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The 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival will kick off on April 10 with dual opening features, Japanese drama The Brightest Sun and Malaysia-Hong Kong co-production Pavane for an Infant. Berlin Golden Bear winner Dreams (Sex Love), directed by Norway’s Dag Johan Haugerud, will then bring the curtain down on the event on April 21 as the closing film. The festival’s lineup was unveiled Monday at a press conference at Hong Kong’s Filmart Content Market.

The Brightest Sun is filmmaker Tetsuya Nakashima’s adaptation of a novel by popular Japanese author Bunzo Uchikai. It’s the first film from Nakashima (Kamikaze Girls, The World of Kanako) in seven years. Pavane for an Infant, meanwhile, directed by Chong Keat Aun, is a drama exploring the issue of baby abandonment through the eyes of a female social worker (Malaysian-born Hong Kong actress Fish Liew).

Two local Hong Kong features have been...

Japanese filmmaker Nakashima Tetsuya’s The Brightest Sun and Malaysia-Hong Kong co-production Pavane For An Infant, directed by Chong Keat-Aun, will open this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival (April 10-21).

Berlin Golden Bear winner Dreams (Sex Love), directed by Norway’s Dag Johan Haugerud, has been set as the closing film of the festival.

Two Hong Kong productions will receive Gala Screenings – Valley Of The Shadow Of Death, starring Anthony Wong, and Oliver Chan Siu-kuen’s Montages Of A Modern Motherhood, which played in Busan International Film Festival’s New Currents section and Tokyo International Film Festival’s Women’s Empowerment strand last year.

Hkiff’s Cinephile Paradise section will screen films such as Geng Jun’s Bel Ami, Vivian Qu’s Girls On Wire, Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, Luis Ortega’s Kill The Jockey and Yeo Siew Hua’s Stranger Eyes.

As previously announced, Hong Kong actor...

Three years after the phenomenal success of “Hi, Mom” (it is still the third most successful film ever in China), Jia Ling is back with another heart-warming dramedy, a remake of the knockout Japanese indie drama “100 Yen Love”. And once again, the director, writer and actress used a similar formula to storm her way to the top of the 2024 Lunar New Year box office.

This time, Jia Ling plays Leying, a thirty-something introvert who still lives with her family, refuses to have a job, spends her time sleeping and is hopelessly obese. Everything suddenly becomes unbearable when her family turns against her and her boyfriend leaves her for her best friend. Deciding to move out and finally take control of her life, Leying gets a small-time job as a waitress and becomes quickly fascinated with the nearby gym… especially one of its boxing coaches.

Check the review of the...

Leading Japanese star Kaku Kento confirmed his starring role in ‘Like a Dragon: Yakuza,” Amazon MGM Studios’ live-action adaptation of the hit Sega video game. Kaku joined co-lead Takeuchi Ryoma at the San Diego Comic-Con for a reveal of the upcoming series’ teaser trailer.

The six-part crime-suspense-action series is directed by Take Masaharu (“100 Yen Love”) and Takimoto Kengo (“Kamen Teacher”). The screenplay and story are by Sean Crouch and Yugo Nakamura, with a Japanese screenplay by Yoshida Yasuhiro and Yamada Kana.

As in the game, which has been known as “Yakuza” and “Like a Dragon” in different markets and at differnt times, the series’ action is set in the fictional entertainment district of Kamurochō,. The area was modelled by the game designers on Kabukichō, the violent ward in Tokyo’s Shinjuku.

The stories of “Like a Dragon: Yakuza” depict the lives of fierce yet passionate gangsters and people living in Kamurochō,...

I am not sure why, but it seems films about boxing have been coming in abundance from Japan during the last few years, with titles like “100 Yen Love” and “Blue” being the first that come to mind. It seems that the recipe of either “Million Dollar Baby” or “Rocky”, or both on occasion, still has an impact on the audience, and that is exactly the path “Last Bloom” follows.

