As 2026 marks a significant year for Japanese cinema on the global stage, this summer we turn the spotlight to four of its most acclaimed contemporary voices. With new works by FUKADA Koji, HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, KORE-EDA Hirokazu, and KUROSAWA Kiyoshi selected for major sections at the Cannes Film Festival, this series celebrates the creative force of Japan’s leading auteurs today.
Spanning intimate drama, psychological thriller, and period piece, the series brings together recent works that exemplify each director’s distinctive voice and thematic concerns. From nuanced explorations of human relationships to quietly unsettling reflections on society, these films demonstrate the depth and diversity of contemporary Japanese filmmaking.
In addition to the screenings at the Japan Foundation Toronto, we are proud to co-present a special outdoor screening of Rental Family at the IncluCity Festival. Directed by Hikari, a Japanese filmmaker gaining increasing international recognition, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025 to critical acclaim.
Join us this July and August for a curated selection of films that reflect the artistry of contemporary Japanese cinema!
July 8 – August 11, 2026
All films presented in Japanese with English subtitles • Free Admission* (*for screenings at JFT) • In-person Screenings • Registration Required (register below)
Screenings at JFT:
Monster
怪物
Wednesday, July 8, 6:00PM (ET)
Directed by KORE-EDA Hirokazu • 2023 • Drama, Mystery • 125 minutes • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles • Trailer
A single mother, Saori (ANDO Sakura), demands answers from a school teacher, Hori (NAGAYAMA Eita), when her son begins acting strangely. As the tension escalates, the line between truth and misunderstanding starts to blur.
Wife of a Spy
スパイの妻
Thursday, July 23, 6:00PM (ET)
Directed by KUROSAWA Kiyoshi • 2020 • Drama, Thriller • 115 minutes • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles • Trailer
A gripping wartime drama, Wife of a Spy follows a woman, Satoko (AOI Yū), drawn into a world of espionage and moral uncertainty as she questions her husband’s secrets during the World War II.
A Girl Missing
よこがお
Tuesday, August 4, 6:00PM (ET)
Directed by FUKADA Koji • 2019 • Drama • 111 minutes • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles • Trailer
Ichiko (TSUTSUI Mariko) has devoted years of her life to caring for the elderly matriarch of a family she has grown close to. But when a shocking crime happens, her life begins to unravel in ways she could never have anticipated.
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
偶然と想像
Tuesday, August 11, 6:00PM (ET)
Directed by HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke • 2021 • Drama • 121 minutes • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles • Trailer
An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction trap, and an encounter that results from a misunderstanding. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy explores three female-centred short stories thematically linked by coincidence and imagination.
JFT Supported Event:
IncluCity Festival
Rental Family
Wednesday, July 15, 9:00PM (ET)
Directed by Hikari • 2025 • Comedy, Drama • 110 minutes • Presented in Japanese and English • Trailer
In-Person at the Distillery District | Paid event, tasting experience included with ticket
Set in the vibrant, neon-lit streets of modern Tokyo, Rental Family stars Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser as Phillip, a struggling American actor whose career has stalled after a single toothpaste commercial. Desperate for purpose, he joins a unique Japanese agency that rents out professional surrogates to stand in for missing family members and friends. As Phillip immerses himself in the lives of strangers, playing a doting father to a young girl and a journalist for an aging actor with dementia, the boundaries between performance and reality begin to blur. This soulful dramedy explores the moral complexities of “faking” connection, ultimately revealing how a rented role can lead to a profound discovery of one’s true self.
