The First Slam Dunk (film screening)

The First Slam Dunk

Monday, October 20, 6:00PM (ET)

Doors open 5:30PM | Film Screening | In-Person | JFT Event Hall

Directed by INOUE Takehiko • 2022 • 124 minutes • Presented in Japanese with English subtitles • Trailer 

Shohoku’s “speedster” and point guard, MIYAGI Ryota, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

Based on the wildly popular Slam Dunk manga series by INOUE Takehiko, The First Slam Dunk adapts the final match depicted in the manga and features original flashbacks and a new epilogue. The film won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year and was a huge box office success, becoming the sixth highest-grossing Japanese film and the highest grossing basketball film of all time.  

The First Slam Dunk is part of our Body & Soul: Japanese Sports Cinema series.

Free admission.  Register below.  

Director Profile:

INOUE Takehiko (井上 雄彦) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for the basketball series Slam Dunk (1990–1996), and the jidaigeki manga Vagabond, which are two of the best-selling manga series in history. Many of his works are about basketball, Inoue himself being a huge fan of the sport. Slam Dunk, about a basketball team from Shohoku High School, was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1990 to 1996 and has sold over 170 million copies worldwide. Slam Dunk was adapted into an anime television series and four films. The manga’s popularity caused a surge of interest in basketball among Japanese youth, leading to Inoue receiving commendation from the Japan Basketball Association for helping popularize basketball in the country.

In 2022, Inoue made his directorial debut with the anime film adaptation of his Slam Dunk manga, titled The First Slam Dunk. Inoue also wrote the screenplay and story for the film. In 2024, he received the Best Director and Best Screenplay award for his work at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival.