One of the main goals of a film festival is to show movies that audiences won't get to see otherwise. For the festival operators there's another objective: testing reactions to films and stories, and using that information for marketing purposes. And with the number of film festivals being held in Japan on the rise, it's a win-win. If you want to see quality movies that may not get a theatrical release (and to encourage distributors to bring over more interesting movies), visit your local film fest for a sampling of undiscovered gems.