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Despite various voices from left and right, Japanese cinema seems to be a in a good place, particularly during the last few years, and Nippon Connection proved the fact quite eloquently, with a truly brilliant selection for its 2025 editions. Either comedies or dramas, anime or shorts or documentaries, all categories included a number of movies of quality, in a testament to the job done by the programming team. The restrospectives and the screening of movies like Mizoguchi’s “The Water Magician” with accompaniment by benshi Ichiro Kataoka and live music by Günter A. Buchwald were the cherry on top. The audience filled the screening rooms, with them particularly enjoying two comedies, “Kaiju Guy“, which eventually got the audience award, and “Hotspring Shark Attack”.

Check our full coverage in the articles below.

1. Short Film Review: Confession (2025) by Mai Nakanishi

Mai Nakanishi crafts a haunting work that excels particularly in its atmosphere.

One of the rare occasions where a filmmaker explores the horror and thriller genres through short storytelling, Mai Nakanishi‘s latest effort, “Confession,” was shot by cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa, known for her long-standing collaboration with Kiyoshi Kurosawa on works such as the Un Certain Regard 2008 winner “Tokyo Sonata.”

Confession is screening at Nippon Connection

The story begins with a priest reciting the Lord’s Prayer inside a Christian church. Suddenly, a woman appears behind him, urging him to turn around and telling him she wants to make a confession, right there, in the very place they both sit. She proceeds to recount her years in elementary school, when she was relentlessly bullied. Unable to confront her trauma, she found a disturbing outlet by crushing caterpillars in her hands. As the bullying escalated, so too did her violence.

Mai Nakanishi crafts a haunting work that excels particularly in its atmosphere. Several elements contribute to this effect.

Little do fans know that Elijah Wood made his debut in a small part in Michael J. Fox’s Back to the Future Part II. He was just eight at the time and went on to star alongside some major names like Richard Gere and Bruce Willis as a child artist. He gained international fame when he was cast as the lead, Frodo Baggins, in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings films | Credits: New Line Cinema

Despite the early fame in his life, Wood had a pretty good upbringing. He was never involved in any kind of trouble that other child actors are usually involved in. This didn’t mean that Wood had a smooth life as a child. At the age of 15, the Tron: Uprising actor’s parents got divorced.

Elijah Wood’s past...

“Confession” is a Korean drama movie and series. The movies with that title was released in 2022 and the series was released in 2019, with 16 episodes, categorized as Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Mystery, Murder Mystery, Police Procedural, Legal drama; and Both are streaming free (with ads) on The Roku Channel. There is also a 2014 movie streaming on Viki. They’re All good! ♦ (1) Confession (2022) “Confession”, the 2022 film was already briefly reviewed by PopGeeks: click here. I loved the plot twist. Trailer/Teaser: Movies, Gsc. “Confession (Official Trailer) – In Cinemas 1 December 2022.” YouTube, 9 Nov. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knPRn-7a-vi. ♦ (2) Confession (2019) In the 2019 series titled “Confession”, each episode ends with a question that has to be answered in the next episode. A great way to keep the viewer interested. When Choi Do-Hyun was in high school, his father was convicted of murder. Once he became an adult he got a law degree and began...

Hallmark is featuring a Dunder Mifflin accounting department reunion in a Countdown To Christmas movie. Office stars Angela Kinsey and her pal Brian Baumgartner are reunited in Confessions Of A Christmas Letter. Also starring are Alec Santos and Lillian Doucet-Roche.

What does she have to say about her new holiday movie?

Photo: Brian Baumgartner Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Angel Lynne Angela Kinsey Talks About Hallmark’s Confessions Of A Christmas Letter

Hallmark’s Countdown To Christmas continues with Confessions Of A Christmas Letter. This stars The Office star Angela Kinsey in her first Hallmark Christmas movie. She portrays Settie Rose. Settie has one goal. She wants to write the perfect Christmas letter. Moreover, she wants some local recognition. That is because the town’s best Christmas letter gets acknowledged at the post office.

