Thank You for Supporting CJFC 2024!
As CJFC 2024 comes to a close, we want to thank everyone who joined us this year. Whether you watched online or attended in person, your support and enthusiasm mean so much to us.
This year’s festival brought together unique stories, talented filmmakers, and a wonderful audience, creating moments of connection and inspiration. We’re grateful to everyone who made it possible—our filmmakers, sponsors, and especially you, our audience.
Thank you for being part of CJFC 2024, and we look forward to seeing you again next year for our 5th anniversary!
Nov. 14 - 24, 2024
(Ended)
2024 Official Selection (Nov. 14 - 24, 2024)
In-Theater Screenings (at Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2 films)
Opening Night
Horror | Japan | 2024 |108 min. | U.S. Premiere | (c)2024 "SAYURI" Production Committee
Sunday, November 17 @ 7:00 pm CST
at MUSIC BOX THEATRE, Chicago, IL (Ended)
Report and Photos
House of Sayuri
Just as the Kamiki family begins their new life, strange laughter echoes through the house, and one by one …
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Closing Night
Drama | Japan | 2023 | 96 min. | North American Premiere | ©2023 Qualia Film Partners
Sunday, November 24 @ 7:00 pm CST
at MUSIC BOX THEATRE, Chicago, IL (Ended)
Report and Photos
Qualia
Yuko, who married into the Tanaka family, which runs a poultry farm, leads a modest and diligent life, taking care of her family, …
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Virtual Screenings 2024 (U.S. only, Ended)
FUKUMA Kenji Memorial Spotlight
A Special Screening of Director Fukuma's Final Work Not Born Yesterday, Celebrating the Life of a Poet and Filmmaker Who Lived Through Both Poetry and Cinema.
About Dir. FUKUMA Kenji
Drama, Fantasy | Japan | 2023 | 86 min. | International Premiere | (c)tough mama
Not Born Yesterday
Nanami, a second-year middle school student, lives with her mother. Her father left long ago. One day, she meets Misaki …
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Trailer
Documentary, Music | Japan | 2022 | 83 min. | U.S. Premiere | (C)Yuji Moriwaki All rights reserved
Bring Minyo Back!
Has Minyo Died!?" The Tokyo-based band Minyo Crusaders mixes traditional Japanese folk songs with Latin and Afrobeat …
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Drama | Japan | 2023 | 97 min. | International Premiere | (c)GOT/Renji Iwanami
Copo a Copo
In a rundown apartment building in Osaka's downtown, which still carries the scent of the Showa era, various …
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Drama, Fantasy, War | Japan | 2023 | 60 min. | U.S. Premiere | (c)Harumakigo
The Girls
In a forest where birds sing and sunlight filters through the trees, the familiar landscape of mountains and rivers …
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Drama, Romance | Japan | 2021 | 75 min. | International Premiere | ©LesPros entertainment
Leave in Summer
Nana lost her parents at a young age and took over the inn "Nakajima-so" in a seaside town. One day in early September …
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Documentary, sports | Japan | 2024 | 79 min. | International Premiere | (c)Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
New Nemuro Pro Wrestling Story
In 2006, Samson Miyamoto, a toy store owner in Nemuro, Hokkaido, founded "New Nemuro Pro Wrestling" to promote …
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Youth, Fantasy, Drama | Japan | 2023 | 99 min. | North American Premiere | (c)Eijitsukajin/Takeda Karin/kotofilm
Till The Day I Can Laugh About My Blues
Anne, a middle school student who doesn’t fit in and is always alone, finds her only refuge on a forbidden staircase …
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2024 Special Presentation (Ended)
CJFC X
Tanabe Benkei Film Festival &
Jimbocho Movie Festival (JMF)
Programs from Two Film Festivals in Japan
(Virtual Screenings, U.S. Only)
Drama, Family | Japan | 2023 | 110 min. | International Premiere | (c)35 Films Parks
99% Cloudy... Always
At her mother's first death anniversary, Kazuha (45) is asked by her uncle, "Aren't you going to have children?" His words …
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SF, Suspense, Drama | Japan | 2023 | 90 min. | International Premiere | (c)2023 Inazumasha
Esper X Private Detective Agency - Searching for Good-Bye -
As crimes involving psychic abilities increase, Detective Matsuda, who possesses the strange ability to understand …
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This festival is supported by a grant from
From the Festival: Receiving support from ChicagoScreens marks a tremendous milestone for our festival. As a festival dedicated to Japanese independent feature films—and the first of its kind in the Midwest—joining Chicago's vibrant film festival community and receiving this support is both a profound honor and an inspiring motivator. It’s a joy to share our mission with audiences here. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone at ChicagoScreens for selecting the Chicago Japan Film Collective. We are committed to bringing a unique selection of Japanese contemporary cinema from Chicago to audiences across the nation. Enjoy the 4th edition of the 2024 Chicago Japan Film Collective.