Last Bloom is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival

The story is based on the novel “Haru ni Chiru” by Kotaro Sawaki and revolves mostly around two men. Jin is an elderly former boxer who has just returned to Japan after a forty year subpar boxing career in the US, following an unfair decision in the beginning of his career in Japan. Shogo is a struggling young boxer from a poor family, who has also experienced something similar. One night in a bar,...

Streaming giant Prime Video will release “Like a Dragon,” a live-action series adaptation of the Sega game franchise “Yakuza Like a Dragon.”

The six-part crime-suspense-action series is directed by Take Masaharu (“100 Yen Love”) and Takimoto Kengo (“Kamen Teacher”) and stars Takeuchi Ryoma (multiple “Kamen Rider” titles) as the lead character, Kiryu Kazuma.

It will upload to Prime Video in two batches of three episodes on Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, with subtitled and dubbed versions in 30 languages.

The series’ story is set in two time periods, 1995 and 2005, and follows the life, childhood friends and the repercussions of the decisions of a fearsome and peerless Yakuza warrior with a strong sense of justice, duty, and humanity. The screenplay and story are by Sean Crouch and Nakamura Yugo, with a Japanese screenplay by Yoshida Yasuhiro and Yamada Kana.

Released in 2005 by Sega, the “Yakuza” game series was positioned as an entertaining game for...

The Opening Night on Wednesday 24 April will travel between China and South Korea with two international premieres. The task of opening the curtain will fall to “Yolo“, the film phenomenon with which Jia Ling (director and protagonist) literally smashed the box office! Then it will be the turn of “Citizen of a Kind” by director Park Young-ju, an irresistible action comedy that revolves around a single mother, unemployed and victim of a phishing scam.

Chosen by the Feff as the inaugural title of the twenty-sixth edition, “Yolo” is an international festival premiere and tells two stories: one that develops in the plot and one which spread with great force outside the screen, becoming a source of inspiration for millions of Chinese. A story which brings a strong message into the spotlight: it is never too late to change your life. It is never too late to believe in yourself and to fully exercise your willpower,...

Macho sports-movie tropes meet with bright chick-flick framing to curious effect in “Yolo,” either an ostensible boxing drama that doesn’t pick up the gloves until the third act, or a misfit romcom that takes a late and unusual turn toward transformational self-help territory. Chinese audiences have been delighted by either formulation, as Jia Ling’s second feature as director-star — following 2021’s popular time-travel comedy “Hi, Mom” — has racked up the year’s second-highest global gross so far, mostly on the strength of its domestic receipts. That’s been enough to secure it an international release through Sony, but “Yolo” is likelier to bemuse outside viewers unfamiliar with Jia’s persona as a celebrity comedian — and her extreme weight-loss journey while making the film, a narrative that powered its publicity on home turf.

“Yolo” is itself a work of cultural translation, adapted as it is from Japanese director Masaharu Take...

Bright Sparks In Hong Kong

“Snow in Midsummer,” which quietly probes the 1969 massacre of Malaysian Chinese during post-election turmoil, was named the winner of the best film for young cinema competition (Chinese-language) at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Liang Ming was named best director for “Carefree Days,” while the film’s female lead Lyu Xingchen collected the best actress award. Jason King won the best actor award for his performance in “A Journey in Spring.”

In the equivalent competition for non-Chinese films Gustav Moeller’s “Sons” was named the Firebird winner. Meryam Joobeur won the best director award for her “Who Do I Belong To.” The best actor award went to Vangelis Mourikis for his role in “Arcadia.” Minna Wuendrich was named best actress for her performance in “Ivo.” The jury also gave a special mention to “Pepe,” directed by Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias.

In the documentary competition,...

