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The World of Kanako

Written by Akio Fukamachi, Tetsuya Nakashima, Miako Tadano & Nobuhiro Monma

Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima

Japan, 2014

Tetsuya Nakashima’s The World of Kanako is a blood-soaked detective story about an unstable father’s quest to track down his missing daughter. While falling within the broad boundaries of a detective story, The World of Kanako plays out as an ultra-violent, psychotropic dive into the brittle mind of a damaged protagonist. While the squeamish will definitely want to sit this one out, those up for a hyper-kinetic, genre-bending revenge flick are in for a treat.

Akikazu Fujishima (Kôji Yakusho) is a flat out mess: he’s lost his job, lost his family, and self-medicates his mental illness with alcohol and drugs. Akikazu floats through his life without meaning until his ex-wife (Asuka Kurosawa) calls to inform him that his teenage daughter Kanako (Nana Komatsu) is missing. Whether fueled by...

While the Alamo Drafthouse has become a familiar name to film fans for their unique theatrical style as well as their amusing PSAs on not using cell phones during a movie, the chain has moved into film distribution over the past five years, working to bring films such as Mood Indigo, Four Lions, and The Congress to wider audiences. Their latest offering comes from Japan.

Titled The World of Kanako, the film is the newest feature from Kamikaze Girls filmmaker Tetsuya Nakashima, his first film since 2010. Along with directing, Nakashima co-wrote the screenplay with Miako Tadano and Nobuhiro Monma, with the trio adapting it from the novel by Akio Fukamachi. The film’s synopsis is as follows.

An uncompromising revenge thriller of operatic scope, The World of Kanako is a non-stop visual and emotional assault to the senses as it follows troubled ex-detective Akikazu (Kôji Yakusho, 13 Assassins, Babel) on the...

The festival has announced its winners and The Tale Of Princess Kaguya, Alleluia and The Babadook are among the more popular choices.

Alamo Drafthouse and Fantastic Fest co-founder Tim League and Louis Black presented critic Leonard Maltin with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The festival runs in Austin, Texas, from September 18-25. For further details about all the winners click here.

Audience Award presented by Maxwell Locke & Ritter:

The Tale Of Princess Kaguya, Isao Takahata.

Next Wave Spotlight Competition presented by Dell Precision:

Best Picture: It Follows, David Robert Mitchell 

Best Director: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky, The Tribe

Best Screenplay: David Robert Mitchell, It Follows

Best Actor: Lou Taylor Pucci, Spring

Best Actress: Amy Everson, Felt.

Fantastic Features:

Best Picture: Alleluia, Fabrice Du Welz

Best Director: Fabrice Du Welz, Alleluia

Best Screenplay: Tetsuya Nakashima, Maiko Tedano and Nobuhiro Monma, The World Of Kanako

Best Actor: Laurent Lucas, Alleluia

Best Actress: Lola Dueñas, Alleluia.

Horror Features:...