For all the live-action manga/anime adaptations of popular properties, it is nice to see filmmakers give lesser-known works the cinematic treatment. Yama Wayama's manga series “Let's Go Karaoke!” while not on the same level of popularity as other comedic illustrated works, has garnered a positive reception in Japan and internationally. Surely, the strange yet humorous concept of the head of a high school choir giving singing lessons to a pitiful yakuza lieutenant could be solidly translated to film, especially in the hands of a talented filmmaker like Nobuhiro Yamashita, best known for his critically acclaimed feature “Linda Linda Linda.” Sadly, “Let's Go Karaoke!” is a movie that accomplishes the unfortunate feat of being both a lackluster comedy and a poorly conceived drama.
Let's Go Karaoke! is screening at Nippon Connection
One day, yakuza member Kyoji Narita is strolling through the rainy streets when he is drawn to the...
Let's Go Karaoke! is screening at Nippon Connection
One day, yakuza member Kyoji Narita is strolling through the rainy streets when he is drawn to the...
- 6/4/2024
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
Mit 19.000 Besucherinnen und Besuchern meldet das Nippon Connection Filmfestival für seine 24. Ausgabe einen neuen Rekord. Der Nippon Cinema Award, über den das Publikum abstimmt, ging an die Musikkomödie „Let’s Go Karaoke!“ von Nobuhiro Yamashita.
Publikumsliebling beim 24. Nippon Connection Filmfestival: „Let’s Go Karaoke“ (Credit: Nippon Connection)
Die 24. Ausgabe des auf japanische Filme spezialisierten Nippon Connection Filmfestivals ging mit einem Publikumsrekord zu Ende. Gesamt strömten laut Festival 19.000 Besucherinnen und Besucher zu den Screenings – so viele wie nie zuvor. Die meisten Film- und Kulturveranstaltungen an den acht Locations in Frankfurt am Main waren laut Veranstalter ausverkauft. Über 150 japanische und internationale Filmschaffende waren vor Ort und tauschten sich mit dem Publikum aus. Der älteste Preis des Festivals, der Nippon Cinema Award, über den das Publikum abstimmt, ging an die Musikkomödie „Let’s Go Karaoke!“ von Nobuhiro Yamashita. Auch bei zwei weiteren Preisen war die Meinung des Publikums gefragt: Gewinner des Nippon Docs Award...
Publikumsliebling beim 24. Nippon Connection Filmfestival: „Let’s Go Karaoke“ (Credit: Nippon Connection)
Die 24. Ausgabe des auf japanische Filme spezialisierten Nippon Connection Filmfestivals ging mit einem Publikumsrekord zu Ende. Gesamt strömten laut Festival 19.000 Besucherinnen und Besucher zu den Screenings – so viele wie nie zuvor. Die meisten Film- und Kulturveranstaltungen an den acht Locations in Frankfurt am Main waren laut Veranstalter ausverkauft. Über 150 japanische und internationale Filmschaffende waren vor Ort und tauschten sich mit dem Publikum aus. Der älteste Preis des Festivals, der Nippon Cinema Award, über den das Publikum abstimmt, ging an die Musikkomödie „Let’s Go Karaoke!“ von Nobuhiro Yamashita. Auch bei zwei weiteren Preisen war die Meinung des Publikums gefragt: Gewinner des Nippon Docs Award...
- 6/4/2024
- by Barbara Schuster
- Spot - Media & Film
Ghost Cat Anzu is an intriguing conceptualization for an animated film, existing in a realm similar to Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away yet also standing as its antithesis.
This French-Japanese co-production from Miyu Productions and Shin-Ei Animation based on the manga by Takashi Imashiro is one of the most eccentric pieces of animation I’ve encountered in a long time — in both good and bad ways. It’s good because of the innovative techniques and methods employed by directors Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita, who take bold experimental leaps. However, it’s also bad because Shinji Imaoka’s script meanders for nearly an hour before reaching the film’s true core, demanding a lot of patience from the viewer without providing much substance in return.
The story begins with Karin (voiced by Noa Goto) and her father Tetsuya (Munetaka Aoki) arriving at the Sousei-Ji temple, where her widowed grandfather resides.
This French-Japanese co-production from Miyu Productions and Shin-Ei Animation based on the manga by Takashi Imashiro is one of the most eccentric pieces of animation I’ve encountered in a long time — in both good and bad ways. It’s good because of the innovative techniques and methods employed by directors Yôko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita, who take bold experimental leaps. However, it’s also bad because Shinji Imaoka’s script meanders for nearly an hour before reaching the film’s true core, demanding a lot of patience from the viewer without providing much substance in return.
The story begins with Karin (voiced by Noa Goto) and her father Tetsuya (Munetaka Aoki) arriving at the Sousei-Ji temple, where her widowed grandfather resides.
- 5/21/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
When Hayao Miyazaki’s long-awaited and supposed swansong The Boy and the Heron opened at No. 1 at the North American box office last December with a record-breaking $12.8 million tally, it was not only the first original anime title to achieve such a feat, but it was the biggest ever opening for U.S. distributor Gkids. It kickstarted what would be a whirlwind few months for the now 16-year-old company as it took the Studio Ghibli film, (which had opened the Toronto Film Festival in September) to an enormous $46.7 million box office gross (more than double their initial projections) in North America and, later a Best Animation win at the Oscars.
“It was the right film for the right time,” says Gkids president Dave Jesteadt. “The Boy and the Heron was Miyazaki’s first film in 10 years, and I think that a normal concern would have been if audiences had forgotten him,...
“It was the right film for the right time,” says Gkids president Dave Jesteadt. “The Boy and the Heron was Miyazaki’s first film in 10 years, and I think that a normal concern would have been if audiences had forgotten him,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Montreal, Quebec | July 18 – August 4, 2024
The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 28th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 18 through August 4, 2024, returning yet again at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montreal's Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.
The festival's full lineup will be announced on July 3, but in the meantime, Fantasia has unveiled a select first wave of premiere titles, along with a first look at its 2024 poster art created by Montreal visual artist Donald Caron.
The highly anticipated Asian films in the line-up include the following:
Confession | Japan | Dir: Nobuhiro Yamashita
North American Premiere
Every winter since Sayuri's tragic disappearance sixteen years ago, Asai and Jiyong climb the mountain where it happened to honor her memory. However, an intense blizzard and a catastrophic injury convince Jiyong he's done for and,...
The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 28th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 18 through August 4, 2024, returning yet again at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montreal's Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.
The festival's full lineup will be announced on July 3, but in the meantime, Fantasia has unveiled a select first wave of premiere titles, along with a first look at its 2024 poster art created by Montreal visual artist Donald Caron.
The highly anticipated Asian films in the line-up include the following:
Confession | Japan | Dir: Nobuhiro Yamashita
North American Premiere
Every winter since Sayuri's tragic disappearance sixteen years ago, Asai and Jiyong climb the mountain where it happened to honor her memory. However, an intense blizzard and a catastrophic injury convince Jiyong he's done for and,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Here. We. Go! Fantasia has announed the first wave of titles for this year's annual gathering of cinema genre nerds in and around Montreal. New films from all over the globe are coming to delight fans and evoke the expected chorus of meows all day and night. New films from Lowell Dean, the Adams family, Chuck Russell, Miguel Llansó, and Jayro Bustamante will be joined by debuts from Chris Stuckmann, Pratul Gaikwad and Annick Blanc. All in all there are already ten world premieres in this first wave alone. Everything you need to know about the first wave follows below. Fantasia Announces A Stunning First Wave Of Titles For Its 28th Edition Chuck Russell's Witchboard, Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks, Nobuhiro Yamashita’s Confession,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 5/9/2024
- Screen Anarchy
Jayro Bustamente's Rita Photo: Fantasia International Film Festival
The Fantasia International Film Festival likes to tease, and as usual, it's revealing its line-up slowly this year, with the first tranche of titles going public today. New works by Nobuhiro Yamashita (Confession), Shinji Araki (Penalty Loop) and the Adams Family (Hell Hole), it's promising to be a thrilling event.
Back at the the Concordia Hall and Ja de Sève cinemas in Montreal for its 28th edition, the festival has attracted some highly anticipated films. Jayro Bustamente's Rita draws on Guatemalan myth and the tragic events at the Virgen de La Asunción children's home in 2017 (previously addressed in Oscar-nominated short Saria) to explore the wider social and existential import of the mistreatment of children. Chris Stuckmann's Shelby Oaks tells the haunting story of one woman's search for her missing sister and her gradual realisation that their childhood invisible friend might have been something real and dangerous.