Therefore Settie enlists the help of a struggling novelist named Juan to help her with her letter.

Nikkatsu, the venerable Japanese studio which is representing “Cloud,” the latest film by Kurosawa Kiyoshi, has added a quartet of new titles to its sales lineup, in time for Tiffcom the rights market that accompanies the Tokyo International Film Festival.

These are headed by “The Hotel of My Dreams,” a comedy-drama directed by Tsutsumi Yukihiko. It stars the acclaimed Non as a woman who may be the unluckiest debut novelist in the world. After a promising and award-winning start to her career, Kayoko is derailed by brutal criticism from a more established writer. After the two find themselves in the same hotel, Kayako seeks to sabotage her rival’s publication. But that further showdowns follow. The film is set to release in Japanese theaters on Dec. 27.

“Kaiju Guy,” directed by Yagi Junichiro, is targeting a January 2025 release and is intended to bring geeky cheer to the winter months. The comedy-action...

The Young and the Restless spoilers for Monday, September 30, 2024, are here! In the next episode, fans can expect Daniel Romalotti, Jr. (Michael Grazaidei) to be stunned by a text message.

Coming Up On The Young And The Restless

This could be connected to Daniel telling Lucy Romalotti (Lily Brooks O’Briant) that Heather Stevens (Vail Bloom) isn’t coming home, but they might not know the real reason.

Plus, Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) shares a confession, but Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) could be tricked yet again. Keep reading to find out what is coming up in the next episode of the CBS soap opera.

The Young And The Restless – Heather Stevens’ Fate

Y&R spoilers for Monday, September 30 reveal that Heather is supposed to be at the penthouse waiting for Daniel and Lucy.

Also Read – The Young And The Restless Spoilers: Will Cameron Kirsten Make A Comeback Outside Of Sharon’s Mind?...

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have become quite controversial figures since their support towards convicted r*pist, Danny Masterson, was made public. The information hurt their fans to their very core, upsetting them at the fact that they were supporting someone who had been convicted of something so horrible.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher in That ’70s Show | Credit: Fox

Since then, public sentiment towards the pair has grown more sour by the day. However, things could very quickly come tumbling down for the pair as more information seems to be coming to light. On top of an older video of the two making fans uncomfortable, there is another rumor floating around about Kutcher and Kunis that is extremely concerning.

Ashton Kutcher’s Horrifying Confession

Recently, a 2002 Rosie O’Donnell interview with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher (via JustinStillness on X) has resurfaced which is making fans very uncomfortable and upset at the latter.

Days of Our Lives spoilers reveal that Chad Dimera (Billy Flynn) is desperate to get Abigail Dimera (AnnaLynne McCord) to remember. Fans know that “Abigail” is really Mark Greene’s (Jonah Robinson) sister. For the time being, nobody realizes that. With Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) and Kristen Dimera (Stacy Haiduk) both doubting Abigail, the pressure is on.

At some point, Chad might think about hypnosis. Could “Abigail” reveal she’s a fraud while under hypnosis? Will Marlena violate her medical oath and expose the con woman? Keep reading and let’s talk about what could happen next with this storyline.

Days Of Our Live Spoilers – Abigail Dimera’s Resurrection

Dool spoilers reveal that Chad was ready to kill Clyde Weston (James Read). Clyde managed to escape death by claiming he didn’t murder Abigail. In fact, Clyde insisted that Abigail was still alive.

At first, Chad didn’t believe Clyde’s story.

With over 50+ films, Camera Japan Festival is proud to announce its full and diverse line-up, combining films ranging from de newest and best Japanese arthouse, animation, documentaries, short films and classic cinema.

The 19th edition of the festival will be officially opened at Rotterdam based LantarenVenster on September 26th with a festive screening of Yamashita Nobuhiro‘s Dutch premiere of One Second Ahead, One Second Behind. One day prior, the festival unofficially kicks off at Worm with a very special screening of Alien’s Daydream. From the 3 – 6 October, the festival moves to Amsterdam’s LAB111.

