Ryusuke Hamaguchi to headline FICUNAM film festival

Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi will be the guest of honor at the 16th edition of the UNAM International Film Festival (FICUNAM), held from November 5 to 15 in Mexico City. During the festival, Hamaguchi will present his new film, ‘All of a Sudden’, which has been selected as Japan’s official entry for the 2027 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

In addition to the screening, Hamaguchi will receive the Filmoteca UNAM Medal in recognition of his career. The festival will also feature a retrospective of his previous works, including ‘Drive My Car’, ‘Happy Hour’, ‘Evil Does Not Exist’, and ‘Heaven Is Still Far Away’.

‘All of a Sudden’ follows the intersection of two women—a French resident director and a Japanese theater director—exploring themes of friendship, illness, and solitude. The film previously competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where its leads, Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, shared the Best Actress award.