The Fantasia International Film Festival likes to tease, and as usual, it's revealing its line-up slowly this year, with the first tranche of titles going public today. New works by Nobuhiro Yamashita (Confession), Shinji Araki (Penalty Loop) and the Adams Family (Hell Hole), it's promising to be a thrilling event.
Back at the the Concordia Hall and Ja de Sève cinemas in Montreal for its 28th edition, the festival has attracted some highly anticipated films. Jayro Bustamente's Rita draws on Guatemalan myth and the tragic events at the Virgen de La Asunción children's home in 2017 (previously addressed in Oscar-nominated short Saria) to explore the wider social and existential import of the mistreatment of children. Chris Stuckmann's Shelby Oaks tells the haunting story of one woman's search for her missing sister and her gradual realisation that their childhood invisible friend might have been something real and dangerous.
- 5/9/2024
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 28th edition with another densely packed slate of events and programming running from July 18 through August 4, 2024, returning yet again at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montreal’s Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.
The festival’s full lineup will be announced on July 3, but in the meantime, Fantasia 2024 has revealed a select first wave of premiere titles. With premieres for Chuck Russell’s Witchboard remake, the Mike Flanagan-presented found footage Shelby Oaks, the latest from La Llorona filmmaker Jayro Bustamante and more, Fantasia’s shaping up to have another can’t miss slate of films.
The first wave of select titles, from the press release:
Witchboard
From A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and the beloved1988 remake of The Blob to The Mask, Eraser, and The Scorpion King,...
The festival’s full lineup will be announced on July 3, but in the meantime, Fantasia 2024 has revealed a select first wave of premiere titles. With premieres for Chuck Russell’s Witchboard remake, the Mike Flanagan-presented found footage Shelby Oaks, the latest from La Llorona filmmaker Jayro Bustamante and more, Fantasia’s shaping up to have another can’t miss slate of films.
The first wave of select titles, from the press release:
Witchboard
From A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and the beloved1988 remake of The Blob to The Mask, Eraser, and The Scorpion King,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Quebec’s Fantasia International Film Festival has set the first round of titles set for its 2024 edition, running July 18 – Aug 4.
Films set to debut at the festival include Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks, which will world premiere at the festival with a screening presented by Mike Flanagan.
Produced by Aaron B. Koontz, Cameron Burns, and Ashleigh Snead with exec producers including Flanagan and Trevor Macy, the film follows a woman’s desperate search for her long-lost sister, a famous YouTuber who investigated paranormal happenings, who falls into obsession upon realizing that the imaginary demon from their childhood may have been real. After a successful Kickstarter campaign that broke records across the platform, the highly anticipated feature debut feature from YouTube creator Chris Stuckmann is finally here and ready to scare the pants off the world.
Other premieres set for the fest include Witchboard, the latest film from Chuck Russell.
Films set to debut at the festival include Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks, which will world premiere at the festival with a screening presented by Mike Flanagan.
Produced by Aaron B. Koontz, Cameron Burns, and Ashleigh Snead with exec producers including Flanagan and Trevor Macy, the film follows a woman’s desperate search for her long-lost sister, a famous YouTuber who investigated paranormal happenings, who falls into obsession upon realizing that the imaginary demon from their childhood may have been real. After a successful Kickstarter campaign that broke records across the platform, the highly anticipated feature debut feature from YouTube creator Chris Stuckmann is finally here and ready to scare the pants off the world.
Other premieres set for the fest include Witchboard, the latest film from Chuck Russell.
- 5/9/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Ghost Cat Anzu (known in Japan as Bakeneko Anzu-chan ), an upcoming Japanese and French theatrical anime film co-production, released a new trailer today alongside information on new cast, the official movie poster, and the official theme song performer. The film releases in Japanese theaters on July 19, 2024. Gkids, who executive produced the film, will also distribute the film in North America this year. The film will also host its world premiere at the 77th Cannes International Film Festival this month. The new cast members for Ghost Cat Anzu include: Tetsuya, Karin's Father voiced / motion-captured by Munetaka Aoki Yuzuki, Karin's Mother voiced / motion-captured by Miwako Ichikawa Osho-san, Anzu's Foster Parent voiced / motion-captured by Keiichi Suzuki (of Moonriders) The God of Poverty voiced / motion-captured by Shingo Mizusawa Tanuki voiced / motion-captured by Wataru Sawabe (of Skirt) Actors Mutsuo Yoshioka and Shohei Uno also appear in the film. Actor and musician Chiaki Sato...
- 5/7/2024
- by Paul Chapman
- Crunchyroll
The official website for the upcoming 48th Annecy International Animation Film Festival has revealed 12 films to compete in this year's official selection of feature films. The lineup includes four Japanese film — Ghost Cat Anzu (French-Japanese co-production) directed by Yoko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita, The Colors Within directed by Naoko Yamada, Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window directed by Shinnosuke Yakuwa, and The Imaginary by Yoshiyuki Momose. The 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival Official Selection - Feature films Into the Wonderwoods by Vincent Paronnaud, Alexis Ducard / France, Luxembourg Flow by Gints Zilbalodis / Latvia, Belgium, France Ghost Cat Anzu by Yoko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita / Japan, France The Colors Within by Naoko Yamada / Japan The Most Precious of Cargoes by Michel Hazanavicius / Belgium, France Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Shinnosuke Yakuwa / Japan Memoir of a Snail by Adam Elliot / Australia Rock Bottom by María Trénor / Spain, Poland Sauvages by Claude Barras / Switzerland,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Mikikazu Komatsu
- Crunchyroll
Annecy International Animation Film Festival has unveiled the programme for its 2024 edition, including the Competition line-up and a programme of previews from the major studios.
The 12-strong Official Competition includes Adam Elliot’s Australian feature Memoir Of A Snail, in which Succession star Sarah Snook voices a lonely hoarder of ornamental snails; and stop-motion Savages!, director Claude Barras’ first feature since his Bafta- and Oscar-nominated My Life As A Courgette.
Scroll down for the full Competition line-up
The festival will open with Michel Hazanavicius’ Competition title The Most Precious Of Cargoes, heading to Annecy from its debut in Cannes Competition.
The 12-strong Official Competition includes Adam Elliot’s Australian feature Memoir Of A Snail, in which Succession star Sarah Snook voices a lonely hoarder of ornamental snails; and stop-motion Savages!, director Claude Barras’ first feature since his Bafta- and Oscar-nominated My Life As A Courgette.
Scroll down for the full Competition line-up
The festival will open with Michel Hazanavicius’ Competition title The Most Precious Of Cargoes, heading to Annecy from its debut in Cannes Competition.
- 4/26/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre's 13th annual Toronto Japanese Film Festival will be held from June 6th to 20th at the Jccc's Kobayashi Hall. The festival has now grown into one of the largest film events of its kind in the world and is recognized by the Japanese film industry as a vital conduit for bringing Japanese film to the world.
TorontoJFF is programmed to reflect the rich diversity of the world 4th largest film industry and the 2024 edition will feature 24 films including the International Premieres of Kosai Sekine's mystery drama Stay Mum「かくしごと 」starring Anne Watanabe and Eiji Okuda and Toshiyuki Teruya's heartwarming Okinawa-based comedy Kanasando「かなさんどー 」. The festival is also very proud to present the World Premiere of Alice Il Shin's Landscapes Of Home 「故郷の風景」 from producer Eiko Kawabe Brown. The film is an investigation of Japanese Canadian struggle from a new perspective redefining...
TorontoJFF is programmed to reflect the rich diversity of the world 4th largest film industry and the 2024 edition will feature 24 films including the International Premieres of Kosai Sekine's mystery drama Stay Mum「かくしごと 」starring Anne Watanabe and Eiji Okuda and Toshiyuki Teruya's heartwarming Okinawa-based comedy Kanasando「かなさんどー 」. The festival is also very proud to present the World Premiere of Alice Il Shin's Landscapes Of Home 「故郷の風景」 from producer Eiko Kawabe Brown. The film is an investigation of Japanese Canadian struggle from a new perspective redefining...
- 4/26/2024
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 2024 edition, running from June 9 to 15. (scroll down for full list of titles and events)
Highlights announced on Thursday include Terry Gilliam as guest of honor to receive an Honorary Cristal and give a masterclass. He joins previously announced honorary guest Wes Anderson.
