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Tetsuya Ishida was a contemporary Japanese painter known for his surrealist portrayal of late-20th and early-21st century Japanese city life. His works typically depict hyperrealistic boys and men whose bodies are integrated into everyday appliances, industrial machinery, civic architecture, and animal forms. Ishida’s paintings address themes of isolation, consumerism, academic & professional workplace anxieties, and urban banality (source: Wikipedia).

At the moment, he is the Japanese artist who is attracting the most attention internationally. In 2015, his works were introduced in the Venice Biennale, having a significant impact in the art world. In recent years, large-scale exhibitions of his work at Arte Sofia in Madrid and the Gagosian Gallery in New York.

Isamu Hirabayashi was a good friend of Ishida’s during their college days and closely observed his creative activities. The family owns the rights of Tetsuya’s paintings, and at the moment, there many people wishing to shoot a movie about him.

Four in-development films from young Japanese producers and directors — including a project produced by Hirokazu Kore-eda — are being showcased at Acfm by Japan’s Visual Industry Promotion Organization (Vipo) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Meti).

That Drive will be the feature directorial debut of Miyoh Yamaura, who works as an assistant to Palme d’Or-winner Kore-eda, and whose short Moles played at the Asia International Youth Film Festival in 2019. The film, based on a real incident from Yamaura’s life, centres on a fatal car accident and asks “how an offender can ever atone for the past,...

The 25th edition of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is about to kick off, and between 12-28 of November the audience will have the oportunity to watch a great number of films from Asia, strewn across festival’s various program sections, including all competition segments. We went through the complete program and counted no more or less than 69 films from the broader Asian region.

Quite surprising is the amount of competition titles in the main selection, with three world premieres, four international. Lu ZHang’s “Yanagawa” will have its European premiere at PÖFF.

Yerzhanov returns to Tallinn a year after he presented two films at the festival, the main competition title “Ulbolsyn” about a woman who comes to a Kazhak village to “steer trouble”, and the oddball comedy “Yellow Cat” screened in the Current Waves program. Kirill Sokolov is also back two years after the premiere of his critically acclaimed...

Exclusive: North America’s largest festival of contemporary Japanese cinema, Japan Cuts, has selected 30 features and 12 shorts for a 2020 edition that will take place entirely online due to continued corona disruption.

Running July 17-30, the traditionally New York-based event will instead be available across the country via a digital platform set up in partnership with Festival Scope and Shift72. Films will be made available to rent with a limited number or virtual tickets per title, priced at $2–$7 with discounted bundles.

Alongside screenings, there will also be virtual Q&As, discussion panels, and video introductions from filmmakers in a bid to maintain the festival’s sense of community and dedication to intercultural communication.

The fest will kick off with a live virtual Q&a with Shinichiro Ueda, director of opening film selection Special Actors, the follow-up to Ueda’s popular breakout debut One Cut of the Dead. The festival’s Centerpiece...

Rotterdam programmers always had a knack for screening “weird” Japanese films, as in the case of Akira Ikeda for example. “Shell and Joint” definitely follows that “legacy”.

“Shell and Joint” is screening at the International Film Festival Rotterdam

The film comprises of a series of vignettes, where various character interact, with a capsule hotel, insects and a number of existential topics providing the connection among them. The main sketch revolves around two reception attendants, a man and a woman who happen to be childhood friends, who talk about suicide in a rather surrealistic way, since the woman has made multiple attempts herself, but blames it all on bacteria that control her mind.

Apart from them, the sauna room in the hotel is a recurring setting, where a number of people discuss mostly about sex, men for their erection and women for the perversions of men and their performances in bed.

The 26th edition of the Slamdance Film Festival has set its slate for the films in the Narrative and Documentary Feature Film Competition programs as well as the lineup for their Breakouts section. The fest will take place in Park City, Utah January 24-30, 2020.

As the fest “by filmmakers, for filmmakers,” this year’s Slamdance will feature 16 premieres, including 10 world premieres with films from United States, Belarus, Canada Germany, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Russia, and South Africa. The films in competition are feature-length directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1 million and without Us distribution. Films in both categories are also eligible for the Audience Award and Spirit of Slamdance Award.

“Slamdance is above all a place of discovery,” said Slamdance Co-founder and President Peter Baxter. “Every year filmmakers break out of the festival because the industry at large recognizes the need for new voices. With a record breaking 8,231 submissions this year,...

The Slamdance Film Festival unveiled its 2020 lineup of microbudget films Monday that will premiere at the Sundance alternative, among of which include projects about Chernobyl, a brainwashing camp, drag queens and a taxidermist looking for Bigfoot.

All films in competition during its weeklong celebration in Park City from Jan. 24-30 have no U.S. distribution and a budget of under $1 million. Films from 10 countries will participate: U.S., Belarus, Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Russia, and South Africa.

“Slamdance is above all a place of discovery,” said Slamdance Co-founder and President Peter Baxter. “Every year filmmakers break out of the festival because the industry at large recognizes the need for new voices. With a record breaking 8,231 submissions this year, our artist-led organization brings a lineup full of wonderful risk taking and unique storytelling. That’s the spirit of Slamdance 2020.”

Also Read: 'High Flying Bird' Film Review: Steven Soderbergh...

