenko Sone stated his greetings.

“The Master Sake Brewers” was played as the opening film.
The film is based on a true story in Hiroshima when Japan’s first ginjo-shu was made in the Meiji era and overlaps with a female character living in the current time, challenging in sake brewing.

After the showing, a lecture was held by a sake expert along with the tasting and audiences enjoyed the Hiroshima ginjo-shu with their bento box dinner.
Filmmakers and staff of other titles also stated their greetings at the festival.
Shiro Sano starring in “Hiroshima Piano” and Ayame Goriki starring in “The Most Important Me in the World” stated their greetings from Japan in a video message.

The award ceremony was held on September 18th at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre in West Hollywood, and 17 titles were awarded in different categories and closed this year’s Japan Film Festival Los Angeles.