The main Competition and the Contrechamps sections will showcase 23 new animated features.
Features in the main competition include Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius’ first ever animated feature The Most Precious of Cargoes, which will also open the festival.
The drama follows the fate of baby boy who is thrown from an Auschwitz-bound train by his French-Jewish father. The picture will world premiere first in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Other Cannes films in Annecy’s main competition include Un Certain Regard selection Flow by Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis and Ghost Cat Anzu by Japan’s Yoko Kuno,...
Highlights announced on Thursday include Terry Gilliam as guest of honor to receive an Honorary Cristal and give a masterclass. He joins previously announced honorary guest Wes Anderson.
The main Competition and the Contrechamps sections will showcase 23 new animated features.
Features in the main competition include Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius’ first ever animated feature The Most Precious of Cargoes, which will also open the festival.
The drama follows the fate of baby boy who is thrown from an Auschwitz-bound train by his French-Jewish father. The picture will world premiere first in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Other Cannes films in Annecy’s main competition include Un Certain Regard selection Flow by Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis and Ghost Cat Anzu by Japan’s Yoko Kuno,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Most Precious of Cargoes, the first animated feature from Oscar-winning French director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist), will open this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The feature is a 2D animated adaptation of the best-selling book by French author Jean-Claude Grumberg. Set during World War II, it tells the story of a French Jewish family deported to Auschwitz. On the train to the death camp, in a desperate gesture, the father throws one of his baby twins out into the snow, where he’s discovered by a childless Polish couple living deep in the forest.
Hazanavicius presented the film as a work-in-progress at Annecy two years ago. French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant narrates the film with voice acting from Dominique Blanc, Denis Podalydès, and Grégory Gadebois. Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water) composed the score. Animation is from 3.0 Studio – formerly Prima Linea — the group behind the...
The feature is a 2D animated adaptation of the best-selling book by French author Jean-Claude Grumberg. Set during World War II, it tells the story of a French Jewish family deported to Auschwitz. On the train to the death camp, in a desperate gesture, the father throws one of his baby twins out into the snow, where he’s discovered by a childless Polish couple living deep in the forest.
Hazanavicius presented the film as a work-in-progress at Annecy two years ago. French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant narrates the film with voice acting from Dominique Blanc, Denis Podalydès, and Grégory Gadebois. Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water) composed the score. Animation is from 3.0 Studio – formerly Prima Linea — the group behind the...
- 4/25/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre’s 13th annual Toronto Japanese Film Festival will be held from June 6th to 20th at the Jccc’s Kobayashi Hall. The festival has now grown into one of the largest film events of its kind in the world and is recognized by the Japanese film industry as a vital conduit for bringing Japanese film to the world.
Tjff is programmed to reflect the rich diversity of the world 4th largest film industry and the 2024 edition will feature 24 films including the International Premiere of Kosai Sekine’s mystery drama Stay Mum「かくしごと 」starring Anne Watanabe and Eiji Okuda.
North American Premieres include Hayato Kawai’s comic retelling of the 47 Ronin story Don’T Lose Your Head!「身代わり忠臣蔵 」, Sho Miyake’s gentle tale of friendship amid mental-health struggles, All The Long Nights「夜明けのすべて 」, Yoshiyuki Kishi’s winner of the Audience Award and Best Director at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival,...
Tjff is programmed to reflect the rich diversity of the world 4th largest film industry and the 2024 edition will feature 24 films including the International Premiere of Kosai Sekine’s mystery drama Stay Mum「かくしごと 」starring Anne Watanabe and Eiji Okuda.
North American Premieres include Hayato Kawai’s comic retelling of the 47 Ronin story Don’T Lose Your Head!「身代わり忠臣蔵 」, Sho Miyake’s gentle tale of friendship amid mental-health struggles, All The Long Nights「夜明けのすべて 」, Yoshiyuki Kishi’s winner of the Audience Award and Best Director at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Following the main lineups for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, a handful of sidebar slates have been unveiled, featuring Directors Fortnight, Critics Week, and Acid. Notable highlights include the Sundance favorite Good One (read our review here), Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point starring Michael Cera, the first film in over a decade from James White director Josh Mond, the Christopher Abbott-led It Doesn’t Matter, Eat the Night from Jessica Forever duo Caroline Poggi & Jonathan Vinel, Carson Lund’s Eephus, Patricia Mazuy’s Visting Hours, The Hyperboreans, a new film from The Wolf House directors Cristobal Leo & Joaquin Cocina, Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century follow-up Universal Language, and more.
Check out the lineups below.
Cannes Directors Fortnight
Feature films:
“Ma Vie Ma Gueule,” Sophie Fillieres (France) – opening film
“A Son Image,” Thierry de Peretti (France)
“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” Tyler Taormina (USA)
“Desert of Namibia,...
Check out the lineups below.
Cannes Directors Fortnight
Feature films:
“Ma Vie Ma Gueule,” Sophie Fillieres (France) – opening film
“A Son Image,” Thierry de Peretti (France)
“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” Tyler Taormina (USA)
“Desert of Namibia,...
- 4/16/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Cannes Directors’ Fortnight section has unveiled its lineup for the 2024 festival, which will open with This Life of Mine, the final feature from the late French director Sophie Fillières. The drama features Agnès Jaoui as a woman whose identity starts to unravel when she turns 55. Fillières died shortly after wrapping principal photography on the film and her children finished post-production.
There are four U.S. titles in the feature section of the non-competitive sidebar: Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point, Carson Lund’s Eephus, India Donaldson’s Good One and Gazer from Ryan J. Sloan.
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, starring Michael Cera, Elsie Fisher, Francesca Scorsese. Ben Shenkman, Gregg Turkington, Sawyer Spielberg, Maria Dizzia and newcomer Matilda Fleming, follows four generations as they gather for what might be their last Christmas in the family home. Lund, who lensed Christmas Eve, makes his feature debut with Eephus,...
There are four U.S. titles in the feature section of the non-competitive sidebar: Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point, Carson Lund’s Eephus, India Donaldson’s Good One and Gazer from Ryan J. Sloan.
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, starring Michael Cera, Elsie Fisher, Francesca Scorsese. Ben Shenkman, Gregg Turkington, Sawyer Spielberg, Maria Dizzia and newcomer Matilda Fleming, follows four generations as they gather for what might be their last Christmas in the family home. Lund, who lensed Christmas Eve, makes his feature debut with Eephus,...
- 4/16/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 77th edition of Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight will kick off with “This Life of Mine,” a dramedy directed by Sophie Fillières, a renowned French filmmaker who died last year. Presented posthumously, the film is headlined by French stars including Agnès Jaoui, Philippe Katerine and Valérie Donzelli. The independent selection, which has recently gone through a rebranding and is now spearheaded by artistic director Julien Rejl, will close with another French film, Jean-Christophe Meurisse’s “Plastic Guns,” an offbeat crime comedy headlined by popular actor Jonathan Cohen.
The lineup includes as many as four U.S. features, three of which are feature debuts, including India Donaldson’s coming-of-age film”Good One” which premiered at Sundance and garnered solid reviews. Set in upstate New York, “Good One” follows 17-year-old Sam as she joins her father and his oldest friend, Matt, on their annual backpacking trip in the Catskill Mountains. “Good One” has...
The lineup includes as many as four U.S. features, three of which are feature debuts, including India Donaldson’s coming-of-age film”Good One” which premiered at Sundance and garnered solid reviews. Set in upstate New York, “Good One” follows 17-year-old Sam as she joins her father and his oldest friend, Matt, on their annual backpacking trip in the Catskill Mountains. “Good One” has...
- 4/16/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Directors’ Fortnight has unveiled the selection for its 56th edition heavy on films from first-time US filmmakers, South American titles, and talent including Isabelle Huppert, Michael Cera and Agnès Jaoui.
Artistic director Julien Rejl revealed the line-up at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday (April 16) for the Cannes parallel section run by French directors guild the Srf.
Scroll down for the full selection
After undergoing a complete rebranding for last year’s edition complete with new artistic director Rejl and a new more inclusive female-forward name in French to La Quinzaine des Cinéastes, this year’s selection includes eight...
Artistic director Julien Rejl revealed the line-up at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday (April 16) for the Cannes parallel section run by French directors guild the Srf.