Let's begin by talking about the numbers of the Far East Film Festival 26. This year the Feff community will be able to watch 75 films from 11 countries. More precisely, 15 world premieres (including those of restored classics), 24 international premieres, 19 European premieres and 13 Italian premieres. Expected in Udine from 24 April to 2 May, in the historic headquarters of the Teatro Nuovo and in the spaces of the Visionario, the Far East Film Festival 26 will give life to a 9-day long full immersion and it will colour the heart of the city with Asia (there are over 100 thematic events scheduled). A real feast of cinema.

The Opening Night on Wednesday 24 April will travel between China and South Korea with two international premieres. The task of opening the curtain will fall to “Yolo”, the blockbuster that bears the signature of famous comedy star Jia Ling (here in the double role of director and protagonist). It is...

Zhang Yimou is set to receive the Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Far East Film Festival (Feff).

The auteur, a key figure in China’s Fifth Generation of filmmakers, is best known for his films ‎Raise the Red Lantern, ‎Red Sorghum, To Live, Hero and House of the Flying Daggers, and was also directed the memorable opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Also receiving the coveted Golden Mulberry at the 26th edition of Feff is Taiwanese producer Chiu Fu-sheng. Chiu, a legendary figure in the Asian film industry, is known for his collaborations with auteur filmmakers including Hou Hsiao-hsien, producing A City of Sadness (1989) and The Puppetmaster (1993) and Zhang, producing both Raise the Red Lantern and To Live (1994). Zhang’s 2023 film Under the Light will also compete in the main competition at Feff.

Feff, the respected Italian festival that takes place in the northern city of Udine,...

Sony Pictures has launched the official trailer for ‘Yolo’.

Le Ying (played by Jia Ling) has been staying at home for many years, doing nothing in particular. After graduating from college and working for a while, Le Ying chooses to withdraw from society, closing herself off from social circles, which she believes is the best way to “reconcile” with herself. One day, after several twists of fate, she decides to live life differently. In cautiously venturing into the outside world, Le Ying meets boxing coach Hao Kun (played by Lei Jia Yin). Just when she thinks life is about to take a positive turn, the challenges that follow far exceed her imagination and her vibrant life is just beginning…

Based on the original film ‘100 Yen Love’ (Hyakuen no Koi), Jia Ling directs a cast of Lei Jiayin, Zhang Xiaofei, Sha Yi, Zhao Haiyan, Zhang Qi, Xu Juncong, Bu Yu,...

The second slate for the upcoming Red Lorry Film Festival has been unveiled, and it features many award-winning films and TV series across a wide spectrum of languages and genres. The inaugural edition of the film festival will feature over 100 films.

These titles include iconic films like ‘A Few Good Men’, ‘Jerry Maguire’, ‘Love Actually’, ‘The Great Escaper’ and ‘Escape To Victory’.

The Emma Stone-starrer ‘Poor Things’, which is based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray, will also be screened at the festival along with other titles like ‘Last Swim’, ‘The Good Teacher’, ‘Yolo’, ‘100 Yen Love’, ‘Amal’ and ‘Reawakening’.

Sriram Raghavan, Ambassador of Red Lorry Film Festival, said, “It is an exciting and rewarding experience to be a part of Red Lorry Film Festival. I am ecstatic to be a part of the movie selection process and bring to you an array of diverse films through this festival. The...

Andy Lau starrer The Movie Emperor and romantic drama Viva La Vida have had their releases cut short in China amid stiff competition, while Yolo and Pegasus 2 are among four local breakout hits that contributed to a record-breaking $1.1bn box office over Chinese New Year.

Satirical comedy The Movie Emperor earned just $11.1m (RMB80m) after one week following its release on the first day of Chinese New Year (February 10), which also saw the opening of a string of hot local titles.

Chinese producer Huanxi Media issued a statement on social media to say it would be pulled from...

