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Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing Japan, Sang-il Lee’s latest epic begins in Nagasaki, 1964, when 14-year-old Kikuo, son of a slain yakuza boss, is taken in by a celebrated Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, Kikuo commits himself to the discipline of this centuries-old art. From the rigors of training school to the splendor of the grand stage, the two grow into adulthood together, bound by brotherhood yet divided by rivalry. Across decades marked by scandal, triumph, loyalty, and betrayal, one of them will ascend to become the foremost master of Kabuki. Visually sumptuous and emotionally charged, Kokuho intertwines personal destiny with cultural heritage. Premiering in 2025, it has already become a box-office phenomenon in Japan, and was chosen as Japan’s submission for the 98th Academy Awards, cementing Sang-il Lee’s reputation as one of Japan’s leading storytellers.

Pavel “Pasha” (33) is a teacher and event organizer at a small primary school in a Russian town with a population of 10,000. In ordinary times, he is a beloved mentor, prankster, and nonconformist, known for hanging up democracy posters and offering a safe haven in his office for students who feel out of place. However, after the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Pasha took on the role of an international whistleblower, exposing the devastating effects of Russia’s aggressive militarization within its own schools. Haunted by his painful years as a student at the same school, Pasha remains a lighthearted and mischievous presence on campus. Yet his mission as a teacher is challenged when a new patriotic education policy is introduced during the early weeks of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Pasha is shocked to learn that his responsibilities now include facilitating daily state-sanctioned propaganda events. To cope with his guilt and feelings of powerlessness, he decides to document how the war is transforming his school. Under the guise of his actual role as the school's videographer, he records hundreds of hours of footage inside classrooms and on school grounds. What emerges is the story of an institution abruptly transformed: propaganda, repressive new laws, militarized children’s organizations, and the eventual recruitment of graduating students to fight in Ukraine. When Pasha learns his own life may be in danger, he is forced to plan a daring escape from Russia...

The Sacred Way of Athens, once a path of initiation into the Eleusinian Mysteries, prompts the director to search for spiritual meaning along the busy motorway it has now become. Following the traces of the ancient route, the diverse landscape and brief encounters with its current inhabitants reveal the different faces of the world’s oldest Sacred Way.

A soulful, bittersweet fable that drifts through the foggy landscapes of Veneto soaked in retro warmth, quiet melancholy, wry humor, and nostalgic charm. The Last One for the Road follows two middle-aged men, Carlobianchi and Doriano, bound by the ritual of a final drink. Their days unfold bar to bar, glass to glass, story to story until they pick up Giulio, a shy architecture student, and take him along on their wandering, woozy pilgrimage. Daringly shot on film stock with a “back seat” state of mind, this homage to the golden years of Commedia all’italiana introduces us to a larger-than-life holy trinity. As it lingers on small and fleeting moments, the film offers a tender reflection on life’s ephemeral joys and the comforting repetition of familiar routines amid subtle disenchantment. Enjoy it responsibly, sip by sip, and with an eye for what wrongly seems still half-empty.