Arizona Japanese film festival brings classic movies to the Valley

Since the inception of the film camera, Japanese filmmakers have been an integral part of the cinema landscape.

Films like “Seven Samurai,”, “Harakiri" and “Tokyo Story” gave Japan a global voice long before the country became one of the most technologically advanced societies in the world.

Japan’s cultural impact can be seen throughout the U.S., especially in Arizona with events such as the Arizona Matsuri Festival, Taste of Japan and Saboten Con, among many more.

When Harumi Maejima moved from Boston to Phoenix over 15 years ago, she saw little to no Asian culture within the state, so she decided to do something about it.

Maejima co-founded The Japanese Culture Club of Arizona in 2008 and has held the role of president since, helping to bring Japanese heritage to the Valley.

Now, Maejima is once again introducing an Arizona audience to Japanese culture with the second annual Arizona Japanese Film Festival.

The first festival was held at the Mustang Library in Scottsdale.

“I believe, personally, Japanese film is really one of those mediums that shows the culture and humanity, and that's the first thing that you see,” Maejima says. “(You say) Wow, that's Japanese lifestyle right now. That's the Japanese culture.”

Starting with an opening ceremony at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West on Friday, guests, including the Consulate General of Japan from Los Angeles, will first hear from representatives from the Japanese Culture Club of Arizona and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

After the remarks, guests will witness a traditional Japanese music performance from BENTENYA, a Japanese all-female chindon-ya group as they embark on their tour along Route 66.

Next, guests will be treated to two short films that will play at the actual film festival, “Shu Ha Ri” from director Tatsuya Ino and “Perfect World” from director Yuske Fukada.

After the screening, Fukada will take part in a Q&A, after which the opening ceremony will close out.

The festival will be held the next day at the Phoenix Art Museum at the Whiteman Theater on Saturday, and will run from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. starting with another opening performance from BENTENYA, after which opening remarks will be made.

Films that will be featured in the festival include features like “Tuna Girl” from director Mana Yasuda and “Rules for Living” from director Greg Dale, along with eight other films.

“Perfect World” director Yuske Fukada will make another appearance and will participate in a Q&A.

Maejima hopes that this year is a step in the right direction for the Arizona Japanese Film Festival, and will help to grow the festival for future iterations of the event.

“We'd like to do not only one day, maybe perhaps two days of full film screenings, and (we want to) bring more directors and filmmakers to a full day of the festival so that we can actually communicate with the local filmmakers, not only necessarily the Japanese filmmakers, but general filmmakers around here, even like ASU,” Maejima says.

Tickets for the Arizona Japanese Film Festival start at $10 for single screenings and $25 for all screenings. Those who purchase tickets to the festival will also gain access to the rest of the Phoenix Art Museum at no extra cost.