About
ABOUT US
Japan Film Festival–Los Angeles, JFFLA, is a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering a better appreciation of contemporary Japanese culture to the Los Angeles community. Cinema is the bridge that connects us all! We are convinced that through this festival we can inspire open communication and the exchange of ideas between Japan and the U.S.
The second annual Japan Film Festival–Los Angeles will be held in April 2009. With the support of the Japanese Consulate General, the Japan Foundation of Los Angeles, numerous corporations and much of the Japan media in the Los Angeles area, we hope to continue to develop and grow together. The success of JFFLA is due to the passion and energy of all our dedicated committee members that volunteer their time thoughout the year. We’d also like to thank our volunteers, sponsors and the audience, without you, this festival would not be possible.
Please join us for a wide range of films; new and old, sad and joyful, scary and funny, and to share some good times with everyone!
HISTORY
The Japan Film Festival–Los Angeles originally started in 2003 as the Chanoma Film Festival. This vanguard event provided films based primarily on the theme of “chanoma” – a family gathering place in the living room. We showcased heart-warming films that portray the everyday life of a Japanese family.
Over the years, the festival has evolved to include a wider variety of genres. To reflect these changes, the name of the festival was changed in 2008 to “Japan Film Festival – Los Angeles.”
While some Japanese films have become increasingly popular outside of Japan, many of these movies consist of anime, horror and action themes that fail to accurately portray true Japanese customs and traditions. Our goal is to provide a significant opportunity for the American audience to come and see what Japan is all about. And for Japanese people, themselves, to look at their own culture from different perspectives and reflect upon what it means to be Japanese.
OBJECTIVES
- To nurture the cultural exchange between the US and Japan by showcasing high quality Japanese films of various genres.
- To help promote Japanese films and filmmakers to Hollywood.
- To enlighten the American audience and improve the image of Japanese films which are currently thought to be limited to J‐horror and Anime.
- To help revitalize the Japanese community in Los Angeles.
VENUE
L.A. area
April 10 to 16
Laemmle’s Monica 4-Plex (Santa Monica)
1332 2nd Street
Santa Monica, 90401
310-394-9741
Website
April 17 to 19
Downtown Independent (Downtown Los Angeles)
251 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
Website
Irvine area
Date: April 25 (Sat) and April 26 (Sun)
Starplex Cinema
4626 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, CA 92604
Website
DATE
April 10 to 16 – Monica 4-Plex (Santa Monica)
April 17 to 19 – Downtown Independent (Downtown LA)
April 25 to 26 – Starplex Cinema (Irvine)
FILM INFORMATION
Screenings of feature-length theatrical releases along with submitted works by independent filmmakers. All English subtitled.
Presented by Japan America Media Association
REFERENCE
- Japan Film Festival L.A. 2008 www.2008.jffla.org
- Chanoma Film Festival 2006 www.chanomafilmfestival.org
Japan Film Festival – Los Angeles Committee
Committee President: Yuma Asakura
17952 Sky Park Circle, #K, Irvine, CA 92614
Tel: 949-400-2455
About the Japan America Media Association
The Japan America Media Association is a non-profit organization that supports establishing a Japanese presence and in the arts and the business community for Japanese creators and artists in various media fields including writers, journalists, photographers, and designers, along with incorporating emerging fields like the new internet-based artistic field. The goal of the Japan America Media Association is to support and improve the image of Japanese culture and corporations in the United States and to support interaction between the Japanese and the American people.
Website: www.jamaonline.org