Japanese Films at the Busan International Film Festival 2022 (05th-14th October)

The full programme for the 2022 edition of the Busan International Film Festival is out and there are, as usual, a lot of Japanese films. The most exciting thing is the spotlight being shone on new talents.

Here’s the line-up:

The Inter College Animation Festival 2022 – A Japanese Student Animator Showcase – Online and Region-Free!

From September 26th to October 02nd, people around the world can watch a selection of works that have been programmed for The Inter College Animation Festival 2022.

This is the 20th anniversary of the event and 30 schools are participating, the largest number ever. There are an exciting and varied selection of short films and music videos done in many styles, from stop motion to motion capture, 2D anime style and mixing animation with live-action.

You can view the online ones here.

DEAD OR ZOMBIE, Chibiham, Juicy & Me, IF I STAY OUT OF LIFE…?, Todo no Tsumari, Marukibune to UFO, MAHOROBA, Lawless Love, Yobidore, Parallel Japanese Film Trailers

Happy Weekend

I hope you are well.

This is the fourth of a four-part trailer post because over 20 Japanese films were released into cinemas/mini theatres this week. The first post was dedicated to Kaito Yoshimura works, the second to a grip of films by student filmmakers Ayako Masuda and Yuiko Itano, the third to the bulk of mainstream titles this weekend and this post has indie features, animation, and a documentary.

Also posted this week was a preview of the Japanese films at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

What are the final bunch of films released this weekend?

Inu mo Kuwane do Charlie wa Warau, Leave in Summer, COLOR CROW Movie, Gekijouban Jinsei Iroiro, Eiga Delicious Party♡Precure Yume Miru ♡ Okosama Lunch, Blue Lock, Re-light, Narase! Pui Pui Molcar Driving School Japanese Film Trailers

Happy Weekend

I hope you are well.

This is the third of a four-part trailer post because over 20 Japanese films were released into cinemas/mini theatres this week. The first post was dedicated to Kaito Yoshimura works, the second to a grip of films by student filmmakers Ayako Masuda and Yuiko Itano. There will be another trailer post tomorrow.

What other films are released this week?

Uo no Me, Smoke of Spring Japanese Film Trailers

It’s not quite the weekend…

But there are a LOT of films released.

I posted about three films featuring performances by Kaito Yoshimura at the start of the week and here are two films with the involvement of student filmmakers Ayako Masuda and Yuiko Itano whose works have won awards at the Tanabe-Benkei Film Festival.

The films will be screened at Tokyo’s Theatre Shinjuku (September) and Osaka’s Cine Libre Umeda  (October) as part of the Tanabe-Benkei Film Festival Selection 2022.

Japanese Films at the Vancouver International Film Festival 2022

The Vancouver International Film Festival 2022 runs from September 29th to October 09th and the line-up looks great. There are a grip of Japanese feature films which will be screened. I’m also throwing in two Korean films that have been winning awards and plaudits – potential festival attendees will want to watch these!

Here’s the round-up of Japanese films.

“Human, This Dramatic Thing”: The Kaito Yoshimura Performance Showcase

At Tokyo’s Theatre Shinjuku from September 19 – 21 and then Osaka’s Cine Libre Umeda on October 20th, you can see a selection of films made by Takayuki Hayashi and starring Kaito Yoshumura. This showcase is called:

Human, This Dramatic Thing

Ningen, Kono Gekiteki Naru Mono 人間、この劇的なるもの

Umui Shishi: Nakasone Masahiro no Shishi-tsukuri, The Show Must Go On For Actors, Nihonbara Ushi to Hito no Daichi, One Sunny Day, Song of a Dying Summer Japanese Film Trailers

Happy Weekend!

I hope you are well.

This is the second of a two-part trailer post. You can find the first part here.

I suppose that the biggest news is that of the death of Jean-Luc Godard. I cannot claim to have watched many of his films or even enough to have understood him to any great extent but I do recognise that he was a massive figure in the world of cinema who fundamentally changed the game and inspired generations of filmmakers to play with the building blocks of film to create new experiences. With that being the case, RIP. I definitely need to watch more of his filmography.

This week I posted a preview of the Japanese films at the San Sebastian Film Festival and a review of the 2008 film All Around Us. Also, I took part in a Heroic Purgatory podcast discussion covering the Lee Chang-dong film Burning and that episode was released at the start of the week.

I watched the Hal Hartley films Simple Men and No Such Thing and I have started a re-watch of the TV anime Monster. I also watched Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s The Assassin for the next episode of Heroic Purgatory.

What are the other films released this weekend?

B/B, Hell Dogs, Riverside Mukolitta, Silent Parade, Hands, The Nighthawk’s First Love, Drifting Home Japanese Film Trailers

Happy Weekend!

© 2022 BROKEN COMMANDMENT Film Partners

I hope you are well.

This is the first in a two-part trailer post. Come back tomorrow for the follow-up!

What are the first bunch of films released this weekend?

All Around Us ぐるりのこと。(2008) Director: Ryosuke Hashiguchi

All Around Us    

ぐるりのこと。 「Gururi no Koto.」

Release Date: June 07th, 2008

Duration: 140 mins.

Director: Ryosuke Hashiguchi

Writer: Ryosuke Hashiguchi (Script),

Starring: Lily Franky, Tae Kimura, Akira Emoto, Susumu Terajima, Tamae Ando, Mitsuko Baisho, Ken Mitsuishi, Ryo Kase, Yoji Tanaka, Reiko Kataoka, Jiro Sato, Rie Minemura,

IMDB

2008 was a vintage year for Japanese cinema as a number of titles were released that have stood the test of time. The most notable are a triumvirate of slice-of-life dramas that left an indelible mark on the film world with Tokyo Sonata and Still Walking leaving a lasting impression with cinephiles while Departures had enough crossover appeal for mainstream audiences to become the first Japanese film to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. 

Not talked about as much but equal to all three is All Around Us, a hidden gem of a marriage story that takes in an epic sweep of social history while delivering intimate character studies all told through subtle direction that respects the audience’s ability to understand and naturalistic acting that is heartfelt and compelling.

The film starts in 1993 in Tokyo and introduces us to Kanao (Lily Franky) and Shoko (Tae Kimura). We enter their lives just as she launches a campaign to get pregnant.

The two are a study in contrasts that is initially fun. She is a controlling woman who works at a small publisher and is capable of great things. He is a laid-back and louche lothario who slums it as a street-side shoe repairman. She dresses primly. He dresses sloppily. She uses diaries and calendars to orchestrate book launches in work and marital sex nights at home to maximise chances of getting pregnant. He loafs around and dutifully, if a little perturbed, goes along with her instructions after days of flirting with female customers. For her, sex is almost laughably clinical while he goes with his passions, as shown in one hilarious scene where he cheekily surprises her by trying out a new sexual position that throws her off her game.