This year, we continue the series’ expansion beyond animation to include live-action Japanese films that carry the same vibrant spirit, visual flair, and emotional intensity that defines the best of anime. 

Things kick off on Thursday, July 10th with a Members & Series Pass-holders double feature spotlighting two forgotten relics of Japan’s late- ‘80s anime boom—where high-budget aesthetics collided with wide-eyed visions of American glamour, grit, and freedom. Attendees can enter a raffle for limited edition posters and anime-themed prizes. 

The public series begins July 12th with Masaaki Yuasa’s chaotic masterpiece Mind Game (2004), preceded by a dreamy City Pop DJ set from Van Paugam to set the summer mood. On July 19th, we pull out the big guns for a Yakuza double feature: the ultra-stylized racing anime Redline (2009) and Takeshi Miike’s unhinged live-action gangland thriller Dead or Alive (1999). We close the series on July 26th with a sensual, genre-bending pairing: the ultimate ramen western, Tampopo (1985), and Funeral Parade of Roses, a radical, glittering reimagining of Oedipus Rex. Between the two films, our beloved Cup Noodle Bar returns – fully stocked and steaming. 

Join us all month long—whether for one screening or the whole wild ride—as we celebrate community, FACETS’ 50th anniversary, and a shared love of anime, Japanese cinema, and the strange magic where they meet.