The 36th International Film Festival Rotterdam opens on January 24. Several Japanese films will participate in the festival. Two of them ("Bakushi" by Ryuichi Hiroki and "Freesia - Bullet Over Tears" by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri) will be making their world premieres.

The following films will be making their international premieres during the IFFR:

• "Fourteen," Hiromasa Hirosue
• "The Matsugane Potshot Affair," Nobuhiro Yamashita
• "Strawberry Shortcakes," Hitoshi Yazaki
• "M," Ryuichi Hiroki

Two films will make their European premieres:

• "Dog Days Dream," Masahide Ichii
• "Lost in Tokyo," Kotaro Ikawa

Four other major Japanese films will participate in the festival:

• "Hana Yori Mo Naho," Hirokazu Koreeda
• "Nightmare Detective," Shinya Tsukamoto
• "Paprika," Satoshi Kon
• "Retribution," Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Of all these films, only Hiromasa Hirosue's "Fourteen" is in competition for a VPRO Tiger Award.