Scroll down for the full selection
After undergoing a complete rebranding for last year’s edition complete with new artistic director Rejl and a new more inclusive female-forward name in French to La Quinzaine des Cinéastes, this year’s selection includes eight...
- 4/16/2024
- ScreenDaily
Soon it's that time of year again! Just a few weeks left until the 24th Nippon Connection Film Festival once again envelops Frankfurt am Main (Germany) in bright pink. From May 28 to June 2, 2024, the world's largest festival of Japanese cinema will showcase around 100 short and feature films at eight venues. The country's culture will also be explored through the extensive culture program, reflecting Japan's musical, culinary, and artistic diversity.
The Nippon Connection Film Festival presents works by both established filmmakers and emerging directors. From Takeshi Kitano's action-packed samurai film Kubi to the captivating comedy Fly Me To The Saitama -From Biwa Lake With Love- by Hideki Takeuchi, and Yoshimi Itazu's imaginative animation The Concierge, the film program offers highlights of various genres. Most films will celebrate their German, European, or international premieres at the festival. The festival's focus on Crossing Borders, supported by the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, explores...
The Nippon Connection Film Festival presents works by both established filmmakers and emerging directors. From Takeshi Kitano's action-packed samurai film Kubi to the captivating comedy Fly Me To The Saitama -From Biwa Lake With Love- by Hideki Takeuchi, and Yoshimi Itazu's imaginative animation The Concierge, the film program offers highlights of various genres. Most films will celebrate their German, European, or international premieres at the festival. The festival's focus on Crossing Borders, supported by the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, explores...
- 4/6/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Based on a high school play by the Tokushima City High School Drama Club, “Swimming in a Sand Pool” does function intently like a stage play, but the fact that the majority of the story takes place inside a swimming pool makes it stand out from other similar productions.
Swimming in a Sand Pool is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
It is summer vacation, but high schoolers Kokoro and ‘pretty girl' Miku have been instructed by their Pe teacher, Yamamoto, to clean the swimming pool. The pool has been drained of water and is covered with sand from the baseball team's field, which lies just next to it. The girls are not exactly eager to do so under the blazing sun, while Miku soon has an argument with the teacher, since she is wearing make-up against the school rules. Furthermore, Chizuru, a rather quirky girl who is practicing her...
Swimming in a Sand Pool is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
It is summer vacation, but high schoolers Kokoro and ‘pretty girl' Miku have been instructed by their Pe teacher, Yamamoto, to clean the swimming pool. The pool has been drained of water and is covered with sand from the baseball team's field, which lies just next to it. The girls are not exactly eager to do so under the blazing sun, while Miku soon has an argument with the teacher, since she is wearing make-up against the school rules. Furthermore, Chizuru, a rather quirky girl who is practicing her...
- 3/4/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Nippon powerhouse Toho has thrown its weight behind directors Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita’s “Ghost Cat Anzu,” overseeing the Japanese release and marking the occasion with a brand-new teaser.
As previously announced, specialty distributor Gkids has already picked up the film for North America, while Charades continues to roll out international sales.
Bringing together Japan’s Shin-Ei Animation and France’s Miyu Productions, the family title tracks the tempestuous friendship shared between 11-year Karin, a strong-minded girl sent to live with her monk granddad in the Japanese countryside, and Anzu, the even-more unpredictable phantom feline who acts as her guardian.
‘Ghost Cat Anzu’
Adapted from Takashi Imashiro’s manga, the animated title will feature the voice talents of Mirai Moriyama as the phantom feline, and Noa Goto as his young charge. The project will hit Japanese screens in July with a North American opening to follow.
Best known his critically acclaimed features,...
As previously announced, specialty distributor Gkids has already picked up the film for North America, while Charades continues to roll out international sales.
Bringing together Japan’s Shin-Ei Animation and France’s Miyu Productions, the family title tracks the tempestuous friendship shared between 11-year Karin, a strong-minded girl sent to live with her monk granddad in the Japanese countryside, and Anzu, the even-more unpredictable phantom feline who acts as her guardian.
‘Ghost Cat Anzu’
Adapted from Takashi Imashiro’s manga, the animated title will feature the voice talents of Mirai Moriyama as the phantom feline, and Noa Goto as his young charge. The project will hit Japanese screens in July with a North American opening to follow.
Best known his critically acclaimed features,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
"A once-in-a-lifetime summer." GKids has revealed the first look teaser trailer for a Japanese animated film titled Ghost Cat Anzu, arriving to watch later in 2024. This originally premiered at the 2023 Annecy Film Festival last year as a work-in-progress project. It's now finished and ready to debut in Japan this summer. It's a rotoscoped 2D animation film that's co-directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita, who often makes live-action films. The Japanese cinema master Nobuhiro Yamashita x rising star of anime world Yôko Kuno x world-renowned artist Mirai Moriyama create a "monster cat"! The anime is about an amusing friendship shared between Karin, a strong-minded girl sent to live with her monk granddad in the Japanese countryside, and Anzu, the even-more unpredictable phantom feline who acts as her guardian. Mirai Moriyama voices the titular Anzu, and Noa Gotō voices Karin. Both played their characters live-action that became the reference for the animators, with both...
- 2/25/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A remake of the Taiwanese hit “My Missing Valentine”, “One Second Ahead, One Second Behind” remains faithful to the original script, with one crucial difference, of flipping the genders of the protagonists.
One Second Ahead, One Second Behind is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival
Hajime has always been one second faster than everyone else. His eyes are never open in any of his school portraits, and he wakes up before his alarm goes off. Driving is also an issue, which is what has made him change his job in the post office, from delivering mail to manning the counter. He lives with his sister, a ganguro indulger, and frequently calls the radio station to talk about his personal life, in instances his mother and sister also listen and put in their own opinion about his self-loathing, particularly having to do with his inability to keep a girlfriend. Things,...
One Second Ahead, One Second Behind is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival
Hajime has always been one second faster than everyone else. His eyes are never open in any of his school portraits, and he wakes up before his alarm goes off. Driving is also an issue, which is what has made him change his job in the post office, from delivering mail to manning the counter. He lives with his sister, a ganguro indulger, and frequently calls the radio station to talk about his personal life, in instances his mother and sister also listen and put in their own opinion about his self-loathing, particularly having to do with his inability to keep a girlfriend. Things,...
- 11/16/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Specialty distributor Gkids has picked up North American rights to directors Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita’s upcoming animated feature “Ghost Cat Anzu,” while Paris-based Charades has boarded the project for international sales.
Spearheaded by Miyu Productions and Shin-Ei Animation, and adapted from a manga by Takashi Imashiro, the family title tracks the tempestuous friendship shared between 11-year Karin, a strong-minded girl sent to live with her monk granddad in the Japanese countryside, and Anzu, the even-more unpredictable phantom feline who acts as her guardian.
The project will screen as a work-in-progress presentation at this year’s Annecy Animation Festival, and is slated for release in 2024.
“From the moment we saw the first drawings and read the script, we knew we needed to be attached and help get this film into the world,” says Gkids director Eric Beckman. “We are huge fans of Yoku Kuno’s animation, of Shin-Ei, and...
Spearheaded by Miyu Productions and Shin-Ei Animation, and adapted from a manga by Takashi Imashiro, the family title tracks the tempestuous friendship shared between 11-year Karin, a strong-minded girl sent to live with her monk granddad in the Japanese countryside, and Anzu, the even-more unpredictable phantom feline who acts as her guardian.
The project will screen as a work-in-progress presentation at this year’s Annecy Animation Festival, and is slated for release in 2024.
“From the moment we saw the first drawings and read the script, we knew we needed to be attached and help get this film into the world,” says Gkids director Eric Beckman. “We are huge fans of Yoku Kuno’s animation, of Shin-Ei, and...
- 6/12/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
From the late ’50s and into the 1970s the Japanese New Wave exhibited an incredible creative outburst that defined and shaped what we consider contemporary Japanese cinema. But most studious critics have labeled what came after, the 1980s, as the “lost decade” of Japanese filmmaking, where no major directors or movements came to the forefront in either the home country or worldwide. Nevertheless, there’s been a recent surge of reconsideration of that period, mainly through retrospectives and restorations, like the one put together by Japan Society on Shinji Somai, one of the most important, eclectic directors who got his start in that epoch.
“Rites of Passage: The Films of Shinji Somai” features seven of the director’s early features, made between 1981 and 1990, which cemented his style. As the name of the retrospective and its accompanying description by its programmers hint, Somai cut his teeth into the seishun eiga (youth film) genre,...