With five international and seven European premieres, the festival consists of a very special and exclusive film programme. Films such as Afterschool Anglers Club, Gifts from the Kitchen, Promised Land, Sin and Evil and Till the Day I Can Laugh About my Blues will have their first screenings outside of Japan, here, at Camera Japan Festival.

A confession is made in Sarah’s hit-and-run accident, Abigail’s validity is questioned, and a sexy revenge plot is set in motion with a nudge from wacky Connie, according to the Days of our Lives spoilers preview. Meanwhile, Xander vows to right the wrong done to his wife. Here’s your Days video preview for the week of August 26 – 30, 2024.

Closing in on a Crime

Jada (Elia Cantu) delivers some big news to Xander (Paul Telfer). “We have a suspect in your wife’s hit and run,” she tells him. Xander is eager to learn who it is. “We have a right to know,” he responds.

Meanwhile, it looks like the news may have reached Sarah (Linsey Godfrey), too. Alone with Maggie (Suzanne Rogers) in her hospital room, she asks her mother, “Who is it?’

And Xander makes a promise to his wife regarding her horrible accident. “When I find...

90 Day Fiance star Angela Deem has been criticized multiple times for how she’s treating Michael Ilesanmi. Many viewers got upset that TLC allowed the 58-year-old to openly abuse her husband in front of everyone during the latest episode of Happily Ever After? Tell-All. However, during the same episode, some Redditors notice that Angela confesses what may be the reason why she hates Michael so much. Keep reading to see what it was.

90 Day Fiance: Angela Deem Scares Everyone With Her Rage

The latest episode of Hea Tell-All featured what may be Angela’s biggest low. She went raging on Michael while he was having fun with the other cast members, accusing him of painting her badly with everyone. There were multiple scenes where Angela was just shouting at Michael, saying he was the problem. It even came to a point where some cast members, such as Manuel and Jayson Zuniga,...

Young and the Restless (Y&r) spoilers for Monday, July 1 indicate some stunning revelations in Genoa City as another week kicks off.

Next On Young and the Restless

One person believes they have ‘won’, while another provides a confession, and two exes share a passionate kiss. What kind of drama is set to hit on Monday? Time to find out!

Billy Abbott “Wins”

Y&r spoilers for Monday, July 1 reveal that it looks as if the demerger of Chancellor-Winters will go through.

Trending! The Young And The Restless Spoilers: What’s The Deal With Dr. Hammond?

This week’s preview shows Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) hesitantly offering her ‘congratulations’ to Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson), as he points out that they’ve “won”.

It’s almost as if Billy can see Lily isn’t overly thrilled about the development, so how much longer will she put forth the charade that she’s #TeamAbbottChancellor?...

Kartik Aaryan’s Mother Spills Deadliest Secrets ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Kartik Aaryan and his mother were fire as a team on the finale of The Great Indian Kapil Show. However, more than Kartik, it was his mother whose revelations were the hilarious as she kept spilling deepest darkest secrets about the actor.

The Childhood Ki Chappal!

Kartik‘s mother Mala Tiwari revealed that the actor used to take coaching classes for his board year. She instructed the teacher to inform about the actor’s absence if there was any. Kartik was unaware and he once left for the coaching but never reached.

Kartik’s mother followed him the next day after the teacher informed about his absence. After she found out that he was playing video game at some parlor, she could not control her anger. Recalling the same, Mala Tiwari said, “Itna gussa aaya ki kya uthaa ke maar dun,...

Anil Kapoor’s Bigg Boss Ott 3 Debuts With 4.5 Million Views (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Anil Kapoor made his debut as a digital host, hosting Bigg Boss Ott 3, and the grand premiere episode received mixed responses on the internet. There were obvious comparisons to the Goat Salman Khan, who stepped out as the host of the digital version this year due to work commitments.

