JAPAN CUTS 2023: North America's Largest Japanese Film Festival Returns in Person this July

Posted by Justin D Williams

Japan Society in New York City today announces the sixteenth edition of its annual contemporary Japanese film festival, JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Cinema. Japan Society is a 116-year-old nonprofit organization focused on growing the connections between the U.S. and Japan, and its JAPAN CUTS film festival is one of its largest and most popular programs. JAPAN CUTS will resume its on-site presentation of over 25 films in-person at Japan Society from July 26 to August 6, 2023. 

Since its launch in 2007, JAPAN CUTS has grown into an annual institution beloved by filmgoers and media in New York City. Called “New York’s premier Japanese cinema event” by The Wall Street Journal and “an annual highlight of New York’s film calendar” by The New York Times, the event has presented hundreds of New York and North American premieres accompanied by a list of special guests spanning major actors and directors and rising stars.

The last fully in-person JAPAN CUTS took place at Japan Society in 2019, followed by hybrid and digital editions, before fully pausing in 2022. JAPAN CUTS will present over 25 films this year, with its full line-up and tickets coming in June. Japan Society members will have access to an exclusive pre-sale before the general public. In previous years, many films have sold out during this members-only early access.

This year will see the relaunch of the festival together with new leadership from the new Japan Society Director of Film Peter Tatara. 

A professional with 20 years of experience working in Japanese entertainment and live events, Tatara previously contributed to events including New York Comic Con and the official Star Wars Celebration, as well as launching conventions and festivals globally in countries including Australia, France, India, Germany, and Singapore. Most recently, he was the founder of Anime NYC, the second-largest Japanese pop culture festival in America, which welcomes over 50,000 attendees. Tatara states, “I’m honored to help bring the largest Japanese film festival in North America back to New York City. I’ve personally been an attendee of the festival previously and look now to help steward a new era for JAPAN CUTS and Japan Society’s year-round film program.”

For more information on JAPAN CUTS, follow Japan Society Film on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information on becoming a member, visit japansociety.org.