“Rites of Passage: The Films of Shinji Somai” features seven of the director’s early features, made between 1981 and 1990, which cemented his style. As the name of the retrospective and its accompanying description by its programmers hint, Somai cut his teeth into the seishun eiga (youth film) genre,...
- 4/26/2023
- by Jaime Grijalba
- The Film Stage
Official Selection: Busan International Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest and many more.
Synopsis: Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer “No Name” (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father serious. But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must begin looking for him.
After working as an assistant director for Japanese films, including Nobuhiro Yamashita’s works, filmmaker Shinzô Katayama crossed paths with Bong Joon-Ho while shooting “Tokyo!” (2008) and served as his assistant director on “Mother” (2009). In 2019, his debut feature, “Siblings of the Cape ” was selected by numerous domestic and international film festivals.
Synopsis: Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer “No Name” (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father serious. But when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must begin looking for him.
After working as an assistant director for Japanese films, including Nobuhiro Yamashita’s works, filmmaker Shinzô Katayama crossed paths with Bong Joon-Ho while shooting “Tokyo!” (2008) and served as his assistant director on “Mother” (2009). In 2019, his debut feature, “Siblings of the Cape ” was selected by numerous domestic and international film festivals.
- 10/13/2022
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
I do not think there is any other movie industry in the world that produces so many movies about toxic individuals as the Japanese one, with the independent sector in particular dealing with this type of personas quite frequently, as filmmakers like Shinya Tsukamoro. Tetsuya Mariko and Toshiaki Toyoda extensively focus on this type of loser. Nobuhiro Yamashita attempts to do the same, adapting the Akutagawa Prize-winning novel “Kueki Ressha” by Kenta Nishimura, adding though, a very significant element, the presence of female character Yasuko, who did not exist in the original.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The character in focus is named Kanta Kitamachi, and he is the epitome of the term ‘loser’. Coming from a family that fell apart when his father was convicted as a sex offender, the 19-year-old has been living alone in a tiny apartment, spending all the money...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The character in focus is named Kanta Kitamachi, and he is the epitome of the term ‘loser’. Coming from a family that fell apart when his father was convicted as a sex offender, the 19-year-old has been living alone in a tiny apartment, spending all the money...
- 9/7/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Amazon Prime Video has doubled down on its investment in Japan with six local originals greenlit and an additional foray into live boxing.
At an event in Tokyo on Wednesday, Amazon revealed a reboot of “Takeshi’s Castle,” the iconic game show starring Kitano Takeshi that aired on terrestrial network TBS from 1986-1989. The reboot, with the working title “Takeshi’s Castle ProjectModern Love Tokyo," the Japanese adaptation of Prime Video’s original romantic anthology series "Modern Love." The series stars Asami Mizukawa, Hiromi Nagasaku, Yûsuke Santamaria, Sôsuke Ikematsu, and Naomi Scott, with episodes directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa ("Wife of a Spy"), Naoko Ogigami ("Close-Knit"), Ryuichi Hiroki ("Ride or Die"), Nobuhiro Yamashita ("Matsugane ransha jiken"), and Atsuko Hirayanagi ("Oh Lucy!"), who also serves as showrunner. Set for 2023 is "My Lovely Yokai Girlfriend" a half-hour, young adult romantic horror adventure-comedy series about two outcasts directed by Takahiro Miki and created by Yalun Tu...
At an event in Tokyo on Wednesday, Amazon revealed a reboot of “Takeshi’s Castle,” the iconic game show starring Kitano Takeshi that aired on terrestrial network TBS from 1986-1989. The reboot, with the working title “Takeshi’s Castle ProjectModern Love Tokyo," the Japanese adaptation of Prime Video’s original romantic anthology series "Modern Love." The series stars Asami Mizukawa, Hiromi Nagasaku, Yûsuke Santamaria, Sôsuke Ikematsu, and Naomi Scott, with episodes directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa ("Wife of a Spy"), Naoko Ogigami ("Close-Knit"), Ryuichi Hiroki ("Ride or Die"), Nobuhiro Yamashita ("Matsugane ransha jiken"), and Atsuko Hirayanagi ("Oh Lucy!"), who also serves as showrunner. Set for 2023 is "My Lovely Yokai Girlfriend" a half-hour, young adult romantic horror adventure-comedy series about two outcasts directed by Takahiro Miki and created by Yalun Tu...
- 3/30/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Doubling down on investment and expanding its offer in Japan, Prime Video has unveiled a slate of new Japanese originals including a reboot of iconic game show Takeshi’s Castle and a local adaptation of anthology series Modern Love. The streamer revealed the lineup at a showcase event in Tokyo today, where it also announced it will livestream the World Bantamweight title fight between Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire on June 7.
Among other new offerings are YA romantic horror adventure-comedy series My Undead Yokai Girlfriend created by NCIS: Hawaii and Grace alums Yalun Tu and Zach Hines; a movie adaptation of Ryota Kosawa’s bestseller Angel Flight; and second seasons of The Masked Singer and The Bachelorette Japan which will debut this summer. Further, an April 22 premiere date for the first season of Bake Off Japan has been set with judges Toshihiko Yoroizuka and Yoshimi Ishikawa, and hosts Maki Sakai and Asuka Kudo.
Among other new offerings are YA romantic horror adventure-comedy series My Undead Yokai Girlfriend created by NCIS: Hawaii and Grace alums Yalun Tu and Zach Hines; a movie adaptation of Ryota Kosawa’s bestseller Angel Flight; and second seasons of The Masked Singer and The Bachelorette Japan which will debut this summer. Further, an April 22 premiere date for the first season of Bake Off Japan has been set with judges Toshihiko Yoroizuka and Yoshimi Ishikawa, and hosts Maki Sakai and Asuka Kudo.
- 3/30/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
In a departure, Japan’s Shin-Ei Animation, the studio behind two of the biggest anime TV franchises ever, “Doraemon” and “Crayon Shin-chan,” is teaming with France’s Miyu Productions to co-produce “Ghost Cat Anzu,” an auteurist animated feature film.
Directed by Japan’s Nobuhiro Yamashita and Yoko Kuno, “Ghost Cat Anzu” also marks the latest expansive move by Miyu, a major French force for years in graduate and professional short film production and distribution – “Inés” was a standout at last year’s Annecy – which is moving ever more forcefully into feature films, as a producer and sales agent.
Adapting the manga by Takashi Imashiro, “Ghost Cat Anzu” turns on Karin, 11, left by her father at the home of her grandpa, a small town monk living in the Japanese countryside. Her grandfather asks Anza, his ghost cat, to look after her.
The feature draws on the Japanese folklore that cats that...
Directed by Japan’s Nobuhiro Yamashita and Yoko Kuno, “Ghost Cat Anzu” also marks the latest expansive move by Miyu, a major French force for years in graduate and professional short film production and distribution – “Inés” was a standout at last year’s Annecy – which is moving ever more forcefully into feature films, as a producer and sales agent.
Adapting the manga by Takashi Imashiro, “Ghost Cat Anzu” turns on Karin, 11, left by her father at the home of her grandpa, a small town monk living in the Japanese countryside. Her grandfather asks Anza, his ghost cat, to look after her.
The feature draws on the Japanese folklore that cats that...
- 6/9/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
To most viewers, director Nobuhiro Yamashita is known for his feature films as well as his works for Japanese television, but in the animated short “Lucky Owl With Shimako”, co-directed by Yoko Kuno, who previously worked on “Penguin Highway” or “The Case of Hana and Alice”, he delves into the art of animation. In the one-minute-short, he tells a story about the kind of encounters you can have in the city, along with the adventures you can experience.
Lucky Owl With Shimako is screening at Nippon Connection
At Ikebukuro station, four year-old Shimako is separated from her parents and is soon lost within the streets of the city. When she suddenly sees an owl statue, she engages in an adventure in the streets of Tokyo which not only makes her travel back in time, but also shows her the way to the apartment of a cartoonist, who once lived there.
Lucky Owl With Shimako is screening at Nippon Connection
At Ikebukuro station, four year-old Shimako is separated from her parents and is soon lost within the streets of the city. When she suddenly sees an owl statue, she engages in an adventure in the streets of Tokyo which not only makes her travel back in time, but also shows her the way to the apartment of a cartoonist, who once lived there.