Worldwide box office February 2-4 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Yolo (various) $110.4m $110.4m $110.4m $110.4m 1 2. Pegasus 2 (various) $104.6m $104.6m $104.6m $104.6m 3 3. Boonie Bears: Time Twist (various) $60.8m $60.8m $60.8m $60.8m 1 4. Article 20 (various)

$46.6m $46.6m $46.6m $46.6m 1 5. Argylle (Universal) $15.9m $60.1m $9.4m $31.3m 82 6. Anyone But You (Sony) $12.4m $170.1m $9.7m $90m 51 7. Wonka (Warner Bros) 11.6m $587.5m $8.5m $382.3m 75 8. Migration (Universal) $9.7m $235.2m $6.7m $125.0m 80 9. The Movie Emperor (various) $7.9m $7.9m $7.9m $7.9m 6 10. Poor Things (Disney) $7.7m $81.2m $6.6m $50.9m 44

Credit: Comscore. All figures are estimates.

China wins top four spots in...

Eight Chinese-language films release simultaneously this weekend in mainland China and will vie for a slice of the Lunar New Year holiday box office business.

The week-long nationwide holiday period has in recent years become the most lucrative season for cinemas, and key films stake out their slot in the release calendar months or years in advance.

The new Chinese films all debut on Saturday (Friday is the normal day for releases in China) and should have an unchallenged two weeks on screen. But if the new Chinese films don’t perform well, there is already a string of new Hollywood releases queuing up for screen time, starting with “Argylle” on Feb. 23.

The week-long holiday this year officially runs Feb. 10-17, but employers are encouraged to give workers time off on Friday, Feb. 9 as well, ostensibly giving city dwellers time to return to their native villages and family seats in...

Le Ying (Jia Ling) has lived with her family for many years whiling away her time. Upon graduating from university and working for a period of time, Le Ying opts to withdraw from society and shut down her social life, believing this is the best way to “reconcile” with herself. But one day, after several tricks and twists of fate, she decides to change her way of life. As Le Ying very cautiously re-engages with the outside world, she meets a boxing coach Hao Kun (Lei Jiayin). Just as she thinks her life is almost back on track, she faces successive challenges beyond her imagination, and her “burning hot life” has only just begun …

According to Douban, “Yolo” is adapted from the 2014 Japanese movie “100 Yen Love”.

This movie is comedian-actress-director Jia Ling's sophomore feature, three years after her 2021 directorial debut box-office blockbuster “Hi, Mom” for which she holds the...

Having run for over twenty years, the UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP24), returns with its biggest showcase ever for 2024.

Memories play a powerful role in the mind. Shaped fluidly by individuals or time, they have been a source of inspiration for many filmmakers, fuelling their creativity to craft colourful stories. Under the theme ‘Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema’ the JFTFP24 delves into Japanese cinema to explore how memories are employed in the cinematic voices of Japanese filmmakers, from films where memories are a focal point to works where they play a subliminal role in driving or affecting people’s minds and behaviour. With an incredibly diverse range of films all based on memories, time, and reflections, this year’s programme is set to provide UK audiences with memorable stories and unforgettable moments.

Under this theme the packed programme...

Another splendid sample of Japanese indie cinema, “100 Yen Love” depicts the contemporary life in the metropolis, which is chiefly characterized by alienation and solitude, with raw realism.

Buy This Title

Ichiko is a 32-year-old living with her parents in the first floor of the bento shop they own, while recently, her sister has also moved there with her son, due to her recent divorce. Ichiko is a true slob, spending her time playing video games with her nephew, not helping in the shop whatsoever, both facts that constantly infuriate her sister. Moreover, even if her character is flawed, her appearance is even worse, since she is permanently uncombed and unkempt, to the point of usually looking similar to a homeless person. During a fight between the sisters, matters gets out of hand, and the two of them wind up wrestling on the floor. Eventually, Ichiko is forced to move...

“Underdog,” the two-part boxing film that opens the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival, is the second movie on the subject by director Take Masaharu. The first, “100 Yen Love” in 2014 won the Japanese Cinema Splash Award at the 27th TIFF and was selected as Japan’s nominee for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. Take was also supervising director on the hit Netflix series “The Naked Director.”

