The Japanese Film Festival kicks off in style at The Lighthouse Cinema on Thurs 11th April, with Access Cinema and The Japanese Embassy bringing some fantastic movies to Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Galway and Limerick over the coming days and weeks. We here at entertainment.ie are here to help you choose which one(s) are the right one(s) for you!

1. THE NEW STUDIO GIBHLI MOVIE!
They brought us some modern classics like Grave Of The Fireflies, My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo are basically Japan's answer to Disney or Pixar. They're showing off their latest film - From Up On Poppy Hill - twice during the festival, and is definitely one to be checked out.

2. THE NEW TAKASHI MIIKE MOVIE!
Now for something completely different; Ichi The Killer, Gozu, Audition, 13 Assassins… director Takashi Miike is renowned for his EXTREME cinema and love of extreme violence. The JFF is showing one of his latest films - he's very prolific, he regularly makes 2 or 3 feature films per year! - the video game adaptions Ace Attorney.

3. ANIME FANS ARE CATERED FOR!
Aside from the Studio Gibhli release, there's also a range of other anime movies being shown over the course of the festival; the absolutely beautiful Wolf Children, the absolutely insanely violent Berserk Parts 1 & 2, and from the makers of Ghost In The Shell comes 009 Re: Cyborg, an action packed techno thriller.

4. SOMETHING A LITTLE CRAZIER THAN USUAL!
There are documentaries (The Man Who Left His Soul On Film) and based-on-fact dramas (My Back Pages), but for something a little different, check out Thermae Romae, a kind of Japanese version of Hot Tub Time Machine, but to do with Ancient Rome and modern architecture. Way funnier - but just as crazy - as it sounds.

5. THE CUTEST SOUNDING MOVIE OF ALL TIME!
Rent-A-Cat: Sayoko is a young girl who rides around the city, lending cats from her bike's cart to lonely people in need of companionship. Seriously, if that description alone didn't trigger your tear-ducts, then you are dead inside.

For the full listings and times, visit https://www.accesscinema.ie/jff.html