The Japanese Film Festival

The one-night-only Japanese Film Festival screens two films tonight, free and open to anyone who's interested. "It's to be able to bring Japanese films to the large screen in communities where there may be less of an opportunity to see the original versions of these films," says Julie d'Eon, an employee in the Cultural Affairs section of the Japan Consulate in Montreal, which is hosting this festival in partnership with the Japan Foundation. At 6pm you can catch Always---Sunset on Third Street, winner of the audience award at the 2006 New York Asian Film Festival, and Memories of Matsuko at 8:45pm, based on the novel by Muneki Yamada. Both are in Japanese with English subtitles, and contain mature content, with parental guidance strongly recommended. "We hope that people, whether they are interested in Japan, or are members of the Japanese community, or are just curious about Japanese films, will attend," adds d'Eon. It's first come, first serve, so get there early. Holly Gordon