You had a big success with “100 Yen Love.” Is boxing a genre you have a special affection for?

Take: Boxing movies like “Rocky” and “Raging Bull” were interesting to me when I saw them as a kid. I love them as films, but they’re tough to make. I’ve had enough. (laughs) I don’t think I have a particular aptitude for them.

The training must have been tough for your three leads, Moriyama Mirai, Kitamura Takumi and Katsuji Ryo.

Take: It was tough.

While there are fewer Japanese titles than usual at this year’s streamlined Tokyo International Film Festival, it’s a varied selection, with numerous international co-productions and films tackling contemporary issues, as well as retrospectives, anime and a few classics. Here are five, new and old, that are worth catching.

“Along the Sea”

After highlighting the plight of Burmese refugees in debut feature “Passage of Life,” director Fujimoto Akio turns his attention to Japan’s controversial technical trainee program for foreign workers. The film follows three young Vietnamese women who migrate to the country, only to find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

“Underdog”

Director Take Masaharu and screenwriter Adachi Shin scored their most memorable collaboration with 2014 boxing drama “100 Yen Love.” They return to the ring for TIFF’s opening film, a bruising drama with a marathon running time of nearly five hours. A bulked-up Moriyama Mirai...

New section introduced in response to Covid-19 travel restrictions will screen 32 films of which 25 are world premieres.

Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced the full line-up for its 33rd edition, including the 32 titles selected for its Tokyo Premiere section, introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions.

Unlike many major festivals this year, TIFF will be going forward with in-person screenings at its usual venues, but has replaced three of its major sections – Competition, Asian Future and Japanese Cinema Splash – with the new Tokyo Premiere section.

The section, which includes 25 world premieres, “has a large focus on supporting young filmmakers,...

The Tokyo International Film Festival has unveiled a smaller, more compact selection for its 33rd edition (Oct. 31-Nov. 9). Exceptionally, this year’s Tokyo festival is held in partnership with Tokyo Filmex.

Three of the Tokyo festival’s traditional main sections – competition, Asian Future and Japanese Cinema Splash – are combined in into one, Tokyo Premiere 2020. And in place of the usual awards, only one, the Audience Award, will be bestowed.

The Tokyo Premiere section includes 32 films by both veteran and rising directors. Fully 25 are world premieres, and the remaining seven Asian premieres.

Ten Japanese films will be screened in Tokyo Premiere, including: festival opener “Underdog” by Masaharu Take (“100 Yen Love”); “Hold Me Back” by Akiko Ooku (“Tremble All You Want”); and “Come and Go,” a drama by Japan-based Malaysian filmmaker Lim Kah Wai.

Foreign films include: “February,” Bulgarian director Kamen Kalev’s drama that arrives as a Cannes Label title; “After Love,...

The Tokyo International Film Festival has set boxing picture “Underdog,” directed by Take Masaharu, as the opening title for its 33rd edition. The festival will run Oct. 31 to Nov. 9, when it will close with Hajime Hashimoto’s “Hokusai.”

The festival plans to hold physical screenings in Tokyo theaters, but few overseas guests or filmmakers will be able to participate in person. The Tiffcom rights market will be held entirely online, it was announced in recent days.

“Underdog” stars Mirai Moriyama, Takumi Kitamura and Ryo Katsuji, and is Take’s first boxing-themed film in six years, since “100 Yen Love.” It depicts the lives of three desperate fighters as they square off in the ring, to attempt their comebacks.

“Hokusai” is the story of legendary Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika and his unique talent, known as the “Secret of Three Waves.” The artist is best known for his “Thirty-six Views of Mount...

Boxing drama Underdog is directed by Masaharu Take, while Hokusai is a biopic directed by Hajime Hashimoto.

