Join us for New York Japan CineFest 2024, showcasing a curated selection of innovative and thought-provoking short films by independent filmmakers. From the tale of an AI-program's romance with a human to the historically-informed story of Japan's first foreign samurai, this selection of short films features a diverse set of genres, techniques, and voices. Dive into the rich tapestry of contemporary Japanese storytelling at this inspiring celebration of creativity, culture, and cinematic artistry!

Film Selection 

Yoichi's White House

Dir. Eric Elofson | 2024 | 15:15 | documentary | USA

The son of a Samurai with unprecedented access to the President, and the man who preserved his legacy.

Ding Dong Ditch

Dir. chavo  | 2024 | 10:59 | drama | Japan

"I want to disappear" is written in the dirt of the park. A correspondence between a boy who longs to be a villain and a girl who waits for her mother in the park at night. The two, who do not even know each other, communicate only through messages left in the dirt.

In association with Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA)

AI Love You

Dir. Raita Yabushita  | 2023 | 6:55 | drama | Japan

After a software glitch causes an advanced AI programme to fall in love with a young woman, it escapes into the body of a man and tries to win her heart.

In association with Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA)

Tomatoes

Dir. Kei Kanamori  | 2023 | 4:40 | drama | Japan

Get ready for a thrilling talent show starring adorable tomatoes!

In association with Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA)

KOI

Dir. Justine Kaneda  | 2024 | 8:29 | drama | USA

Together, they're whole.

A pair of koi pins reflects the unbreakable bond between two sisters and how they are connected even when one is gone. 

Torii

Dir. Martin Gerigk | 2024 | 12:30 | Experimental, Audiovisual Art | Germany

Torii 鳥居 is a short film in the form of an audiovisual composition about the traditional Shinto gates of the same name in Japan. The film uses these gates, which symbolically mark the transition from the mundane to the sacred, as representatives of a personal synaesthetic and spiritual journey through five levels of consciousness, traveling from existentialism to metaphysics, abstraction, and the Shinto deities called Kami, culminating in a final transition that weaves together these diverse philosophical threads.

Yasuke the African Samurai

Dir. Scott Palazzo  | 2024 | 6:37 | animation, documentary | USA

​​Yasuke The African Samurai tells the story of history's first foreign samurai, who lived and fought in 16th-century Japan. Uprooted from his home in Africa, Yasuke rose through the ranks of feudal Japan to become an elite soldier, and dear friend of a warlord. Using tactile and traditional animation, Yasuke uncovers a forgotten story. This film interprets one version of documented history in the 1500s. 

The Bride Who Rides A Sleigh

Dir. Yoshiro Osaka  | 2024 | 28:50 | drama | Japan

In the early mid-century ten years after the war, in the snowy regions of northern Japan, life revolved around horses, farm work, and the traditions of family. In those days, the bride was taken from her home to the groom’s by horse-drawn sleigh. And marriages were still arranged. In this short portrait, Kazuko, the eldest daughter of a strict farming family, falls in love, despite the expectations of her world.

About Japan CineFest

CineFest was founded by filmmakers Yasu Suzuki and Kosuke Furukawa and music producer Hiroshi Kono. While the three friends initially planned for the event to be a small one-night program, the 2011 Japan earthquake's devastating effects made them change their minds. Since then, the founders have grown the event exponentially in an effort to connect Asian, American, and global cinema.

CineFest highlights independent filmmakers who are committed to expressing their voice and vision to the world. Their mission is to explore and find unique talent, supporting filmmakers' work, vision, and causes while providing a playground for creativity in New York City.