The London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF), the capital’s most celebrated champion of East Asian cinema and culture, is back for the 8th edition. Having expanded to include the cinematic treasures of Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Tibet, Singapore and the Philippines, LEAFF’s 2023 programme focuses on justice and good fortune. Through the lens and unique perspectives of East Asian filmmakers, LEAFF offers compelling insight into not only the future of those in East Asia but in London, with vital and thought-provoking dialogues being opened up around subjects such as socio-economic issues, intergenerational relationships, climate change, sense of identity and belonging.

LEAFF will enthral the audience with 12 International premieres and 25 UK premieres, which will take place at ODEON Luxe Leicester Square, ODEON Luxe West End and the Cinema at Selfridges. All venues will allow an unparalleled cinema experience with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. LEAFF is a journey into the heart of East Asian storytelling, where masterpieces are waiting to be discovered.

We will be screening 9 films from Japan this year, all of which are scattered across the eight strands of the festival. The following are the details and ticketing links for the screenings of Japanese films from LEAFF 2023:

#Manhole #マンホール
Directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri
Fri 20 Oct, 17:00
ODEON Luxe West End, Screen 2
https://leaffmanhole.eventbrite.co.uk/
Kawamura is an individual with a successful job and engaged to the daughter of the company owner, enjoying a prosperous life. However, everything takes a turn after a night of celebration with a few drinks, just before his wedding, when he accidentally tumbles into a deep manhole.

Perfect Days
Directed by Wim Wenders
Sat 21 Oct, 09:15
ODEON Luxe West End, Screen 1
https://leaffperfectdays.eventbrite.co.uk/
Hirayama works as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. He seems content with his simple life. He follows a structured everyday life and dedicates his free time to his passion for music and books. Hirayama also has a fondness for trees and photographs them. More of his past is gradually revealed through a series of unexpected encounters.

Revolver Lily リボルバー・リリー
Directed by Isao Yukisada
Sun 22 Oct, 17:00
ODEON Luxe West End, Screen 2
https://leaffrevolverlily.eventbrite.co.uk/
Takes place in 1924 and centres on Yuri, who killed 57 people as a spy before going underground as the madam of a small brothel. There, she encounters an orphan whose family was murdered and holds the key to finding a large sum of money reported missing by the Imperial Japanese Army. But with an army of soldiers after them, they must fight to survive.

Amiko こちらあみ子
Directed by Morii Yusuke
Mon 23 Oct, 18:30
Cinema at Selfridges, Screen 1
https://www.thecinemaatselfridges.com/film/LEAFF:-Amiko
Amiko isn’t like other children. Her endless energy makes her an outcast at school and gets her in trouble at home. When a painful family loss disrupts her seemingly idyllic seaside life, her sense of isolation intensifies, yet it doesn’t stop Amiko from inviting people into her world.

Home Sweet Home スイート・マイホーム
Directed by Takumi Saitoh
Sun 22 Oct, 21:00
ODEON Luxe West End, Screen 1
https://leaffhomesweethome.eventbrite.co.uk/
In the harsh winter located Nagano, Kenji Kiyosawa, a sports instructor, is fascinated by a model house touted as a "magical house." Kenji decides to build a house for his wife and daughter, who are sensitive to the cold, with a single air conditioner that can warm every corner of the house. With the new house completed and a second daughter joining the family, the family is at its peak of happiness. However, as soon as they move into the house, strange things begin to happen. A terrifying shadow in a baby's eyes, Something who caught the girl in the basement… The wear things surrounding the "house" is not limited to only the family, but it begins to spread to those involved, and accelerates towards the ending of the shock that exceeds expectations.

Immersion 没入感
Directed by Takashi Shimizu
Fri 21 Oct, 21:00
Cinema at Selfridges, Screen 1
https://www.thecinemaatselfridges.com/film/LEAFF:-Immersion
Genius neuroscientist Tomohiko Kataoka (Daigo Nishihata) relocates to a secluded island to join ‘Shinsekai’, a research team studying the connections between virtual reality technology and neuroscience. However, things take a dark turn when the VR duplicate of the island created by the team flags an eerie glitch in the shape of a mysterious woman in red. When violent drowning deaths start to occur, the island’s deeply rooted shamanic superstitions seem to be the only key to uncovering a terrifying curse claiming lives from beneath the ocean surface.

Where Has All the Pollution Gone? 公害はどこへ行った…
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Thu 26 Oct, 17:30
Cinema at Selfridges, Screen 1
https://www.thecinemaatselfridges.com/film/LEAFF:-Where-Has-All-the-Pollution-Gone
Where Has All The Pollution Gone? exposes air pollution caused by Japan’s largest Kawasaki Steel Corp. on a scale of ten times the size of Disneyland. Since the steelworks started running, almost every local resident has been suffering from severe asthma which resulted in a 17-year long court battle with the company. Filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu traces one civil servant’s involvement in the growth of pollution administration that took place during the height of Japan’s economic surge in the 60s and discloses the connection between air pollution and state policy.

Egoist エゴイスト
Directed by Daishi Matsunaga
Sat 28 Oct, 14:00
ODEON Luxe West End, Screen 2
https://leaffegoist.eventbrite.co.uk/
Is love an ego to save yourself, or... Based on Takayama Makoto's autobiographical novel, this film tells the story of the love between Kosuke, an editor, and Ryuta, a personal trainer.