Selectors considered record 8,231 submissions.

New work from Uruguay, Japan and South Africa are among the 20-strong Slamdance Film Festival feature film competition line-up unveiled on Monday (December 2) alongside the second Breakouts selection.

The 26th edition of the Park City, Utah, festival runs from January 24-30 and across all sections includes 16 premieres, including 10 world, 5 North American, and one Us berths. All competition films are feature-length directorial debuts with budgets under $1m and without Us distribution. All are eligible for the Audience Award and Spirit of Slamdance Award, the latter of which is voted upon by filmmakers at the festival.

“Slamdance is...

Berlinale adds 17 features to the Generation programme, aimed at children and youths, including the European premiere of a feature co-directed by Flight of the Conchords Jemaine Clement.

A total of 60 short and full-length films from 35 countries have been selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions at the Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 6-16). They include five long and nine short animated films.

Section head Maryanne Redpath said: “This diversity transcends all limits, in content, imagery, narrative structure and rhythm. Each of these animated gems creates its own universe and is a fantastic cinematic adventure, not just for children.”

The selection includes What We Do in the Shadows, a mockumentary that follows the struggles of a group of New Zealand–based vampires to understand modern society and adapt to the ever-changing world around them. The ensemble includes Flights of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement, who co-directs alongside Taika Waititi.

This year, Generation will be...

It’s the 50th anniversary of the Ann Arbor Film Festival and they’re preparing an all-out blowout on March 27 to April 1 to celebrate! The fest is crammed to the gills with the latest and greatest in experimental and avant-garde film, in addition to a celebration of classic work from Ann Arbors past.

Filmmaker Bruce Baillie was there at the first Aaff — and numerous times since. He’s back this year with a major retrospective of his entire career that spans three separate programs. Baillie, who’ll be in attendance of course, will present a brand-new restored version of his epic pseudo-Western Quick Billy, plus screenings of his classic short movies such as Castro Street, Yellow Horse, Quixote, To Parsifal and more.

There’s also a program dedicated to the films of the late Robert Nelson, including Bleu Shut and Special Warning, as well as sprinklings of underground classics throughout...

Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die has won the Golden Bear at this year's Berlinale. The other awards, presented by Mike Leigh and his International Jury (Anton Corbijn, Asghar Farhadi, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jake Gyllenhaal, François Ozon, Boualem Sansal and Barbara Sukowa):

The first Silver Bear, the Jury Grand Prix, goes to Bence Fliegauf's Just the Wind. (Last year, this prize went to a Hungarian as well, to Béla Tarr for The Turin Horse.)

Silver Bear for Best Director: Christian Petzold for Barbara.

Silver Bear for Best Actress: Rachel Mwanza for her performance in War Witch.

Silver Bear for Best Actor: Mikkel Følsgaard for A Royal Affair.

The Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution goes to Director of Photography Lutz Reitemeier for his work on White Deer Plain.

Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg for A Royal Affair.

The Alfred Bauer Award...

Turkish film Lal Gece directed by Reis Çelik won the Crystal Bear for Best Feature Film in the Generation 14plus section at the 62nd Berlinale.

A Special Mention was given to Kronjuvelerna directed by Ella Lemhagen from Sweden.

Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film went to Meathead directed by by Sam Holst of New Zealand.

The Jury gave a Special Mention to the short film 663114 directed by by Isamu Hirabayashi of Japan.

Generation 14Plus is a section at the Berlinale devoted to young people. The 62nd Berlin International Film Festival is being held from February 9-19,2012.

The Berlinale's winners of the Crystal Bears from the Generation 14plus (youth) jury are Reis Çelik's "Lal Gece" from Turkey as Best Feature Film and Special Mention for Ella Lemhagen's "Kronjuvelerna" from Sweden. Best Short Film is Sam Holst's "Meathead" from New Zealand and the Special Mention short film is Isamu Hirabayashi's "663114" from Japan. Details on the films and reasons for their selection are below. Awards will be given to winners tonight, along with a screening of "Lal Gece" at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Cinema 1, at 7:30pm Cet. Crystal Bear for the Best Feature Film: "Lal Gece" by Reis Çelik, Turkey 2011 We were deeply touched by he brilliant actors in this year’s winning film. They let us take part in the feelings of two people who are imprisoned by family traditions which do not leave them any space for their own decision making and needs.

Comes a Bright Day

"With another twelve world premieres and three international premieres, Generation’s feature-length film program is now complete," the Berlinale's announced today. "A total of 58 short and full-length films from 32 countries have been selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions." Straight from the release, then, with descriptions from the festival:

Generation 14plus

Comes a Bright Day (Great Britain, by Simon Aboud) – Against the backdrop of an armed robbery at a London jewellers, much more is at stake than money. Where diamonds are involved, love is not far. Cast: Craig Roberts, Imogen Poots, Kevin McKidd, Timothy Spall and others. World Premiere. Site.

Lal Gece (Night of Silence, Turkey, by Reis Çelik) – When the groom lifts the bride’s veil, he is looking into the face of a 14-year-old girl. As tradition has it, a night in the bridal chamber seals the marriage. Cast: Ilyas Salman, Dilan Aksüt and others.