Programme Cardiff 2025

In Tokyo, just before World War II, there is a school that combines learning with fun, freedom, and love. This unusual school has old railroad cars for classrooms, and it is run by an extraordinary man-its founder and headmaster, Sosaku Kobayashi who is a firm believer in freedom of expression and activity. Here arrives Totto-chan, a lively little girl who doesn’t fit in at her original elementary school. Thanks to headmaster Sosaku, Totto-chan will meet unique students and learn new things, even when Japan descends into war.

Japan | 2023 | 1h 54m | TBC | Shinnosuke Yakuwa | Japanese with English subtitles |

Makoto is a typical teenage girl who spends most of her days slacking off with friends. One day while rushing to meet her aunt, she nearly gets hit by a train, but at the last second, finds herself jumping backwards in time to before the accident. She immediately makes use of her newfound ability to re-do every minor inconvenience– from poor exam results to awkward confessions of love. However, when faced with the consequences of tampering with time, Makoto must do everything she can to avoid a dire future that can’t be reversed.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a beloved early film from Mamoru Hosoda, the Academy Award-nominated director behind BELLE, Wolf Children, Summer Wars, and more. Hosoda weaves together the timeless, breathtaking visuals he is known for with a tender-hearted story of a girl navigating first love, time travel, and the perilous choices that come with both.

Japan | 2006 | 1h 38m | 12 | Mamoru Hosoda | Japanese with English subtitles | F-Rated

Kenji is a shy, part-time moderator for OZ, the virtual reality world that powers everyday life, until pretty and popular Natsuki recruits him to be her fake boyfriend. While posing as an affluent suitor to Natsuki’s family, Kenji finds that a rogue A.I. program has stolen his online identity, and Kenji is accused of hacking OZ and causing real-world catastrophes. As the destruction in OZ throws Natsuki’s family into disarray, Kenji must unite his newfound connections to overcome an impending cyber apocalypse.Against a backdrop of stunning countryside vistas and virtual spaces bursting with colour, Summer Wars is a timeless epic that explores life in the digital age from Academy Award®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda (BELLE).

Japan | 2009 | 1h 54m | 12A | Mamoru Hosoda | Japanese with English subtitles |

JERO11: Summoning the Yōkai 

妖怪召喚

JERO11 is a heavy metal guitarist and shamisen player who is heavily inspired by traditional Japanese music and culture. In this segment he will venture into yōkai folklore of traditional Japanese instruments, myths and stories where household Japanese objects and instruments come to life. If you like Japanese culture, metal and spooky stories, the yōkai are waiting for you!

*This performance has flashing images and loud rock music*

Leaving the world of J-pop behind her, Mima Kirigoe begins life as an actress on a crime drama show called Double Blind. When offered a lead role in the show as a rape victim, Mima accepts the role despite reservations from her manager. However, the backlash from fans over her career change and a strange website called ‘Mima’s Room’ written by a fake Mima begin to worry her. When a stalker appears and people involved in Double Blind begin turning up dead and all the evidence pointing to her, Mima is thrown into a state of confusion, madness and paranoia.

Directed by the late Satoshi Kon and critically acclaimed as one of the finest examples of an animated thriller, Perfect Blue will leave you shocked and more than a little spooked.

Japan | 1998 | 1h21m | 18 | Satoshi Kon | Japanese with English subtitles |

Karin, 11 years old, finds herself abandoned by her father in a small Japanese town, where her grandfather, a monk, resides. Her grandfather asks Anzu, his jovial and helpful, although rather capricious, ghostcat, to look after her. As their spirited personalities collide, sparks fly—yet perhaps only in the beginning.

Japan | 2024 | 1h 37m | 15 tbc | Yôko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita | Japanese with English subtitles | F-Rated | Trailer

Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the ‘colours’ of others. Colours of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a colour she treasures as her favourite. Kimi, a classmate at her school, gives off the most beautiful colour of all. Although she doesn’t play an instrument, Totsuko forms a band with Kimi and Rui, a quiet music enthusiast they meet at a used bookstore in a far corner of town. As they practise at an old church on a remote island, music brings them together, forming friendships and stirring affections. Will they discover their true ‘colours’?

Japan | 2024 | 1h 40m | U | Naoko Yamada | Japanese with English subtitles | F-Rated

College student Hana falls in love with a “wolf man” and together they have two half-human, half-wolf children, Ame and Yuki. The young family’s happy but humble life comes to an abrupt end when the father is tragically killed during a hunt. After struggling to raise her children in the busy city, Hana boldly decides to move to a dilapidated house in the countryside, in hopes that her children may one day decide their own path to happiness – whether “human” or “wolf.”

This heart-wrenching modern fairy tale is a staggering work of beauty and emotion from Academy Award®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda. Rich with gorgeous animation and set to a poignant musical score, Wolf Children is a sweeping tale about self-discovery and the bonds of family.

Japan | 2012 | 1h 57m | PG | Mamoru Hosoda | Japanese with English subtitles | F-Rated

Tickets for this year’s raffle will be available at the festival, from the Kotatsu stand.

Tickets are 50p each.

Full details of the prizes can be found on our raffle page.