Japanese Film Festival returns for its 11th year!
November 14th 2007 05:10
Blockbuster hits, state-of-the-art anime, suspenseful horror, eccentric comedy, tear-jerking
romances, heroic samurai action…it’s all here at the Japanese Film Festival, a must-see
calendar event.
The Japanese Film Festival (JFF), now in its 11th year, begins on 29 November at Greater
Union George Street, for ten days only.
Opening the festival will be Nobuo Mizuta’s intriguing world of Maiko Haaaan!!, a hilarious
comedy of dreams, jealousy and pride, starring the talented Shinichi Tsutsumi (Always,
opening film for JFF 2006), rising star Kou Shibasaki (La Maison de HIMIKO, JFF 2006), and
the flamboyant Sadawo Abe (Kamikaze Girls, JFF 2006) in his first leading role.
Special guest for this year, Director Akira Ogata following on the success of his latest film The Milkwoman, winner of the 2005 Jury Awards at the Montreal World Film Festival. Continuing the standout recognition, The Milkwoman also won Best Picture and Best Actress in the 2005 Japanese Professional Awards. Ogata will be available for a question and answer session after Sydney’s very own screening of The Milkwoman on 2 December, 6:30pm.
A line-up of 19 outstanding films this year, highlights of the 2007 program include:
Love and Honor Director: Yoji Yamada
Following on from The Hidden Blade and The Twilight Samurai Yoji Yamada concludes his samurai trilogywith the stunning finale, Love and Honor. Already claiming Best Supporting Actor, BestCinematography and Best Lighting at the 2006 Japanese Academy Awards, his portrayal of Samurai honour is balanced brilliantly with the elegance and drama of a period piece.
Other films include:
Tokyo Tower- Mom & Me and Sometimes Dad Director: Joji Matsuoka
Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World Director: Isao Yukisada
Spring Snow Director: Isao Yukisada
We Shall Overcome Someday- Pacchigi! Director: Kazuyuki Izutsu
Sea Without Exit Director: Kiyoshi Sasabe
The Foreign Duck, The Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura
Fly, Daddy, Fly Director: Izuru Narushima
Bizan Director: Isshin Inudo
Linda Linda Linda Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita
J-Pop (1 Dec)
New to the festival this year is J-Pop day on 1 December, a themed day dedicated to placing
greater focus on Japanese pop culture. Titles featured include the lovable animation of One
Stormy Night, a tale of an impossible friendship between born enemies; Chika Umino’s bestselling comic Honey and Clover as a feature-length film; The Sword of Alexander, a
supernatural science fiction story set in ancient Japan; and renowned anime director Mamoru
Oshii’s (Ghost in the Shell, Innocence, JFF 2005) Tachigui: the Amazing Lives of the Fast
Food Grifters. Oshii employs a revolutionary technique called “superlivemation”, creating a 3DComuter Graphic mockumentary-style work performed by simple paper puppets in a theatre.
J-Horror (4 Dec )
Following the success of last year’s J-Horror night, the Japanese Film Festival continues the
tradition on 4 December with the 1950s classic The Black Cat of Ghost Mansion directed by
Nobuo Nakagawa. See it in a back-to-back horror special with Masato Harada’s latest new
flick, The Suicide Song. Based on the 1930s notoriously coined ‘Hungarian suicide song’, this
film follows the urban legend of Gloomy Sunday, which is said to have inspired many suicides.
6th Australia-Japan Student Film Forum
A special event showcasing a compilation of outstanding short films by graduate students
around Australia and Japan. Running in association with Sydney Film School and the Japan
Academy of Moving Images, this free forum will be held on 3 December, when students will
vie for Best Awarded Film.
Sydney Details:
When: 29 November – 8 December 2007
Where: Greater Union George Street
505-525 George St, Sydney
Ticketing: On sale now at Greater Union George Street Box Office
For more information: www.11thjff.jpf-sydney.org
or contact: Japan Foundation, Sydney on 61 (0)2 8239 0055.
romances, heroic samurai action…it’s all here at the Japanese Film Festival, a must-see
calendar event.
The Japanese Film Festival (JFF), now in its 11th year, begins on 29 November at Greater
Union George Street, for ten days only.
opening film for JFF 2006), rising star Kou Shibasaki (La Maison de HIMIKO, JFF 2006), and
the flamboyant Sadawo Abe (Kamikaze Girls, JFF 2006) in his first leading role.
Special guest for this year, Director Akira Ogata following on the success of his latest film The Milkwoman, winner of the 2005 Jury Awards at the Montreal World Film Festival. Continuing the standout recognition, The Milkwoman also won Best Picture and Best Actress in the 2005 Japanese Professional Awards. Ogata will be available for a question and answer session after Sydney’s very own screening of The Milkwoman on 2 December, 6:30pm.
A line-up of 19 outstanding films this year, highlights of the 2007 program include:
Love and Honor Director: Yoji Yamada
Following on from The Hidden Blade and The Twilight Samurai Yoji Yamada concludes his samurai trilogywith the stunning finale, Love and Honor. Already claiming Best Supporting Actor, BestCinematography and Best Lighting at the 2006 Japanese Academy Awards, his portrayal of Samurai honour is balanced brilliantly with the elegance and drama of a period piece.
Other films include:
Tokyo Tower- Mom & Me and Sometimes Dad Director: Joji Matsuoka
Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World Director: Isao Yukisada
Spring Snow Director: Isao Yukisada
We Shall Overcome Someday- Pacchigi! Director: Kazuyuki Izutsu
Sea Without Exit Director: Kiyoshi Sasabe
The Foreign Duck, The Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura
Fly, Daddy, Fly Director: Izuru Narushima
Bizan Director: Isshin Inudo
Linda Linda Linda Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita
J-Pop (1 Dec)
New to the festival this year is J-Pop day on 1 December, a themed day dedicated to placing
greater focus on Japanese pop culture. Titles featured include the lovable animation of One
Stormy Night, a tale of an impossible friendship between born enemies; Chika Umino’s bestselling comic Honey and Clover as a feature-length film; The Sword of Alexander, a
supernatural science fiction story set in ancient Japan; and renowned anime director Mamoru
Oshii’s (Ghost in the Shell, Innocence, JFF 2005) Tachigui: the Amazing Lives of the Fast
Food Grifters. Oshii employs a revolutionary technique called “superlivemation”, creating a 3DComuter Graphic mockumentary-style work performed by simple paper puppets in a theatre.
J-Horror (4 Dec )
Following the success of last year’s J-Horror night, the Japanese Film Festival continues the
tradition on 4 December with the 1950s classic The Black Cat of Ghost Mansion directed by
Nobuo Nakagawa. See it in a back-to-back horror special with Masato Harada’s latest new
flick, The Suicide Song. Based on the 1930s notoriously coined ‘Hungarian suicide song’, this
film follows the urban legend of Gloomy Sunday, which is said to have inspired many suicides.
6th Australia-Japan Student Film Forum
A special event showcasing a compilation of outstanding short films by graduate students
around Australia and Japan. Running in association with Sydney Film School and the Japan
Academy of Moving Images, this free forum will be held on 3 December, when students will
vie for Best Awarded Film.
Sydney Details:
When: 29 November – 8 December 2007
Where: Greater Union George Street
505-525 George St, Sydney
Ticketing: On sale now at Greater Union George Street Box Office
For more information: www.11thjff.jpf-sydney.org
or contact: Japan Foundation, Sydney on 61 (0)2 8239 0055.
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