Japanese Film Festival 2026 Opens in Cairo and Alexandria

The Japan Foundation, Cairo, has launched the Japanese Film Festival 2026 at Zawya Cinema, bringing ten acclaimed Japanese films to audiences in Cairo and Alexandria with free admission.

The opening took place on Saturday, January 31, at Zawya Cinema in downtown Cairo, attended by Ms. Ayumi Hashimoto, Director of the Japan Foundation, Cairo, H.E. Ambassador Fumio Iwai, Japan’s Ambassador to Egypt, and Mr. Shigeyo Nishizawa, Director of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) office in Cairo. The Foundation also hosted renowned producer Ms. Eiko Tanaka of STUDIO4℃, whose studio created the hit animated film “Poupelle of Chimney Town,” screened as the festival’s opening title.

Running in both Cairo and Alexandria, the festival celebrates the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in August 2025, as well as the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Japan Foundation, Cairo.

This year’s edition offers an expanded lineup of ten films spanning animation, drama, thriller, mystery, and comedy, including “GODZILLA MINUS ONE,” “ANIME SUPREMACY!,” “AKIRA,” “SAND LAND,” “The Imaginary,” “FATHER OF THE MILKY WAY RAILROAD,” “The Lines that Define Me,” and “MONDAYS: See you ‘this’ week!” alongside “Poupelle of Chimney Town” and “Let’s Go Karaoke!”.

In Cairo, screenings run from January 31 to February 6 at Zawya Cinema, featuring daily programs of three films, in addition to two special lectures by Ms. Tanaka, one of which will be held at the Japan Foundation, Cairo. In Alexandria, films will be shown at the Jesuit Cultural Center on February 2, 13, 14, and 16, and at Cinema Amir on February 15, with “Poupelle of Chimney Town” marking the Alexandria opening.

Ms. Tanaka, President of Beyond C. and STUDIO4℃, is known for her work on classics such as “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service” as a line producer before founding STUDIO4℃, where she has overseen acclaimed titles including “Tekkonkinkreet,” “Children of the Sea,” and “PHOENIX: Reminiscence of Flower.” The festival underscores the Japan Foundation’s mission to promote arts, language education, and Japanese studies in the MENA region through cinema and cultural exchange.