This year’s Tokyo International Film Festival will open with Masaharu Take’s Underdog, and close with Hokusai, directed by Hajime Hashimoto and starring Yuya Yagira and Min Tanaka.

Underdog, which stars Mirai Moriyama, Takumi Kitamura and Ryo Katsuji, is Take’s first boxing-themed film since his award-winning 100 Yen Love (2014). It depicts the lives of three fighters who have been abandoned in life, as they cross fists in the ring to attempt their comebacks.

Hokusai is the story of legendary Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai Katsushika,...

The first day of theater release of “Underdog”, the latest director of Masaharu Take, director of “100 Yen Love” and “Naked Director”, will appear on November 27th, with appearances of Miki Moriyama, Takumi Kitamura and Ryo Kachichi. The special news was lifted.

Cliff boxer Akira Suenaga (Moriyama). Ryuta Omura (Kitamura), a talented young boxer who has a secret in the past but is expected to be in the future. Entertainer boxer Shun Miyagi (Kachichi) who does not fly as a performer. Three lost dogs, who have been abandoned in life, cross their fists on the ring. What are they betting and what are they fighting for? Six years have passed since “100 Yen Love”. The drama of Loser’s life in deep bottom.

Based on his own, autobiographical novel “Chibusa ni Ka”, Shin Adachi’s “A Beloved Wife” is an amalgam of genres that paints a rather realistic portrait of modern relationships, although somewhat exaggerated for comedic reasons.

“A Beloved Wife” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival 2020

Gota, much like Adachi after the success of “100 Yen Love” is a script-writer that had a success in the past, but now does not seem to get any break. An adaptation of a book he has written has not been picked up for years, and no new scripts come his way. This failure of his has put a rather significant toll on his wife, Chika, who is the sole earner of their household. Chika is rather frustrated due to his inability to earn and does not lose any chance to grind him about the fact, with her nagging being almost constant, to the frustration of their little daughter,...

The notion that possessing a firearm, for most people in a civilized society, is a rare and fascinating thing is the ideological underpinning of Japanese thriller “The Gun 2020.”

The pitch may have its limits in the U.S., but in the hands of director Masaharu Take (“100 Yen Love” “Netflix’ “The Naked Director”) the story flows from a student’s accidental discovery of a handgun, right when she needs it, through to the slaying of a neighbor, and to a police chase. Along the way the back story of both the gun and the woman become clearer.

The film stars “Shoplifters” standout Lily Franky as a detective, alongside Kyoko Hinami and Koichi Sato. It is conceived as a sequel of sorts to Take’s “The Gun” which also started with the discovery of a weapon, and was presented at the autumn 2018 edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Heading to a commercial release,...

We’ve all seen couples like Gota and Chika Yanagida — some of us may even be in one. In writer-director Shin Adachi’s “A Beloved Wife,” the Yanagidas bicker constantly, turning their near-constant state of marital conflict into a kind of public performance, sucking friends and strangers alike into the typhoon of their discomfort. Are they really so unhappy, or is this all some kind of routine, a combative sort of foreplay before a marathon bout of make-up sex?

Only Gota and Chika can be sure, although one thing is certain: It can be exhausting to witness such a dynamic in real life, whereas Adachi’s autobiographical satire never wears out its welcome, counting on the likability of its cast to overcome behavior most of us couldn’t stand in real life. As the semi-ironic title suggests, “A Beloved Wife” is simultaneously tough and affectionate with both parties, amounting to...

Japanese prosecutors in the rape case against Hirofumi Arai have asked for a five-year prison sentence for the actor. They made the request was made at a public hearing Wednesday in the Tokyo District Court.

Arai has pleaded innocent to charges that he sexually assaulted a woman sent to his residence from a massage service on July 1, 2018.

In its statement to the court, the prosecution contended that the victim was in “extreme physical and emotional distress” and that Arai’s payment of money after the encounter indicated “his full recognition that the woman was opposed to his desire.”

