Japan started producing motion pictures sometime around 1899. Japanese directors made several classics from the silent film era, but the film that brought the Japanese cinema into the arena of international cinema was Rashomon by the world famous Akira Kurosawa. Many Japanese directors, namely, Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, Shohei Imamura, Kei Kumai, Yamada Yoji, Hayao Miyazaki are household names among the cinema lovers of India. Japan participates in the India International Film Festival by sending its best films every year. The Federation of Film Societies of India, local film societies, Japanese Embassy, Japanese Consulates, & Japan Foundation regularly hold Japanese film festivals at select cities of India by screening Japanese classics and contemporary films.