Following on from the success of Kore-eda’s ‘Shoplifters’ at last years Cannes Film Festival, we might have hoped for further Japanese films in the 2019 edition, which started on the 14th May. Sadly there are no Japanese entries in any of the official selections. Miike Takashi’s UK-Japan co-production ‘First Love’ screens in the Director’s Fortnight, […]
The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world — attracting over 480,000 people annually — and serves as the last stop on the major film festival circuit before the awards season at the beginning of the new year. Over the years, the buzz created during TIFF […]
Our “Art of Film Directing” instructor and award-winning director friend Eric McEver is stars in a short film that is in competition at the 40th Pia Film Festival. The short film he is in, “Good bye, Eric” by director Takumi Takashina is one of 18 films that was selected out of 529 entries and was […]
I’d like to share with you several film screening events that are taking place this summer, some taking place starting this evening! The first few are all related to Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2018. Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF) is an Academy Awards accredited short film festival that has been held annually for the […]
Last week, I explored the Japanese directors who screened at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, having found the festival catalogue in a Tokyo second-hand bookshop. Of the three, one was already a superstar director, one was at the beginning of a fairly successful career, and one never made a film again. This week, I will […]
The Japanese Filmmakers of Sundance 1998 – Where Are They Now? Whilst browsing the shelves of Book Off in Akihabara, I came across a fantastic time capsule: the original catalogue from the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. At ¥500, I grabbed it immediately, and was further delighted when the checkout staff informed me all foreign books […]
Last week I entertained you (I hope) with a list of some of the things I learned watching 891 short films in 43 days. Now I’m back now with part 2. Festival submission fees can add up very fast, so ensure you are maximising your opportunities by keeping the screeners and programmers on your side. […]
Or, what I learnt watching 891 short films in 43 days. My name is Ryushi and I’m the Administrative Assistant here at English Language Film School Japan. I handle a lot of the day-to-day mundanities of running the school; browsing social media, searching for content to recommend, then browsing social media some more… Before this, […]