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Winner of the Grand Prize at the Japan Horror Film Competition as a short film, Ryota Kondo‘s debut feature “Missing Child Videotape” might sound like another “Ringu” copycat, but is actually quite unique in its presentation of horror. Let us take things from the beginning though.

Missing Child Videotape is screening at Tokyo International Film Festival

The story takes place in 2015, although one could say a part is also occurring much before that. Keita is a young man living a quiet life working in a supermarket and sharing an apartment with Tsutaka, a school teacher. Both of them, however, have their secrets and their issues. Keita is still feeling guilt from being the one present when his younger brother disappeared 13 years ago, and still goes to the woods where the whole thing happened on occasion, to search for him.

It is in one of those ‘excursions’ that he finds another missing boy,...

I remain ever a fan of taking a compelling still frame form the film itself, and composing it into key art. Below is the poster for Yakuza drama, Tatsumi, in which leads Yûya Endô and Kokoro Morita offer each other intense stares. Above is the source image which is presumably taken directly from the film, and not a publicity shot.  I love how the vertical crop frames her hair. The graphic designer has upped the saturation, contrast, and grain of the image for effect, but  preserves the core image, without adding additional layers. The title card is nested between the bridges of their noses (including a vertical column of english text). The arm of her sweater has been 'pinked up' a bit to provide contrast...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Last month, it was announced that Hi Score Girl creator Rensuke Oshikiri's horror manga Sayuri would be getting a live-action film adaptation. Today, we get a proper first look at the upcoming film: a main cast list, as well as the first teaser and a new poster. The poster gives us a chilling, shadowy view of the story's vengeful spirit: Related: Rensuke Oshikiri's Horror Manga Sayuri to Get Live-Action Film Adaptation This Summer Ryoka Minamide was previously announced to be starring as Norio Kamiki, the story's main character. Joining him to fill out the family are Zen Kajihara, Fusako Urabe, Kokoro Morita, Ray Inomata, Kitaro and Toshie Negishi. Hana Kondo will appear as Norio's classmate. Check out the cast in the film's latest teaser: Sayuri is being directed by Koji Shiraishi, the director of the 2016 film Sadako vs. Kayako . The story follows the strange phenomena haunting a family...

Japanese studio Nikkatsu has boarded international sales on revenge drama Tatsumi by rising filmmaker Shoji Hiroshi ahead of the EFM.

It marks the second feature of Hiroshi, whose crime drama Ken And Kazu played a string of festivals in 2016, following its premiere at Tokyo International Film Festival where it won the top prize in the Cinema Splash section for independent Japanese films.

His follow-up is also a crime drama that follows Tatsumi, a fisherman who doubles as a “cleaner” for gangland hits. But when his ex is murdered in front of her young sister, the two form an alliance to seek vengeance.

In the last couple of years we have witnessed the development of people creating their own safe spaces and bubbles. Considering this is the age of streaming, social media and influencers, this should come as no surprise, and you could make the argument that this process has only been propelled by the pandemic. Societies, politics and even systems of education have to figure out a way to deal with this development which may have severe consequences for our lives, with people unable to act compassionately or social with one another as we can see with conversations on social media and also in real life, for example. Given his predilection for characters building their own safe spaces, only to have them see it being destroyed, Japanese director Kenichi Ugana may be a suitable candidate to tackle the issue, which he has done on his recent feature “The Girls”, that premiered recently...

“Lonely Glory” is the second feature film by Nihon University graduate Sakon Keitaro. The family drama follows his debut feature “Tokyo Butterfly”, which was in the Official Selection at the Florence Film Awards 2020.

Lonely Glory is streaming as part of Jff+ Independent Cinema

Due to harassment accusations, Haruka, played by Kokoro Morita, loses her high-raking position at a venture company. Haruka returns home, where she finds herself struggling with her sister and two brothers about the future of her late parent's house. She wants to sell the house to start a new business, but the other siblings oppose the idea and are eager to continue the small restaurant located on the ground floor.

Check also this interview

Backed by the production efforts of “Tokyo New Cinema”, Keitaro Sakon shines a light on the critical situation of local Japanese businesses. The subject of family drama offers a wide range of comedic...

Haruka, a young and well-recognized female entrepreneur, was forced to retire from her company after a power harassment incident because of her personality – she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals. Burning with revenge, she tries to start her own business but struggles to find the funds. Upon her mother's death, she reunites with her estranged siblings and attempts to sell the family home despite her siblings living and running a small restaurant at the house.

Directed by Keitaro Sakon who is known for Tokyo Butterly (2020), this movie also features Kokoro Morita and Haya Nakazaki. A nationwide roadshow is scheduled in Japan on March 31, 2023.

With mainstream movies increasingly reliant on CGI and green screen, indie cinema has to get more creative with its “special effects.” As a result, increasingly the media format can be as important and notable as the film itself; 2015’s “Tangerine” is as much known for it’s use of iPhones to shoot as much as its storyline. This idea is one that sticks in your mind when watching Daigo Matsui’s “Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops.”

Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops is screening at Nippon Connection

Six teenagers are rehearsing for a small town production of British playwright Simon Stephen’s “Morning” – infamous for being “Shocking and savage.” As such, the director asks the young cast to bring out themselves in their performances, not focusing too much on the story. This proves a struggle for some of the actors, and the director and producer let their thoughts be known.