Bigg Boss Ott 3 Premiere Verdict

However, despite the mixed response, the reality show streaming on Jio Cinema has opened to 4.5 million views, according to reports. This might be a decent start to the show that has welcomed Ranvir Shorey, Armaan Malik, and his wives Kritika Malik & Payal Malik, Vada Pav Girl Chandrika Gera Dixit, and more this year.

Bigg Boss Tak on X confirmed that Bigg Boss Ott 3 garnered 4.5 million views on its debut episode. This is a much bigger number when compared to other fictional content streaming on different Ott platforms.

Fresh from the Cannes premiere of action thriller I, The Executioner, South Korean filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan is preparing to shoot espionage action feature Humint later this year.

Filming is set to begin in October with a cast including Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Park Hae-joon and Nana. Produced by Filmmakers R&k it will be distributed by New. International sales are handled by Contents Panda.

Humint stands for Human Intelligence, a term used in the military to refer to the collection of information through people rather than gathering intelligence via more technical means.

The story will depict North and South Korean...

Ryoo Seung-wan, the South Korean film director who was last month in Cannes with “I, The Executioner,” says that his next picture will be an espionage action movie.

It is pitched as “depicting North and South Korean secret agents clashing while [also] uncovering crimes occurring at the border with Vladivostok, Russia.”

Currently titled, “Humint,” a reference to espionage industry’s shorthand for collection of intelligence through humans, rather than signals or data, the new film is to be produced by his Filmmaker R&k company and distributed by New.

Ryoo also says that throughout his career he has sought to change genres and that “Humint” will represent a “more mature espionage action” picture than some of his previous efforts.

Ryoo will release “I, The Executioner” at an unspecified date in the second half of this year. He has already settled the casting of “Humint” and has scheduled full-scale production of the...

Exclusive: Following a buzzy debut this week at the Cannes Film Festival, Parisian-based filmmaker Julien Colonna’s debut feature The Kingdom has been picked up by Metrograph Pictures, who will release the film in North America.

The Kingdom screened in the festival’s Un Certain Regard sidebar and has been widely touted on the ground in Cannes as a surprising festival standout. Metrograph Pictures has said it will distribute the film theatrically, with additional release details to be announced later.

Set over one sweltering summer on the French island of Corsica, The Kingdom follows a Corsican mob family on the run. The central character is Lesia (Ghjuvanna Benedetti), a teenager who reconnects with her father, Pierre-Paul, a local mob boss in hiding. As Pierre-Paul’s crimes catch up with him, the two go on the run from both mobsters and the police, forging an increasingly close-knit bond that will ultimately...

Japanese distributor and producer Gaga Corporation is boosting its investment in lucrative anime features and eyeing a move into video games, following its majority stake acquisition by entertainment firm Genda.

Gaga president and CEO Tom Yoda is at the Cannes market with an “aggressive” growth strategy and a diverse slate that includes an upcoming martial arts drama from acclaimed filmmaker Takashi Miike and two Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction anime films, based on the popular manga by Inio Asano.

Yoda notes that the Japanese box office has been dominated by anime titles in recent years and such success would help...

Fantasia is back this summer with its 28th edition! And, of course, its first wave is an impressive, eclectic mix of genre titles you won't want to miss. The first wave announcement is in its entirety below and you can learn more about attending the fest at: https://fantasiafestival.com/en

The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 28th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 18 through August 4, 2024, returning yet again at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screens and events at Montreal’s Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.

The festival’s full lineup will be announced on July 3, but in the meantime, Fantasia is excited to reveal a select first wave of premiere titles, along with a first look at its 2024 poster art.

The festival’s 2024 poster art, created by Montreal visual artist Donald Caron,...

Young and the Restless (Y&R) spoilers for Friday, May 3 indicate some major moments of drama as fans head into the weekend.

Next On Young and the Restless

A character is given tough love, while another faces the consequences of their actions, and a confession is made. What kind of drama should viewers expect during Friday’s show? Time to find out!

