Nippon Connection Film Festival 2027: Frankfurt am Main to Celebrate Japanese Cinema and Culture from June 8 to 13

After a record-breaking edition with 21,000 visitors, the world’s largest festival for Japanese films announces the date for its 27th edition.

The Japanese Film Festival Nippon Connection is to return to Frankfurt am Main for its 27th edition from June 8 to 13, 2027. For six days, the city will once again become an international meeting point for contemporary Japanese cinema and culture.

With more than 100 films from Japan, numerous German, European, and international premieres, and a diverse culture program with concerts, workshops, lectures, and a Japanese market, Nippon Connection is once again offering a comprehensive insight into Japanese film and popular culture in 2027. The Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm and Produktionshaus NAXOS in Frankfurt am Main will again serve as the festival centers.

Just a few weeks ago, the 26th edition of Nippon Connection came to an end after welcoming a record-breaking number of visitors. With around 21,000 visitors, the festival retained its status as the world’s largest platform for Japanese cinema and the most visited film festival in the German federal state of Hesse.

Since Nippon Connection attracts numerous international guests, filmmakers, and visitors every year, the 27th edition, which was originally planned to take place at the end of May 2027, has now been rescheduled to June 8 to 13, 2027. This takes into account the expected tight hotel situation due to the UEFA Cup final on May 26, 2027 in Frankfurt am Main and is meant to make travel planning easier.

Details on the program, the thematic focus, and guests of the 27th Nippon Connection Film Festival will be announced in spring 2027. 

Film submissions can be made from mid-October 2026 via the festival website NipponConnection.com.

Special Events

Between festival editions, Nippon Connection has a presence in the Rhine-Main region with collaborative events. In the future, together with Eldorado Arthouse Kino in Frankfurt, Nippon Connection will present incredible anime classics on the last Sunday of every month as part of the jointly curated film series Animotion – Anime in Frankfurt. 

Additionally, in the coming months, repeat screenings of films from this year’s thematic focus Shades of Reality – Between Truth and Fiction are planned in selected cinemas in the Rhine-Main region, supported by Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain. 

Until the end of July 2026, selected films from the retrospective Tatsuya Nakadai – Man of Many Faces, that were shown at the 26th Nippon Connection Film Festival are being screened at the Japanischen Kulturinstitut (The Japan Foundation) in Cologne. Entry is free of charge. 

An overview of all Nippon Specials events can be found on the festival website: NipponConnection.com/specials