Tag - tiff-2016

 
 

TIFF 2016

Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 2, 2016
Movie about 'shogi' master Satoshi Murayama closes Tokyo International Film Festival
For the premiere of "Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow," actors Kenichi Matsuyama and Masahiro Higashide and director Yoshitaka Mori were on hand to greet fans before the screening of their film, which closes the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Oct 28, 2016
The faces of the Tokyo International Film Festival 2016
The 29th Tokyo International Film Festival, which opened on Tuesday, is screening a variety of cinema from all over the world at various venues in Tokyo. The festival runs until Nov. 3, when the jury will announce the winning films from the competition.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 26, 2016
The digital age of relationships and filmmaking
Shunji Iwai has long stood on ambivalent terrain. To Western audiences he's known as a prolific and brilliant auteur, but without the overseas cachet of others such as Takeshi Kitano. To his fans in Japan, he's viewed as the spokesman for the socially conscious hipster — the one director who manages to romanticize the general boredom and mild claustrophobia felt by Japanese youths, without resorting to splashy violence and sex.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 20, 2016
Tokyo International Film Festival welcomes audiences to the animated world of Mamoru Hosoda
The Tokyo International Film Festival, whose 29th edition unspools from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3, offers something for everyone — from golden oldies in the Japanese Classics section to films for kids in the new Youth section. However, as Japan's biggest film festival, as well as one of the most important in Asia, TIFF aims to be more than a cinematic smorgasbord.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 19, 2016
TIFF takes viewers beyond the comfort zone
While sifting through the movies submitted for this year's Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), competition programming director Yoshihiko Yatabe says he noticed a recurring theme.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 19, 2016
Japan's eclectic collection of choice
The Tokyo International Film Festival offers a great once-in-a-year opportunity to see new and classic Japanese films with English subtitles. The sheer quantity on offer — more than 50 titles in the main sections alone — can be overwhelming, though. Here are samples from my own must-see list.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 19, 2016
There's always drama at home
The most intriguing titles at this year's TIFF celebrate geographical diversity while homing in on social issues of modern life. Whether the characters are in Brazil or Croatia or Japan, or the filmmakers are from Romania, India or China, their stories feature the struggles of everyday people, some of whom have become familiar with brutality and darkness. There is much despair and desperation, but it is occasionally tempered by moments of poignancy or hilarity. Here are five titles of note, and a mention of one of TIFF's top Japanese stars.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 19, 2016
A cinematic view from overseas
The 29th edition of the TIFF, like every other festival, has suffered from content bloat over the years, but scanning the schedule carefully is worth the effort. A good place to start is usually the World Focus section; this category doesn't require that films be exclusive to TIFF, so it can draw from a range films that are currently hot on the festival circuit.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 16, 2016
When to speak and when to shut up: the art of a Japanese 'benshi'
The silent films screened in Japan from the 1920s to '40s were never completely silent. Katsudo-shashin benshi, or benshi for short, delivered live narration that provided everything an audience might need to appreciate a film — from commentary to translation. Derived from Japan's many narrative art forms, benshi were an effective way to introduce cinema to Japanese audiences.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores