JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL 2026: Hula Girls

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The year is Protected content , and Japan has started to shift from domestic coal to imported oil. The change upends Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture, with the coal-mining town on the brink of industrial decline and soaring unemployment. In an effort to save the community, the local mining company launches an ambitious plan to build a lavish Hawaiian resort, complete with hot springs and hula girl dancers. HIRAYAMA Madoka (MATSUYUKI Yasuko), a down-on-her-luck dance instructor from Tokyo, is tasked with training the troupe in the lead up to the grand opening night. But as she quickly learns, shaping a group of small-town girls into polished hula performers is no easy feat! Based on true events, HULA GIRLS is the uplifting story of how the Joban Hawaiian Centre helped turn around Iwaki City’s economic woes during troubled times. Following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film was selected as Japan’s official submission for the 79th Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Twenty years after its original release, LEE Sang-il's (KOKUHO) beloved classic returns to the big screen with a newly remastered 4K edition, bringing this charming blend of comedy and come-of-age drama to fresh audiences.

Year: Protected content
Runtime:121 mins
Language:Japanese
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Cast: MATSUYUKI Yasuko, TOYOKAWA Etsushi, AOI Yu