Focus: V-cinema
Programme IFFR 2026
Japan’s direct-to-video phenomenon V-Cinema emerged in the late 1980s and left a lasting mark in contemporary film culture. The V-Cinema production model responded to the rise of video rental, by producing films that were not released in cinemas. This approach allowed directors to work quickly, economically, and with remarkable creative freedom. This Focus programme features a selection of 18 films: a combination of early works by now-famous auteurs, through to discoveries that have rarely been seen outside Japan.
Overview of films
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Psychic Vision: Jaganrei
Ishii Teruyoshi | 49' | Japan | No premiere
This found-footage investigation into a haunted pop song is the earliest example of the J-horror genre. -
Scary True Stories: Second Night
Tsuruta Norio | 50' | Japan | No premiere
This omnibus of ghost stories was hugely influential on the formation of J-horror. -
Suit Yourself or Shoot Yourself!! VI: The Hero
Kurosawa Kiyoshi | 83' | Japan | No premiere
A yakuza comedy with a sting in its tail, from one of Japanese cinema’s contemporary masters. -
Tuff: Part 1
Masato Harada | 84' | Japan | No premiere
A violent, surreal gangland tale of a hitman’s rise, from the director of Kamikaze Taxi. -
A Weapon in My Heart
Aoyama Shinji | 92' | Japan | No premiere
An archetypal action movie with surreal touches and cinematic references, from the director of Eureka. -
XX Beautiful Weapon
Komizu Kazuo | 93' | Japan | No premiere
Combining sex and action, this first entry in a series set a new template for V-Cinema.