In his testimony, Arai has denied that the woman resisted his advances or that he used threats or violence.

Japanese courts have very high conviction rates. The verdict will be announced Dec. 2.

Born Kyung-Sik Park in Hirosaki, in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture, in 1979, Arai is a third-generation ethnic Korean. After debuting in “Go,...

It Stopped Raining, which premieres in A Window On Asian Cinema, also on Gaga’s Busan slate.

Japan’s Gaga Corp has picked up international rights to Busan International Film Festival (Biff) opening film, The Horse Thieves – Roads Of Time, directed by Yerlan Nurmukhambetov and Lisa Takeba.

Gaga has worldwide rights excluding Cis, which is being handled by Julia Kim, and China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Korea and Mongolia, which are being handled by Tokyo-based Vap.

Described as a Kazakhstani Western, the film will receive its world premiere at Biff’s opening ceremony tonight (October 3). Starring Samal Yeslyamova, who won...

Two Japanese films, “Tezuka’s Barbara” and “A Beloved Wife” have been selected for the main competition section of next month’s Tokyo International Film Festival.

The festival will reveal the remainder of the competition and the bulk of its other selections later this month. To date the Japanese festival has only revealed its opening film a gala screening of Japanese film “Talking The Pictures,” directed by Masayuki Suo, and Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” as its closing event.

“Barbara” is an adult-oriented fantasy tale, directed by Makoto Tezka who adapts his father Osamu Tezka’s famous novel, itself a reimagining of “The Tales of Hoffmann.” The story deals with the erotic and bizarre experiences of a novelist whose life is turned upside down by a mysterious girl named Barbara, and touches on taboos including forbidden love, eroticism, scandal and the occult.

Tokyo festival selector Yoshi Yatabe called it: “extremely luxurious and fortunate filmmaking,...

The Japanese film industry loves making films about the process of filmmaking. From “The Woodsman and the Rain”, the smash hit “One Cut of the Dead”, Sion Sono’s Roman Porno entry “Antiporno” to even director Eiji Uchida’s own “Lowlife Love” and more, there have been several films about filmmakers and filming from there. The last two of the aforementioned films particularly hold strong relevance for “The Naked Director”, the new Netflix series which has been co-written by Uchida and tells the real-life story of Toru Muranishi, one of Japan’s most prolific, innovative and famous pornographers and the rise of the porn industry in the country.

As an English Encyclopaedia selling door-to-door salesman in Hokkaido, Japan, Toru Muranishi isn’t doing too well. Just as he’s beginning to gain confidence and getting the ropes of marketing, the company he works for folds and a crestfallen Muranishi then...

Japanese director Masaharu Take has completed work on his new drama series “The Naked Director”. The production is based off of the career of director and actor Toru Muranishi (Takayuki Yamada), and his experiences within the Japanese adult video industry.

All episodes will become available on Netflix on August 8th, 2019. A trailer for the series has been released and can be viewed below.

Synopsis

This biopic follows the tumultuous life of director Toru Muranishi, who revolutionized the porn industry during the economic boom of 1980s Japan. (Netflix)...

From the director and scriptwriter of “100 Yen Love”, comes a rather enjoyable comedy about the world of antiques and the shenanigans of the people involved.

We Make Antiques screened at Helsinki Cine Aasia Film Festival 2018

Norio Koike is an antique dealer and a scammer (as almost every protagonist and definitely anyone in the antique world in the film) who operates from his van along with his daughter, Imari and has a tendency to believe his horoscope. One day, upon his visit to the house of a seemingly indifferent owner of antiques, he stumbles upon a truly rare piece, and proceeds on swindling his way into owning it for a very small sum, thinking he finally has the big chance he has been waiting for years.

Unfortunately, he soon finds out that he has been swindled himself by the owner, who turns out to be a failed potter named Sasuke Noda,...

