Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2012

The Latin Beat Film Festival returns to Tokyo for its 9th installment, September 27-October 5 at Shinjuku Wald 9 (3-1-26 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; www.wald9.com). Highlights include Casa de mi Padre (2012; pictured), featuring Will Ferrell (phonetically) speaking Spanish as the leader of a trio of brothers fighting a drug lord to save their father’s ranch. The festival will later move on to Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto and Hakata. www.hispanicbeatfilmfestival.com

Cinema Vera (1-5 Maruyamacho, Shibuya-ku ; www.cinemavera.com) invites you into the shadowy world of film noir with a program running September 22-October 12. The hard-boiled lineup includes the cult classics Detour (1945), D.O.A. (1950) and Ida Lupino’s The Hitch-Hiker (1953), one of the few noirs by a female director.

Nikkatsu is celebrating its centenary with a selection of the “youth films” that gave the studio its cutting-edge reputation, running through October 5 at Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho (2-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku ; www.ttcg.jp). Selections include Gates of Flesh (1964) and the fancifully-named girl gang flick Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter! (1970). www.nikkatsu.com/100th/seishun