Time For Some Tough Love, Baby

Y&R spoilers for Friday, May 3 hint that Victor Newman (Erice Braeden) will dole out some tough love where Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) is concerned. Her booze bender at the Gcac brought Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) to her rescue.

Trending Now! The Young And The Restless News: Get To Know Melissa Ordway A Little Bit Better

However, when she refused to stop drinking he went to extreme measures by falling off the wagon and popping some pills himself, to show her the error of her ways.

O.J. Simpson, the NFL Hall of Famer, has passed away at 76 after battling prostate cancer. He played for the Buffalo Bills for nine seasons from 1969 to 1977 before moving to the San Francisco 49ers for two seasons. Simpson was acquitted of the charges of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in an infamous trial in 1995. Simpson had a net worth of $3 million at the time of his death, most of it coming from pensions from the NFL and SAG.

Roots actor O.J. Simpson had a staggering net worth at the time of his death

While Simpson won the criminal case against him, he lost the civil case filed by the Goldman family. The court ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages. However, Simpson didn’t pay a large part of the said money and the Goldman family will continue to press Simpson’s four children to pay up the money.

John Cena may have taken his catchphrase “You can’t see me” quite literally while taking the stage at the 2024 Oscars, as he decided to walk out naked to present the Best Costume Award. However, the actor has now come clean about his lifelong deception while promoting his new film, Ricky Stanicky. The WWE star confessed in a recent interview, asserting that he has been living a lie and people can actually see him.

John Cena in Ricky Stanicky John Cena’s Candid Confession About Living a Lie

In a recent interview with MTV, the Ricky Stanicky stars John Cena and Zac Efron were asked if they have ever lied during an interview. And the wrestler turned actor took the opportunity to make a stark confession, as he replied, “All the time.” Cena continued,

John Cena (image via MTV | YouTube)

“I don’t think there’s an ounce of truth in anything I’ve said.

Sakaki Hideo, a well-known Japanese actor and film director, was arrested on Tuesday in Tokyo on suspicion of sexual assault.

Japanese media, quoting police reports, said that the arrest relates to an alleged incident in May 2016. They also cite Sakaki’s denial of the charges, which he calls “false accusations.”

The assault is alleged to have occurred at Sakaki’s apartment, where he took an actor in her 20s in order to give her acting advice. During the course of their encounter, Sakaki is alleged to have asked the woman to take off her clothes so that he could check for tattoos and suggested that she should get used to nudity in her acting career.

The actor and her lawyer consulted with Tokyo police in September that year, and filed a formal complaint in 2023.

The alleged incident was first reported in the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine in March 2022, which accused...

Character departures are inevitable for most shows.

That doesn't mean we have to like them. Sometimes, a character has to go because it's necessary for the story.

Other times, the actor moves on to a new role, and the character can't continue without them.

Now and then, a character's time on a show comes to an end in a way that leaves us brokenhearted and feeling betrayed by the writers.

These exits took us by surprise, and not in a good way.

Alex Karev's Dear John Letters on Grey's Anatomy

If you ask us, Alex Karev had one of the best character glow-ups of all time, with the kind of character development we can normally only dream about. His transformation from snarky, too-cool-for-school jock to the mature, brilliant man he became was one for the ages.

But sixteen years of hard work to become the peds surgeon we learned to...

The release of Japanese film “Confession,” set for March 25, has been indefinitely postponed due to allegations of sexual abuse leveled against the director Sakaki Hideo by several actresses and published on Wednesday by a leading Japanese tabloid. No legal charges have been filed against the director.

Ark Entertainment, which is handling the local release and international sales, announced the postponement on the film’s official website.

Sakaki also issued an apology on the site, saying: “I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused by the article to the producers, staff, cast members, and other people who worked hard to create the film, and above all, the audience who are looking forward to its release of the film. I sincerely apologize to everyone for the inconvenience, worry, and discomfort I have caused. I am truly sorry that I have caused injury and grief to my precious and irreplaceable family. I am...