“100 yen, 100 yen, your whole life for 100 yen…”

Even though it may be a bit of a cliche, there is no denying a time of need may provide the foundation for a great story. After all, at the beginning of many stories a character needs to escape from dire circumstances in order to achieve something in the world, to fulfill a dream or to fight odds which have seemed insurmountable at first. Masaharu Take’s “100 Yen Love” does not necessarily tell a success story, but one about fighting, about challenging the most dangerous enemy one can imagine: yourself.

For Japanese director Masaharu Take the beginning of the 2010s marked quite a low point in his career, which had already almost two decades by that time. Due to the economic crisis, he tells the South China Morning Post, he found himself without a job like so many of his colleagues in the industry.

The New York Asian Film Foundation

Announces lineup for

The First New York Asian Film Festival Winter Showcase

Feb 1-3, Feb 8-10, 2019

Co-presented with Sva Theatre

New York, NY –The New York Asian Film Festival launches “Crazy Broke Asians”-themed first Winter Showcase, names Korean actress Han Ji-min as Inaugural Ambassador

For the inaugural edition of the New York Asian Film Festival Winter Showcase we’ve chosen a very timely theme. Everyone’s talking about “Crazy Rich Asians”, but what about the other side of the tracks? The showcase offers an alternate perspective on the continent with films that range from pure entertainment to profound introspection, stories about the 99% and the extraordinary lives of ordinary people, which might be from halfway across the world but are more relevant than ever in our troubled times. A deeply moving epic of despair, raw tales of the streets, crime thrillers, redemptive boxing dramas,...

The New York Asian Film Festival, which takes place every summer, is launching its first winter showcase. The 15-title season runs Feb. 1-10 and claims ‘Crazy Broke Asians’ as its theme.

“The showcase offers an alternate perspective on the continent with films that range from pure entertainment to profound introspection, stories about the 99% and the extraordinary lives of ordinary people, which might be from halfway across the world but are more relevant than ever in our troubled times,” organizers said in a statement.

The season opens with 2018 Korean crime drama “Miss Baek.” It stars actress Han Ji-min, who the festival organizers have also named as the ambassador of the winter showcase.

Most of the remaining screenings are of revived East Asian titles in an array of commercial genres, described as “deeply moving epic of despair, raw tales of the streets, crime thrillers, redemptive boxing dramas, a comic period piece, darkly humorous animation,...

From the director and scriptwriter of “100 Yen Love”, comes a rather enjoyable comedy about the world of antiques and the shenanigans of the people involved.

Norio Koike is an antique dealer and a scammer (as almost every protagonist and definitely anyone in the antique world in the film) who operates from his van along with his daughter, Imari and has a tendency to believe his horoscope. One day, upon his visit to the house of a seemingly indifferent owner of antiques, he stumbles upon a truly rare piece, and proceeds on swindling his way into owning it for a very small sum, thinking he finally has the big chance he has been waiting for years.

We Make Antiques is screening at the Toronto Japanese Film Festival

Unfortunately, he soon finds out that he has been swindled himself by the owner, who turns out to be a failed potter named Sasuke Noda,...

Kore-eda won critical acclaim last year for crime drama The Third Murder, which premiered at Venice.

Source: Hiroshi Nomura

Japan’s Gaga Corp has unveiled details of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s new as-yet-untitled project, which is currently shooting with a cast including Ando Sakura and Lily Franky.

Franky and child actor Jyo Kairi play a father and son from a poor family who take in a small girl (Miyu Sasaki) they find freezing on the streets after one of their shoplifting sessions together. Ando plays the mother with Mayu Matsuoka as her sister and Kiki Kirin as the grandmother on whose pension the family is heavily dependent.

While Franky and Kiki are both Kore-eda regulars, the film marks the first time that Ando and Matsuoka have worked with the director.

Ando is known for her roles in critically-acclaimed independent films including 100 Yen Love and Love Exposure, while Matsuoka’s credits include the Chihayafuru series and Kirishima Thing. Both child...