With sun, sea, sand and excellent movies, it’s no wonder that the Zushi Beach Film Festival is a popular fixture on the Golden Week calendar. This open-air cinema in Kanagawa prefecture is organised by Cinema Caravan, a group of artists and creatives who plan community events around the world. Every year it brings this event to Zushi, with movie screenings on the beach plus food stalls, a bazaar and live entertainment.
The ten-day festival is screening a variety of Japanese and international films; half of them are English with Japanese subtitles. Every day is a different movie and the show starts at a different time. You'll find the film schedule here, but note that tickets are no longer available for 'Close' on Saturday April 27, and 'The Karate Kid' on Monday April 29. Here’s the line-up of English films:
- Friday April 26: ‘Sarvam Thaala Mayam ’ (2019), an Indian musical drama, where an aspiring mridangam student has to overcome multiple social and personal barriers to reach his goal.
- Saturday April 27: 'Close' (2022), a coming-of-age drama that tells the story of two teenage boys in Belgium who navigate the challenges of adolescence and adulthood, as they see their friendship drifts apart.
- Monday April 29: ‘The Karate Kid’ (1984), a bullied teenager who is new to town, learns martial arts from a wise mentor, discovering not only self-defence skills but also the important lessons of discipline, courage and friendship.
- Tuesday April 30: ‘Bunker77’ (2017), a documentary that follows the tumultuous, wild but brief life and legacy of American surfer and playboy Bunker Spreckels.
Aside from the film screenings, you can look forward to a daily-changing array of food and drinks, a bazaar, and a merry-go-round right on the beach. On April 27, April 30 and May 5, you can even join a beach yoga session in the morning.
There’s also a skating ramp at the beach, plus DJs and musicians providing the soundtrack to the relaxed atmosphere.
Zushi Beach Film Festival takes place from April 26 until May 6. Some advance tickets have sold out, and tickets will not be sold at the venue, so be sure to buy the tickets online in advance.
Visit the Zushi Beach Film Festival website for more information.
This article was originally published on April 8 2022 and updated on April 12 2024.
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