- 6/7/2021
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
The final part of “The Hakodate Trilogy” based on the writings of Yasushi Sato, Nobuhiro Yamashita’s “Over the Fence” is a film about a number of troubled characters that has its moments but too often falls into some of the trappings of melodrama, resulting in a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion in a piece that is as troubled as its main characters.
“Over the Fence” screened at Camera Japan
Shiraiwa (Joe Odagiri) studies carpentry at a vocational college in Hakodate for the simple reason that he gets unemployment pay as a result. With no real direction, the Tokyoite has seemingly escaped a troubled past on the northern island, appearing to want a quiet place to hide from his family and the world in general. The rest of his course are a bunch of misfits, all seemingly escaping troubled pasts. Invited to a hostess bar by course-mate Daishima (Shota Matsuda), they meet Daishima’s ex,...
“Over the Fence” screened at Camera Japan
Shiraiwa (Joe Odagiri) studies carpentry at a vocational college in Hakodate for the simple reason that he gets unemployment pay as a result. With no real direction, the Tokyoite has seemingly escaped a troubled past on the northern island, appearing to want a quiet place to hide from his family and the world in general. The rest of his course are a bunch of misfits, all seemingly escaping troubled pasts. Invited to a hostess bar by course-mate Daishima (Shota Matsuda), they meet Daishima’s ex,...
- 9/15/2020
- by Andrew Thayne
- AsianMoviePulse
By Shikhar Verma
An eerie, almost dreamlike score follows us through the life of Shiraiwa (Joe Odagiri) as his monotonous routine of paddling across the town from his vocational training school shows us his solitary lifestyle. So, when his brother-in-law offers to buy a car for himself, we are almost sure that his answer wouldn’t be affirmative. Nobuhiro Yamashita’s ‘Over The Fence’ makes us hang out with Shiraiwa and everyone connected to him until we are no longer just passing time with him. We want his clueless life to have a virtuous end. Life, that is often cruel doesn’t offer all of us a fateful future. But we wish for him to hit a home run and run towards the next base with a joyous look on his face.
Over the Fence screened at Japan Cuts
The film is about people living their life with regrets. These...
An eerie, almost dreamlike score follows us through the life of Shiraiwa (Joe Odagiri) as his monotonous routine of paddling across the town from his vocational training school shows us his solitary lifestyle. So, when his brother-in-law offers to buy a car for himself, we are almost sure that his answer wouldn’t be affirmative. Nobuhiro Yamashita’s ‘Over The Fence’ makes us hang out with Shiraiwa and everyone connected to him until we are no longer just passing time with him. We want his clueless life to have a virtuous end. Life, that is often cruel doesn’t offer all of us a fateful future. But we wish for him to hit a home run and run towards the next base with a joyous look on his face.
Over the Fence screened at Japan Cuts
The film is about people living their life with regrets. These...
- 7/8/2020
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Stars: Takayuki Yamada, Takeru Satoh, Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Takuzo Kubikukuri, Kei Ishibashi | Written by Kousuke Mukai | Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita
I definitely do have a love for films are not only original but very strange as well. From the killer tyre movie Rubber, to the one-off brilliance of Swiss Army Man, to food that will murder you in Dead Sushi and there’s so many more I love. And Hard-Core, like those, is indeed a bit strange…
For about the first thirty minutes, Hard-Core doesn’t seem that odd. We see a guy, Ukon and his friend Ushiyama (who has a a learning disability) working in a derelict mine for a guy who believes there is gold there. These two then discover a robot in an abandoned factory and along with Ukon’s brother Sakon, their world changes forever.
Ukon is such a fascinating and brilliant character. I always felt like...
I definitely do have a love for films are not only original but very strange as well. From the killer tyre movie Rubber, to the one-off brilliance of Swiss Army Man, to food that will murder you in Dead Sushi and there’s so many more I love. And Hard-Core, like those, is indeed a bit strange…
For about the first thirty minutes, Hard-Core doesn’t seem that odd. We see a guy, Ukon and his friend Ushiyama (who has a a learning disability) working in a derelict mine for a guy who believes there is gold there. These two then discover a robot in an abandoned factory and along with Ukon’s brother Sakon, their world changes forever.
Ukon is such a fascinating and brilliant character. I always felt like...
- 7/29/2019
- by Alain Elliott
- Nerdly
With a final wave of programming, the 2019 edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival has now released its full lineup, featuring over 130 incredible features from across the globe.
Fantasia International Film Festival
Montreal, Quebec – July 11 to August 1
In addition, the festival is also very proud to announce a record number of repertory titles, its esteemed 2019 jury, a horror film location bus tour through Montreal, and exciting, one-of-a-kind live events with producer Edward R. Pressman, “First Blood” director Ted Kotcheff, and iconic horror host Joe Bob Briggs.
Japanese horror icon ”Sadako” will open fantasia 2019!
Sadako
Twenty years ago, Fantasia celebrated the North American Premiere of Hideo Nakata’s “Ringu” and its sequel, which led to Dreamworks acquiring the franchise and is largely seen as having been the birth of J-Horror in the West. This Summer, the festival is proud to open its 23rd edition with the series’ latest sequel, “Sadako” (North...
Fantasia International Film Festival
Montreal, Quebec – July 11 to August 1
In addition, the festival is also very proud to announce a record number of repertory titles, its esteemed 2019 jury, a horror film location bus tour through Montreal, and exciting, one-of-a-kind live events with producer Edward R. Pressman, “First Blood” director Ted Kotcheff, and iconic horror host Joe Bob Briggs.
Japanese horror icon ”Sadako” will open fantasia 2019!
Sadako
Twenty years ago, Fantasia celebrated the North American Premiere of Hideo Nakata’s “Ringu” and its sequel, which led to Dreamworks acquiring the franchise and is largely seen as having been the birth of J-Horror in the West. This Summer, the festival is proud to open its 23rd edition with the series’ latest sequel, “Sadako” (North...
- 6/28/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Vietnamese star Veronica Ngo to receive Daniel A. Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema.
Kim Yoon-seok’s Another Child from South Korea and Huang Chao-liang’s Han Dan from Taiwan are among seven entries that will vie for the Uncaged Award for best feature film in the 2019 New York Asian Film Festival main competition.
Rounding out the competition entries are: Moon Sungho’s 5 Million Dollar Life (Japan), Katsumi Nojiri’s Lying To Mom (Japan), Kenneth Lim Dagatan’s Ma (Philippines), Yi Ok-seop’s Maggie (South Korea), and Wu Nan’s Push And Shove (China). The festival runs from June...
Kim Yoon-seok’s Another Child from South Korea and Huang Chao-liang’s Han Dan from Taiwan are among seven entries that will vie for the Uncaged Award for best feature film in the 2019 New York Asian Film Festival main competition.
Rounding out the competition entries are: Moon Sungho’s 5 Million Dollar Life (Japan), Katsumi Nojiri’s Lying To Mom (Japan), Kenneth Lim Dagatan’s Ma (Philippines), Yi Ok-seop’s Maggie (South Korea), and Wu Nan’s Push And Shove (China). The festival runs from June...
- 6/12/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Ever since his debut feature “Hazy Life” Japanese director Nobuhiro Yamashita has been a regular at many film festivals, including Nippon Connection. Many of his films are concerned with outsiders within Japanese society starting, from youths to the unemployed, so essentially people who feel left behind in Japan. His film “Hard-Core”, an adaptation of the manga series by Caribu Marley and Takashi Imashiro, is screened at this year’s Nippon Connection.
We sat down with the director to discuss his feature, his inspirations and his opinion on Japan’s relationship to robots.
“Hard-Core” is screening at Nippon Connection
This year’s Nippon Connection deals with the topic of outlaws and outsiders in the Japanese society. Considering this background, do you think of yourself as an outsider or outlaw director?
(laughs) No, I am quite a normal person. However, within the Japanese film industry I am indeed a bit of an outsider.
We sat down with the director to discuss his feature, his inspirations and his opinion on Japan’s relationship to robots.
“Hard-Core” is screening at Nippon Connection
This year’s Nippon Connection deals with the topic of outlaws and outsiders in the Japanese society. Considering this background, do you think of yourself as an outsider or outlaw director?
(laughs) No, I am quite a normal person. However, within the Japanese film industry I am indeed a bit of an outsider.
