Japan Cuts runs July 10-20, 2025 for its 18th edition. It is a film festival of mostly the latest in Japanese cinema with a few classics mingled in there.

This year kicks off with a special screening of Yasuhiro Aoki's ChaO in collaboration with GKIDS as JAPAN CUTS' Opening Night. From Studio 4oC, ChaO is an idiosyncratic animated Andersen fairy tale set in the cyberpunk melange of near-future Shanghai where humans coexist with mermen. JAPAN CUTS is proud to present ChaO before it comes to theaters in Japan in August. Unfortunately, this is sold out already.

Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa will be honored with the 2025 CUT ABOVE Award and presenting multiple premieres, including Cloud (SOLD OUT), Serpent's Path, and a rare 35mm screening of License to Live.

Yuumi Kawai, Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actress winner, will appear in-person for the North American Premiere of A Girl Named Ann and the U.S. Premiere of She Taught Me Serendipity.

The Closing Night screening will be the documentary The Spirit of Japan, which was actually shot by a Brooklyn filmmaker/cinematographer Joseph Overbey. The film will be presented along with a shochu reception following its U.S. premiere. The reception will feature traditional distillers and director Joseph Overbey in attendance. The Spirit of Japan follows the lives of a father and son dealing with modern concerns as the 5th generation of shochu distillers balances life and tradition. Overbey lived with the Wakamatsu family as he documented. Here's the trailer:

JAPAN CUTS Powered by GU will take place at Japan Society (333 E. 47th Street) and celebrates its mission of cultural exchange through contemporary cinema—bridging American and Japanese audiences with bold new voices and legendary auteurs alike.  You can view the entire schedule and get tickets on the Japan Society website here: https://japansociety.org.