This fest isn't for those expecting screenings of Ponyo and Ringu—not that there's anything wrong with those flicks, but the Hanabi Japanese Film Festival shirks typical Japanese film fare in favor of cult cinema and lesser-known tales. I loved the Mieko Kaji double feature Lady Snowblood and Song of Vengeance, Kurosawa's brilliant thriller High and Low, Yasujirō Ozu's crowning achievement Tokyo Story, and Church of Film's screening of the moody, dreamlike August in the Water; this weekend, Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 shouldn't be missed. I recommend grabbing snacks from Kashiwagi's conbini beforehand.