The Egyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria will host “Japanese Film Week 2026” from October 17 to 24, 2026, an event aimed at promoting Japanese culture and cinema to international audiences.
Organised by the Japan Foundation, Cairo, the festival offers audiences in both cities a rich, entirely free film line-up.
Screenings will take place from October 17 to 24 at the Artistic Creativity Centre, located within the Cairo Opera House complex, according to the Japan Foundation, Cairo’s official page.
The festival kicks off in Cairo (running October 17 thru 22) by showcasing a diverse range of Japanese productions, spanning everything from fantasy animation to poignant dramas.
Audiences can look forward to *Penguin Highway* (2018), a 119-minute animated adventure directed by Hiroyasu Ishida.
The film follows a precocious schoolboy investigating the sudden, unexplained appearance of penguins in his small town – a mystery linked to a mysterious dentist.
The program also features *The Wonderland* (2019), a 115-minute animated fantasy by Keiichi Hara. It tells the story of a young girl lacking self-confidence who is whisked away by alchemists to a colourful fantasy world that she must help save from peril.
Drama will also be in the spotlight with *BISHU: The World’s Kindest Clothes* (2024), a touching film that highlights the passion and craftsmanship of artisans from the renowned Bishu textile region through the story of garment making. Audiences will also have the chance to see *Kanasando* (2025), a family drama in which a young woman – haunted by painful family memories – returns to her native Ryukyu Islands to visit her gravely ill father and make peace with her past.
Following the Cairo screenings, the event will continue on October 23 and 24 at the Jesuit Cultural Centre in Alexandria, offering the public an opportunity to discover Japanese works.
Japanese Film Week is an international cultural event organised worldwide by Japanese embassies, cultural centres, and foundations (such as the Japan Foundation).
The organisers’ primary goal is to promote Japanese culture and cinema to international audiences by presenting a diverse selection of films, ranging from classic animation and auteur cinema to contemporary documentaries and feature films.
AK/Sf/fss/as/APA