Your Lovely Smile stars real-life Japanese indie filmmaker Hirobumi Watanabe (Poolsideman, JFF 17) as a fictionalised version of himself. In the midst of the pandemic, Hirobumi struggles to get new projects off the ground. When he’s invited to Okinawa to make a feature, he jumps at the opportunity. Things go disastrously wrong, though, so before long he sets off on an impromptu road trip across Japan. Hirobumi stops at independent cinemas across the country, trying to convince the owners to show his films. He encounters setbacks, celebrities and eccentric characters, as well as a mysterious and captivating woman who he seemingly keeps bumping into. Kah Wai Lim’s film is above an affectionate, funny and surprisingly bittersweet celebration of independent cinemas and indie filmmaking. Watanabe makes for an affable companion on this particular cinematic road trip.