Japanese Film Festival (2025) Now Screening in Iloilo

The Japanese Film Festival (JFF) is returning once again to Iloilo City from  February 14 to 23, 2025. 

Rolling into SM City Iloilo’s Cinema 1 are 12 award-winning and fan-favorite  Japanese films for Ilonggo audiences to watch for free. 

Presented by the Japan Foundation, Manila, JFF was launched in 1997 and has  grown to become one of the most anticipated film festivals in the country,  attracting over 40,000 cinema goers during last year’s run. JFF 2025 has an  exciting lineup of films that will have something for everyone; from  heart-thumping anime adventures to kilig-filled romantic comedies, and even 

blockbuster monster epics! 

“In Zen Buddhism there is a word satori which means a sudden awakening or  enlightenment,” says festival director Yojiro Tanaka. “Satori is the perfect word to  describe this year’s lineup of films, whether it’s the profound awakening of the  characters in the movie or the feeling that the audience will get after watching.  We hope that the audience will enjoy what we have prepared, and at the same  time spark something new in them.” 

Opening the festival is the Academy Award® winning movie Godzilla Minus One  (2023), hailed by many reviewers and legions of worldwide fans as one of the best  Godzilla movies of all time. 

Directed by renowned Japanese filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki, the film features  both poignant storytelling, and awe-inspiring visuals that is best enjoyed on the  big screen. 

Another notable inclusion in this year’s lineup is Sand Land (2023), the pinnacle  of the Akira Toriyama universe. Creator of the legendary Dragon Ball series, Akira  Toriyama sadly passed away in 2024 leaving a monumental legacy in the world of  anime and manga. Sand Land (2023) is one of his best works with some praising it  as a "masterpiece of utter perfection.” This film is the long-awaited movie  adaptation of the manga that condenses Akira Toriyama’s full-blown world of  unique, humorous, and friendly characters, mechanical design, wrapped in an  expertly written adventure story. 

Audiences can also look forward to the best and latest movies straight from  Japan including Perfect Days (2023), Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle (2024), Let’s  Go Karaoke! (2024), Matched (2024), and the recently remastered version of the  animated cult-classic Akira (1988).

JFF 2025 is supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines, JT  International (Philippines) Inc., and the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. 

Admission is free for all screenings but a convenience fee may apply for  tickets procured online. Online tickets can be procured through  www.ticket2me.com/JFF. Walk-in guests are welcome if seats are still  unoccupied. Please bear in mind that seats are limited and are not  guaranteed. Please visit the official JFF 2025 website for our complete  ticketing guidelines. 

For more information on the festival’s full film lineup, ticketing guidelines, and  complete screening schedules, please visit www.japanesefilmfestph.jfmo.org.ph  or follow the Japan Foundation, Manila and JFF on social media.