‘You Are the Film’ Makes Its UK Premiere at Tubi FrightFest

What if the person sitting in the next cinema wasn’t watching the same film as you, but watching you instead? That’s the idea behind You Are the Film (????), the feature directorial debut of acclaimed Japanese writer Makoto Ueda, which will receive its UK premiere at Tubi FrightFest on 31 August.

Ueda has become one of Japan’s most distinctive screenwriters through inventive films such as Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes and River, both celebrated for their ingenious use of time, space and playful storytelling mechanics. With You Are the Film, he steps behind the camera for the first time, applying that same fascination with impossible ideas to a story built around two strangers connected by the cinema screen itself.

Set in Tokyo, the film follows playwright Madoka and musician Kazuma, who independently decide to catch a film at the Tollywood independent cinema in Shimokitazawa. Their ordinary trip takes an extraordinary turn when each discovers the other person appearing on screen. Madoka realises she is watching Kazuma’s life unfold, while Kazuma finds himself watching Madoka’s. As events spiral into increasingly surreal territory, the pair begin communicating through the screen in an attempt to help one another solve the increasingly bizarre problems unfolding within their respective worlds.

Marika Ito and Kai Inowaki lead the cast alongside Riko Fujitani, Takafumi Imai, Gôta Ishida and a supporting company drawn from Ueda’s long-running theatre troupe Europe Kikaku, whose inventive stage productions have helped establish his reputation as one of Japan’s most imaginative playwrights.

High-concept science fiction often relies on intricate rules and elaborate mythology, yet some of the genre’s most memorable films begin with one impossible idea and simply ask audiences to follow it wherever it leads. Ueda has made a career from that approach, whether exploring looping timelines or playful paradoxes. This time the cinema itself becomes the gateway between realities, which feels oddly fitting given how many of his stories revolve around people finding unexpected ways to connect.

In a statement about the production, Ueda described You Are the Film as both ‘a challenging gimmick film’ and a coming-of-age story, explaining that he wanted to capture ‘the brilliance and frustrations of young people in Shimokitazawa’. He also praised leads Marika Ito and Kai Inowaki, alongside the wider cast, for embracing the project’s unusual concept while retaining the spirit of an independent production.

The film continues Ueda’s long association with inventive, low-budget filmmaking, proving once again that ambitious ideas do not always require blockbuster resources.

You Are the Film receives its UK premiere at Tubi FrightFest on Monday, 31 August 2026 at 3.30pm.

You Are the Film trailer