Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival 2026: Takashi Ito—Early Works, 1980–1995

A Retrospective of Radical Vision

The Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival 2026: Space Enter Shift returns to M+, bringing together pioneering filmmakers to explore the boundaries of time-based media. A highlight of this year's festival is the screening programme: Takashi Ito: Early Works, 1980–1995, dedicated to the visionary Japanese experimental filmmaker Takashi Ito.

Programme Details

This 90-minute screening invites audiences to trace the evolution of Ito’s technical mastery and his unique ability to imbue everyday environments with an eerie, dreamlike energy. Ito, a protégé of the legendary Toshio Matsumoto, is renowned for his rigorous single-frame manipulation and complex rephotography techniques. His work often dismantles the architecture of our reality, transforming familiar spaces—like the school gymnasium in his seminal 1981 film Spacy—into nightmarish, mathematical mazes.

Through this retrospective, viewers will witness the haunting interplay between architecture, memory, and the mechanics of the moving image. Ito’s machine-like precision collides with the absurdity of the everyday, warping space and dismantling narrative structures at the will of the frame.

Artist Post-Screening Talk

Following the screening, an artist talk will be held featuring Takashi Ito himself. The discussion will provide deep insights into his creative process, evolution of style, and reflections on his seminal years. The talk will be conducted in Japanese with consecutive English interpretation available for international audiences.

Festival Context: Space Enter Shift

This screening is part of the broader Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival 2026 (AAGFF), which runs from 29 May to 31 May 2026. Under the theme Space Enter Shift, the festival invites participants to reconsider how we engage with space—be it physical, digital, or psychological. From screenings and exhibitions at the M+ Cinema to panel discussions, live performances, and workshops at the Festival Lounge, AAGFF serves as a hub for critical debate and community building within the vibrant West Kowloon Cultural District.

Tickets and Access

• Date: 31 May 2026
• Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
• Venue: M+ Cinema House 1
• Ticketing: Tickets can be purchased via art-mate. Festival and Day Passes are also available for those wishing to explore the full AAGFF programme, offering comprehensive access to screenings and festival lounge activities.

For more information on the full festival lineup and ticketing, please visit the official M+ Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival page.