Frequently Asked Questions
HOW TO ENJOY JFF+ INDEPENDENT CINEMA 2023
Q. Do I have to register?
Yes, you are required to create an account and sign in to watch films. Note that even if you had an account for our previous online Japanese Film Festivals, your old account is deleted. Please register again for this program.
Q. How do I purchase tickets?
No tickets are required. All the films are streamed online FOR FREE to anyone in most countries. Simply click “Watch for Free” button and enter your e-mail address and password. Then, Success! screen will appear and you can start watching. If you don’t have an account, you will be redirected to the Create New Account page.
Q. How can I check the available countries/regions of each film?
Visit the film lineup page, click on the photo of each film, you can find more detailed information about the film. Under the “Watch for Free” button, you can check available countries/regions of the film.
Q. Can I watch with subtitles?
We have subtitles available in English, Spanish (Latin America), Indonesian, Thai, Chinese (Simplified) and Chinese (Traditional) for all films. The default setting for subtitles is English. If you would like subtitles in any other available language, please select your subtitles in the 【Subtitles/CC】 field at each film’s streaming page.
Q. Who is the Organizer?
INDEPENDENT CINEMA 2023 is organized by the Japan Foundation. For more details on the event, visit the website.
SYSTEM ISSUES
Q. What are the system requirements?
You can watch on PCs running Windows 7+, and Intel-based Macs running OSX 10.12+. You can also watch on Android tablets and phones using Chrome and on iPhones and iPads using Safari. Linux devices are not supported and will not work. You will need a broadband or fibre internet connection - dial up will not work. You’ll find a complete list of requirements below.
Q. What are the requirements for Windows computers?
Windows 7, Windows 8.1 , Windows 10, and Windows 11. Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer or Opera. We recommend using the latest version of your browser as earlier versions may not be supported. Internet Explorer on Windows 7 is no longer supported. You will need a broadband or fibre internet connection - dial up will not work.
Q. What are the requirements for Mac computers?
Mac OSX 10.12 or later. Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Opera. We recommend using the latest version of your browser as earlier versions may not be supported. You will need a broadband or fibre internet connection - dial up will not work.
Q. Can I watch content on my iPhone/iPad?
Yes, you can watch content using Safari and this requires iOS 11.2 or later. We recommend using the latest version of your browser as earlier versions may not be supported. * iOS 15.0 has an issue with secure video playback. Please upgrade to iOS 15.1 to watch content.
Q. Can I watch content on my Android Device?
Yes, you can watch content using Chrome and this requires Android 6.0 or later. We recommend using the latest version of your browser as earlier versions may not be supported.
Q. I can’t stream any of the content, what’s going on? I got an error that says “license_request_failure”.
Check your minimum system requirements above. We recommend that you update to the latest version of your browser. Trying on other browsers may solve your problem faster. We use adaptive bitrate streaming which means the streaming quality will automatically adjust based on your internet speed. For High Definition (HD) streaming we recommend VDSL, cable or fibre connections as we cannot guarantee consistent HD streaming on ADSL..
Q. What happens if I forget my password?
Go to Reset your Password page, enter the email address you used when you created an account and a link to reset your password will be sent to you.
Q. Why do I get “Too many devices” error.
You have three devices auto-registered on your account and that caused this “Too many devices” error. Please go to your account and choose “My Device”. Delete the device that you are not using from the “My Device” list. (When you use private mode or different browser, it also causes auto-registering your same device for several times. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
Q. Why does this film say “Currently not available in your country” ?
Unfortunately, that film is not available in your country. Sorry to disappoint you.
Q. Why does video playback stall or not play smoothly?
If your internet connection is poor or inconsistent you may experience problems during playback. Try lowering the playback bitrate.
Q. Can I Chromecast content?
You can Chromecast from a Chrome web browser on PC and Mac computers as well as Android devices.
Q. How do I watch content using Chromecast from Chrome?
Make sure you have connected your Chromecast to your TV and Wi-Fi network then follow the steps below. Your device must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast. For information or assistance connecting Chromecast to your TV and/or Wi-FI network, see support.google.com/chromecast.
・Make sure you’re using the latest version of Chrome by navigating to Settings > About Google Chrome and update your Chrome browser to the latest version, if necessary. If you’rehaving trouble, here’s how to updateChrome. ・In Chrome browser go to the film or TV page and start playing the content. ・Select the Cast icon in the bottom right hand corner. ・Select your Chromecast device. ・The film or TV episode will now start playing on your Chromecast device.
Q. Can I have a public viewing of JFF+ INDEPENDENT CINEMA on my computer? Or can I show the film of JFF+ INDEPENDENT CINEMA in the classroom?
The answer is NO. Films streamed on JFF+ INDEPENDENT CINEMA shall not be used for any purpose other than for viewing them on a private basis. In order to have a public viewing or showing films in the classroom, you must get a permission from the copyright owner. All content on the Website (audio, images, videos, etc.) is subject to copyright protection.
If you have other system issues, please contact us to jffplus@jffplus.jp