- 6/3/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
From May 28 to June 2, 2019 the nineteenth edition of the Nippon Connection Film Festival will take place in Frankfurt am Main. As the biggest festival for Japanese cinema worldwide, it offers an exciting insight into the current state of the Japanese film scene with more than 100 short and feature length films from all genres. Numerous filmmakers and artists from Japan will be present to introduce their works and establish a lively exchange with the German audience. A diverse cultural program including workshops, lectures, and concerts gives visitors the chance to explore the multifaceted culture of Japan. The main venues are at the Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and the Theater Willy Praml in der Naxoshalle.
Still from “And Your Bird Can Sing
Film Highlights
At the Nippon Connection Film Festival, numerous outstanding productions from Japan will be screened, most of them having their German premieres. Shinsuke Sato is considered a specialist for successful manga adaptations.
Still from “And Your Bird Can Sing
Film Highlights
At the Nippon Connection Film Festival, numerous outstanding productions from Japan will be screened, most of them having their German premieres. Shinsuke Sato is considered a specialist for successful manga adaptations.
- 4/2/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Sho Miyake – directed his first feature, ‘Good for nothing’ in 2010. His ‘Playback’ debuted in competition at the 2012 Locarno International Film Festival and won him several directing awards in Japan. The ‘Cockpit’ premiered at the Cinéma du Réel documentary festival. He also directed TV dramas and video artwork. His new film ‘Wild Tour’ will be released in 2019.
Tasuku Emoto – actor who is from a family of prolific and well-respected character actors. His father is actor Akira Emoto, his mother is actress Kazue Tsunogae, his younger brother is actor Tokio Emoto, and his wife is actress Sakura Ando. He began acting as a young teenager and has since played many supporting roles and starred in a wide range of TV dramas and feature films. He was born in Tokyo on 1986 and attended Wako High School. His career began in 2001 while he was still a student. That year he auditioned for and won...
Tasuku Emoto – actor who is from a family of prolific and well-respected character actors. His father is actor Akira Emoto, his mother is actress Kazue Tsunogae, his younger brother is actor Tokio Emoto, and his wife is actress Sakura Ando. He began acting as a young teenager and has since played many supporting roles and starred in a wide range of TV dramas and feature films. He was born in Tokyo on 1986 and attended Wako High School. His career began in 2001 while he was still a student. That year he auditioned for and won...
- 11/30/2018
- by Nikodem Karolak
- AsianMoviePulse
The Tiffcom market, a sales event adjacent to the Tokyo International Film Festival, always includes the latest film launches from Japan. This year the selection is especially varied and rich. Arranged by sales company, highlights include:
Kadokawa
“Chiwawa”
Scripted and directed by Ken Ninomiya, this mystery about a 20-year-old Instagram star who ends up dead in Tokyo Bay, is based on a popular comic. It features a cast that includes the internationally known Chiaki Kuriyama (“Kill Bill”) and Tadanobu Asano (“The Third Murder”).
“Hard-Core”
Festival favorite, Nobuhiro Yamashita has adapted a cult hit comic about a pair of misfits who are inseparable friends. They encounter a retro-looking robot with astonishing powers, and together embark on a bizarre hunt for long-buried treasure.
“The Antique: Secret of the Old Books”
Yukiko Mishima, director of the acclaimed 2017 drama “Dear Etranger,” has returned with a literary mystery, based on En Mikami’s best-selling novel.
Kadokawa
“Chiwawa”
Scripted and directed by Ken Ninomiya, this mystery about a 20-year-old Instagram star who ends up dead in Tokyo Bay, is based on a popular comic. It features a cast that includes the internationally known Chiaki Kuriyama (“Kill Bill”) and Tadanobu Asano (“The Third Murder”).
“Hard-Core”
Festival favorite, Nobuhiro Yamashita has adapted a cult hit comic about a pair of misfits who are inseparable friends. They encounter a retro-looking robot with astonishing powers, and together embark on a bizarre hunt for long-buried treasure.
“The Antique: Secret of the Old Books”
Yukiko Mishima, director of the acclaimed 2017 drama “Dear Etranger,” has returned with a literary mystery, based on En Mikami’s best-selling novel.
- 10/23/2018
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
The award ceremony for the oldest Japanese cinema competition took place on February 5 at the Bunkyo Civic Center, and the list of winners is:
Best Actor: Yuya Yagira (Destruction Babies)
Best Actress: Rie Miyazawa (Her Love Boils Bath Water)
Best Supporting Actor: Pistol Takehara (The Long Excuse)
Best Supporting Actress: Hana Sugisaki (Her Love Boils Bath Water)
Best Director: Sunao Katabuchi (In This Corner of the World)
Best Director (Foreign): Clint Eastwood (Sully)
Best Screenplay: Hideaki Anno (Shin Godzilla)
Best New Actor: Nijiro Murakami (Destruction Babies, Natsumi no Hotaru)
Best New Actress: Nana Komatsu (Oboreru Knife, Destruction Babies)
Best Ten Japanese Feature Films
In This Corner of the World (Sunao Katabuchi)
Shin Godzilla (Shinji Higuchi/Hideaki Anno)
Harmonium (Koji Fukada)
Destruction Babies (Mariko Tetsuya)
Long Excuse (Miwa Nishikawa)
The Bride of Rip Van Winkle (Shunji Iwai)
Her Love Boils Bath Water (Ryota Nakano)
Creepy (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
Over the Fence...
Best Actor: Yuya Yagira (Destruction Babies)
Best Actress: Rie Miyazawa (Her Love Boils Bath Water)
Best Supporting Actor: Pistol Takehara (The Long Excuse)
Best Supporting Actress: Hana Sugisaki (Her Love Boils Bath Water)
Best Director: Sunao Katabuchi (In This Corner of the World)
Best Director (Foreign): Clint Eastwood (Sully)
Best Screenplay: Hideaki Anno (Shin Godzilla)
Best New Actor: Nijiro Murakami (Destruction Babies, Natsumi no Hotaru)
Best New Actress: Nana Komatsu (Oboreru Knife, Destruction Babies)
Best Ten Japanese Feature Films
In This Corner of the World (Sunao Katabuchi)
Shin Godzilla (Shinji Higuchi/Hideaki Anno)
Harmonium (Koji Fukada)
Destruction Babies (Mariko Tetsuya)
Long Excuse (Miwa Nishikawa)
The Bride of Rip Van Winkle (Shunji Iwai)
Her Love Boils Bath Water (Ryota Nakano)
Creepy (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
Over the Fence...
- 2/6/2017
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The script is based on the short story “Over Fence” from the collection “Ogon no Fuku” by Yasushi Sato. Shiraiwa has recently divorced and has moved to another town, where he takes carpentry lessons at a vocational school. His divorce has left him with a psychological trauma, as is the case with many of his classmates, who seem to be there for various reasons. One of them named Kazuhisa takes him to a nightclub, in order to pitch him an idea for a joint business venture. While there, he meets an eccentric hostess, Satoshi, who seems to like him immediately. A peculiar relationship is initiated between them, as she borders on hysteria and he is filled with self-pity. In the meantime, he and his classmates are also training for a baseball match between schools.
A genuine Japanese drama
Nobuhiro Yamashita directs a film in the well-established style of the contemporary...
A genuine Japanese drama
Nobuhiro Yamashita directs a film in the well-established style of the contemporary...
- 10/25/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Exclusive: Omnibus film was inspired by a Japanese punk band.
Japanese studio Nikkatsu has picked up international rights to omnibus film The Blue Hearts, comprising six short films inspired by the music of the iconic Japanese punk band of the same name.
The six directors contributing shorts include Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge), Ken Iizuka, Shinichi Kudo, Ten Shimoyama, Noboru Iguchi and Lee Sang-il. Cast includes Masatoshi Nagase (Mystery Train) who stars in Kudo’s segment, Frozen Expectation.
Active from 1985 to 1995, The Blue Hearts have been compared to Western bands such as the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. Some of their songs were covered in Nobuhiro Yamashita’s 2005 indie hit Linda Linda Linda.
An incomplete version of The Blue Hearts omnibus film was screened at this year’s Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival.
Nikkastu’s Cannes slate also includes Roman Porno Reboot, a series of five features from leading Japanese directors inspired by the Roman Porno genre, and Kazuya Shiraishi...
Japanese studio Nikkatsu has picked up international rights to omnibus film The Blue Hearts, comprising six short films inspired by the music of the iconic Japanese punk band of the same name.
