Tag - film-festival

 
 

FILM FESTIVAL

Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 13, 2018
Politics and cinema intermingle at Busan International Film Festival
The 23rd edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opened Oct. 4 as Typhoon Kong-rey approached the South Korean port city. When the storm peaked on Saturday morning, some public events were cancelled, but the screenings continued and were still packed with press, industry people and, most importantly, film fans — the core reason for BIFF’s reputation as the most vital film festival in Asia.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Oct 4, 2018
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia's mini party is worth a little look
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, which selects a qualifying short film for the Academy Awards every year, will present its Autumn Screening from Oct. 5 to 12 at two locations in Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 1, 2018
At 22, Hiroshi Okuyama becomes youngest winner of San Sebastian new director award
Hiroshi Okuyama, 22, won the new director award at the 66th San Sebastian International Film Festival on Saturday, becoming the youngest recipient of the honor at the prestigious Spanish film festival.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Sep 20, 2018
Kyoto gears up for a film festival — rain or shine
It may be a spring chicken compared to its film festival siblings in Tokyo, Yamagata and elsewhere, but the Kyoto International Film and Art Festival has reached an important milestone: its fifth anniversary.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 28, 2018
Actress Kirin Kiki wants an ending with no twists
When life gave her lemons, film star Kirin Kiki didn't make lemonade, but wild grass enzyme juice.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 20, 2018
Embracing difference, 'Shakespeare in Tokyo' is the picture of inclusion
The scene: Tokyo. The plot: An Australian fan of Shakespeare with Down syndrome sets out on a solo adventure to escape the watchful eyes of his domineering older brother and discover the city.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 31, 2018
Four female directors extol the virtues of short films in presenting new points of view
The red carpet at any film festival is known for star power and fashion, but when 82 women walked arm in arm down the red carpet at Cannes last month, it became a place for politics, too.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 31, 2018
Short Shorts festival entries give Japan a starring role
From "You Only Live Twice" (1967) to "Black Rain" (1989) and "Lost in Translation" (2003), directors who choose Japan as a filming location are often well-rewarded with beautiful backdrops. The local flavor that works its way into a movie can sometimes be as important as the characters or plot.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
May 23, 2018
Young filmmakers looking to follow in Hirokazu Kore-eda's footsteps have their work cut out for them
Hirokazu Kore-eda joins a list of Japanese master filmmakers after winning the top prize at Cannes. The road he took to get to this point, however, is not an easy one to copy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 20, 2018
With 'Shoplifters,' Hirokazu Kore-eda becomes first Japanese director to win Cannes Palme d'Or in 21 years
Hirokazu Kore-eda wins the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes for “Shoplifters,” a critically acclaimed family drama with unguessable plot twists.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
May 17, 2018
Udine film festival can teach Japanese directors a few things about international appeal
I've been an adviser to the Udine Far East Film Festival since 2000. The event, held in Udine, Italy, is the largest festival in Europe dedicated to popular cinema from Asia.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 3, 2018
Koji Yakusho reveals what makes a good director and how it feels to play 'dirty'
With a career spanning four decades, Koji Yakusho has been both a star overseas ("Memoirs of a Geisha," "Babel") and an award-winner at home, most notably for his 1996 breakthrough "Shall We Dance?" But through it all he has maintained a Tom Hanks-esque nice guy image.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 3, 2018
Diving into Southeat Asian cinema at the Singapore International Film Festival
Since its start in 1987, the Singapore International Film Festival has become a key regional film event, despite being held in a city state that produces only a handful of feature films annually.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Nov 23, 2017
Sun, sand and the silver screen
Launched in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko, the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) was the first film festival in the United States to focus on films from the Asia-Pacific region. Being a bridge between East and West is still its mission, but HIFF now has plenty of company around the world.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Oct 19, 2017
Kyoto's ambience is key to making KIFF special
Film festivals don't take place in isolation: An interesting city makes for a more interesting festival, unless you are the sort of movie nerd who sees six films a day and lives on convenience store sandwiches.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 18, 2017
Busan International Film Festival spotlights female directors and plenty of Japanese content
The 22nd Busan International Film Festival, which opened Oct. 12 and ends Saturday, seemed to be in better shape this year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 5, 2017
Food, folks and film: Yamagata festival dives deep into documentaries
Once an obscure corner of a film world dominated by the fantasies of Hollywood, documentaries are now drawing more attention from both paying audiences and wider society. And the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, whose 15th edition unspools from Oct. 5 to 12 in Yamagata, has long been broadening awareness of the form in Japan and Asia.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Jun 25, 2017
Director Sunao Katabuchi shares his corner of this world
Last summer saw the release of what would become the highest grossing Japanese animation film to date, Makoto Shinkai's "Your Name.," which was also the country's top box-office draw of 2016. The surprise hit's main characters are a pair of body-swapping teenagers. A survey conducted by the Fields Research Institute earlier this month revealed, unsurprisingly, that its commercial success was driven by the nation's teenagers — over 30 percent of whom said they bought tickets, compared to 4 percent of those 65 and older.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 25, 2017
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia teams up with Exile's Hiro to create a contemporary fusion of vision and sound
From its debut in 1999 as the passion project of actor Tetsuya Bessho, Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia has grown into a big event on the local and regional film calendar. Size is one reason: The 19th edition, which unspools from June 1 to 25 at six venues in Tokyo and Yokohama, features nearly 250 films in a variety of genres.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 18, 2017
Japan's filmmakers expand their idea of overseas opportunity
The Japanese film industry has long been insular, making films by and for Japanese with little input from, or concern for, the outside world.

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree