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HAPPYEND

OFFICIAL SELECTION | FEATURE FILM

BYRON PREMIERE

GENRE: DRAMATIC FEATURE | YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 2024 | LENGTH: 113 MIN | COUNTRY: JAPAN

DIRECTOR: NEO SORA | PRODUCERS: ANTHONY CHEN, ALEX C. LO, ERIC NYARI, ALBERT THOLEN, AIKO MASUBUCHI

Set in near-future Tokyo, Happyend follows a group of high school friends drifting toward graduation under the daily threat of earthquakes. These five high school friends share music, laughter, and the small rituals that hold teenage life together - until a bold prank on a teacher’s car triggers a crackdown. Their school installs a cutting-edge surveillance system, powered by AI and facial recognition, that watches every move and punishes even the mildest defiance. As rules tighten and pressure mounts, their once-solid friendships begin to shift...

Rooted in connection but shadowed by control, Happyend is the debut narrative feature from Neo Sora (Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus), winner of the Young Cinema Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Beautifully performed by a cast of mostly first-time actors, and premiering at Venice, this thoughtful and affecting film explores how young people navigate friendship, fear, and the slow erosion of freedom - with heart, insight, and grace.

Japanese with English Subtitles

SESSION TIMES