The Japan Foundation, Manila has officially announced the film lineup and screening schedule for the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) 2026, bringing a diverse collection of anime classics, box-office blockbusters, acclaimed dramas, and traditional stage recordings to audiences across the Philippines.
All film screenings throughout the festival will be free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, hosted in select SM Cinema branches nationwide from October through November 2026.
This year’s cinematic selection features a rich mix of genre-spanning works, led by iconic anime and manga adaptations. Headlining the animation slate are Hayao Miyazaki’s 1984 classic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Mamoru Oshii’s sci-fi masterpiece Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004), the live-action manga adaptation The Girl Who Sees (2025, based on Mieruko-chan), and UNDER NINJA (2025). Exclusive anime and feature offerings at SM North EDSA also include the 2026 animated feature You, Fireworks, and Our Promise and School Meals Time: School Excursion Inferno (2025).
The festival’s live-action and drama roster highlights cross-cultural storytelling, featuring the Philippine-Japan co-production Kono Basho (2024), Yoji Yamada’s TOKYO TAXI (2025), RENOIR (2025), and Blue Boy Trial (2025). Rounding out the lineup are historical restorations and theatrical recordings, including a 4K remaster of Akira Kurosawa’s 1957 classic Throne of Blood, alongside special Cinema-Kabuki presentations such as Renjishi (2008, exclusive to SM Megamall) and the two-part stage adaptation KABUKI: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Parts 1 & 2 (2020, exclusive to SM North EDSA).
The festival kicks off its nationwide tour in Metro Manila at SM Megamall from October 1 to 4, followed by SM City Baguio from October 9 to 18. Double leg screenings will run simultaneously at SM City Manila and SM City Cebu from October 16 to 25.
Moving into November, JFF 2026 expands to SM City Iloilo from November 6 to 15, followed by SM Lanang in Davao City from November 13 to 22. The festival will conclude its nationwide run simultaneously at SM CDO Downtown in Cagayan de Oro and SM City North EDSA from November 20 to 29, ensuring broad access for cinephiles across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.