The six directors contributing shorts include Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge), Ken Iizuka, Shinichi Kudo, Ten Shimoyama, Noboru Iguchi and Lee Sang-il. Cast includes Masatoshi Nagase (Mystery Train) who stars in Kudo’s segment, Frozen Expectation.
Active from 1985 to 1995, The Blue Hearts have been compared to Western bands such as the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. Some of their songs were covered in Nobuhiro Yamashita’s 2005 indie hit Linda Linda Linda.
An incomplete version of The Blue Hearts omnibus film was screened at this year’s Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival.
Nikkastu’s Cannes slate also includes Roman Porno Reboot, a series of five features from leading Japanese directors inspired by the Roman Porno genre, and Kazuya Shiraishi...
- 5/11/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Montreal’s genre film festival wraps with over 100,000 spectators attending across its 23 days of screenings.
Sion Sono’s Tag was among the winners at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, which wrapped yesterday [Aug 4] with the Canadian premiere of Shinji Higuchi’s Attack on Titan.
This year saw over 100,000 spectators attending across the festival’s 23 days of screenings, including 195 indoor screenings, three outdoor screenings, eight virtual reality films and other special events, such as the debut international performance of Glass Eye Pix’s live horror radio show Tales from Beyond the Pale.
Over 900 international guests, including more than 400 film industry professionals, visited the festival and its Frontières Market which saw two deals close during the market. Raven Banner boarded worldwide sales on Gigi Saul Guerrero’s El Gigante, while Frank Murray of Lux Capta Films signed on as producer of Renaud Gauthier’s ‘Lude Behavior.
Guests included Jon Watts and Kevin Bacon for Cop Car, Michael Ironside, [link...
Sion Sono’s Tag was among the winners at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, which wrapped yesterday [Aug 4] with the Canadian premiere of Shinji Higuchi’s Attack on Titan.
This year saw over 100,000 spectators attending across the festival’s 23 days of screenings, including 195 indoor screenings, three outdoor screenings, eight virtual reality films and other special events, such as the debut international performance of Glass Eye Pix’s live horror radio show Tales from Beyond the Pale.
Over 900 international guests, including more than 400 film industry professionals, visited the festival and its Frontières Market which saw two deals close during the market. Raven Banner boarded worldwide sales on Gigi Saul Guerrero’s El Gigante, while Frank Murray of Lux Capta Films signed on as producer of Renaud Gauthier’s ‘Lude Behavior.
Guests included Jon Watts and Kevin Bacon for Cop Car, Michael Ironside, [link...
- 8/5/2015
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
Considered the world’s largest genre film festival and running over three weeks long, Fantasia is celebrating its 19th edition this year and the lineup is pretty incredible. This year’s fest runs July 14 through August 4 and will see over 130 feature films including more than 20 world premieres. Legendary filmmaker Sion Sono is delivering three new movies with Tag, Love & Peace, and Shinjuku Swan, meanwhile Tales of Halloween and A Christmas Horror Story are bringing horror anthologies back to the big screen. In addition, the festival will offer up the Montreal premiere of Marvel’s highly anticipated Ant-Man, the world premiere of Israeli horror flick Jeruzalem, the world premiere of Assassination Classroom and the first Canadian screening of the Canadian/Kiwi festival hit Turbo Kid. The festival is rounded out with screenings of Big Match, Crumbs, Deathgasm, The Demolisher, Experimenter, Cooties, We Are Still Here, The Editor, Cub, He Never Died,...
- 7/26/2015
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
The 14th New York Asian Film Festival will launch on June 26 with the North American premiere of Philip Yung’s crime thriller.
Festival top brass announced that the Centerpiece Presentation is the North American Premiere of Sabu’s Chasuke’s Journey.
Other notable films include the world premiere of Fire Lee’s Robbery, the International Premiere of Anh Sang-hoon’s Empire Of Lust and the North American premieres of Chen Jiabin’s directorial debut A Fool and Lau Ho-leung’s Two Thumbs Up.
As reported previously, the 2015 Screen International Rising Star Award will go to Japanese actor Shota Sometani (pictured) and the 2015 Star Asia Award will be presented to Hong Kong’s Aaron Kwok.
North American film premieres include Nobuhiro Yamashita’s La La La At Rock Bottom, Yim Soon-rye’s The Whistleblower and the international premiere of Namewee’s Banglasia.
Sidebars include a spotlight on Myung Films and Korean women filmmakers.
Japanese film legends...
Festival top brass announced that the Centerpiece Presentation is the North American Premiere of Sabu’s Chasuke’s Journey.
Other notable films include the world premiere of Fire Lee’s Robbery, the International Premiere of Anh Sang-hoon’s Empire Of Lust and the North American premieres of Chen Jiabin’s directorial debut A Fool and Lau Ho-leung’s Two Thumbs Up.
As reported previously, the 2015 Screen International Rising Star Award will go to Japanese actor Shota Sometani (pictured) and the 2015 Star Asia Award will be presented to Hong Kong’s Aaron Kwok.
North American film premieres include Nobuhiro Yamashita’s La La La At Rock Bottom, Yim Soon-rye’s The Whistleblower and the international premiere of Namewee’s Banglasia.
Sidebars include a spotlight on Myung Films and Korean women filmmakers.
Japanese film legends...
- 6/8/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Ewan McGregor, Jane Seymour, Malcolm McDowell and Hong Kong director Johnnie To among the guests set to attend the festival.Scroll down for competition titles
The line-up for the 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has been unveiled this morning by new artistic director Mark Adams.
This year’s Eiff (June 17-28) will comprise 164 features from 36 countries, including 24 world premieres, eight international premieres, 16 European premieres and 84 UK premieres.
Highlights including the UK premiere of Asif Kapadia’s documentary Amy, about the life of singer Amy Winehouse; the latest Disney-Pixar animation Inside Out; Arnold Schwarzenegger in zombie drama Maggie; comedy The D-Train, starring Jack Black and James Marsden; and a biopic of The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Love & Mercy, in which John Cusack and Paul Dano play different aged versions of the musician.
Classic Screenings will include a rare outing for Noel Marshall’s Roar, a cult 1981 big cat movie.
Star power
This year’s Eiff will present...
The line-up for the 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has been unveiled this morning by new artistic director Mark Adams.
This year’s Eiff (June 17-28) will comprise 164 features from 36 countries, including 24 world premieres, eight international premieres, 16 European premieres and 84 UK premieres.
Highlights including the UK premiere of Asif Kapadia’s documentary Amy, about the life of singer Amy Winehouse; the latest Disney-Pixar animation Inside Out; Arnold Schwarzenegger in zombie drama Maggie; comedy The D-Train, starring Jack Black and James Marsden; and a biopic of The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Love & Mercy, in which John Cusack and Paul Dano play different aged versions of the musician.
Classic Screenings will include a rare outing for Noel Marshall’s Roar, a cult 1981 big cat movie.
Star power
This year’s Eiff will present...
- 5/27/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The 14th New York Asian Film Festival will present Hong Kong director Ringo Lam with the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lam rose to fame with a string of crime dramas in the 1980s and 1990s and his credits include City On Fire, Prison On Fire and Wild City.
As reported previously, the 2015 Screen International Rising Star Award will go to Japanese actor Shota Sometani and the 2015 Star Asia Award will be presented to Hong Kong’s Aaron Kwok.
North American film premieres include Nobuhiro Yamashita’s La La La At Rock Bottom, Yim Soon-rye’s The Whistleblower and the international premiere of Namewee’s Banglasia, which was banned in Malaysia.
Sidebars include a spotlight on Myung Films and Korean women filmmakers.
Japanese film legends Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara, who both died last November, will be the subject of the first joint tribute outside of Japan, which will feature the brand new digital remaster of the classic Battles...
Lam rose to fame with a string of crime dramas in the 1980s and 1990s and his credits include City On Fire, Prison On Fire and Wild City.
As reported previously, the 2015 Screen International Rising Star Award will go to Japanese actor Shota Sometani and the 2015 Star Asia Award will be presented to Hong Kong’s Aaron Kwok.
North American film premieres include Nobuhiro Yamashita’s La La La At Rock Bottom, Yim Soon-rye’s The Whistleblower and the international premiere of Namewee’s Banglasia, which was banned in Malaysia.
Sidebars include a spotlight on Myung Films and Korean women filmmakers.
Japanese film legends Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara, who both died last November, will be the subject of the first joint tribute outside of Japan, which will feature the brand new digital remaster of the classic Battles...
- 5/21/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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