2015 JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO ANNOUNCES FILM LINEUPS FOR THE J-POP SUMMIT WEEKEND
The
Bay Area’s Only Dedicated Japanese Film Festival Complements The 2015
J-POP SUMMIT With Premiere Screenings And Special Guest Appearances At
NEW PEOPLE CINEMA; Additional Films To Be Announced Shortly
San Francisco, CA, June 30, 2015 – The 2015 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (JFFSF),
the first and only fully-dedicated Japanese film celebration for the
S.F. Bay Area, has announced an exciting schedule of screenings and
special guest appearances taking place during the weekend of the 2015
J-POP SUMMIT.
Opening in conjunction with the 2015 J-POP SUMMIT on Saturday, August 8th and running thru Sunday, August 16th, the 2015 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco will take place at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema, located inside the NEW PEOPLE entertainment complex in Japantown at 1746 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94115 (www.newpeoplecinema.com). Tickets to individual screenings are $13.00 each, unless otherwise noted. Film summaries, trailers, screening times and advance tickets are available at: www.JFFSF.org.
The 2015 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco proudly
presents more than 25 celebrated films, many premiering in the U.S. for
the first time, showcasing a wide range of Japanese cinema, including
live-action, anime, short film, and documentary titles across a range of
genres such as action, science fiction, historical drama, crime drama,
coming-of-age, and romantic mystery.
Special guests for the 2015 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco will include acclaimed Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano, who is widely known for roles in movies such as Ichi the Killer, Zatoichi, Thor, 46 Ronin, and Battleship, as well as one of Japan’s top anime directors, Koji Morimoto, who is a founder of renowned Studio 4℃ and known for works such as Animatrix and Genius Party Beyond.
A special Opening Night Event on Friday August 7th at The Castro Theatre kicks off the 2015 J-POP SUMMIT and Japan Film Festival of S.F. with a special 35mm presentation of director Sogo Ishii’s Electric Dragon 80000V, a rollicking comic-book style action film that stars top Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano.
The evening will be highlighted by a personal appearance by actor Tadanobu Asano, who will introduce the film and participate in an audience Q&A, as well as a live DJ set collaboration by one of Japan’s legendary techno DJ and producer, Ken Ishii, along with Japan’s top anime director Koji Morimoto.
Advance tickets to the 2015 J-POP SUMMIT/JFFSF Opening Night Event at
the Castro Theatre are available now for $25.00 each from http://jpop2015.
JFFSF Opening Night at Castro Theatre
ELECTRIC DRAGON 80000V
Friday, August 7th, 8:00pm
Dragon Eye Morrison (played by Tadanobu Asano) is a reptile investigator who suffers from an intermittent explosive disorder caused by brain damage he sustained in
a childhood accident. He manages to find a way to survive and control
his urges to destroy with his love of reptiles and an electric guitar.
Meanwhile, Thunderbolt Buddha (played by Masatoshi Nagase), an electric
repairman turned vigilante who has acquired powerful electro-conductive
powers after sustaining a childhood accident, goes after crime bosses
and gangsters that take advantage of electric signals. Holding an
obsessive hatred towards Morrison, Thunderbolt Buddha challenges him to a
final showdown on the rooftops of Tokyo.
JFFSF Screenings During 2015 J-POP SUMMIT Festival:
KAKEKOMI
Saturday, August 8th, 12:00pm
Divorce
in the Samurai Age? - During the Edo period, women seeking divorce or
fleeing abusive husbands ran to the Tokei-ji Temple in Kamakura.
Nobujiro, a young doctor and author, and his aunt Genbei, mistress of
the official inn of the temple, try to help the various suffering
“kakekomi” women. Based on the novel by Hisashi Inoue, Kakekomi delivers
extraordinary story of recovering women's rights with a witty script.
the VANCOUVER ASAHI
Saturday, August 8th, 3:00pm
Based
on a true story, the film is set in the 1930s in Vancouver, where there
was a baseball team called the Asahi formed by Canadian-born kids of
Japanese immigrants growing up in a small Japantown. Struggling with
racism and prejudice headed into the time of World War, the Asahi
members join forces to make a difference through their passion for
baseball.
MY MAN
Saturday, August 8th, 6:00pm – Special Guest Appearance by Tadanobu Asano
When
loneliness leads to forbidden love, how far will you go? After losing
everything in a tsunami disaster, 10-year-old Hana is taken in by a
young distant relative Jungo. The pair begins living together as family
while sharing the profound sense of loss. Amidst the deep snows of
Hokkaido, both desire to fill their empty, love-starved hearts and they
set foot into a forbidden world. When an elder benefactor in their small
town Mr. Oshio learns of Jungo and Hana's illicit relationship, tragedy
begins to take over. Don't miss the special personal appearance by
actor Tadanobu Asano who will introduce this film!
SPACE BROTHERS #0
Sunday, August 9th, 12:00pm
Space Brothers #0 functions as a great introduction to the TV anime series, Space Brothers
(Sentai Filmworks), based on the popular manga by Chuya Koyama. The
film harkens back to the origin of the Namba brothers' dream of
traveling to outer space, which was inspired by the world-renowned
astronaut brothers Brian and Eddie Jay, another “Space Brothers" duo
that dreamed of setting foot on the moon well before Namba brothers,
Mutta & Hibito.
The World of Koji Morimoto
Sunday, August 9th, 1:50pm – Special Guest appearance by Director Koji Morimoto
A collection of three short films by one of Japan’s top anime director Koji Morimoto, widely known as a founder of renowned Studio 4℃ and his works such as Animatrix and Genius Party Beyond. The famed director will appear in person to introduce the films as well as participate in an audience Q&A.
Magnetic Rose (45min): Magnetic Rose is the first of three episodes of MEMORIES,
based on the manga by Katsuhiro Otomo (the creator of Akira). The film
follows the members of the deep space salvage vessel Corona. While
performing a salvage mission, the crew encounters an odd distress signal
emanating from the Sargasso region, ominously nicknamed “The graveyard
of space.” Soundtrack composed by Yoko Kanno.
Noiseman Sound Insect
(15min): In the space of music, people used to live in the music fruit
in the trees. One day, Dr. Frankein secretly succeeds in creating the
creature 'Noiseman' by feeding the music fruit as fuel. Since then, the
space was dominated by noise, not music. When a pair of kids Tobio and
Reina find out this secret, they challenge Noiseman to bring the music
back home again. The film’s soundtrack was written by Japanese composer,
arranger, and musician Yoko Kanno.
Genius Party Beyond: Dimension Bomb (20min): Dimension Bomb is one of the five short animated omnibus "Genius Party Beyond," produced by Studio 4℃,
which director Koji Morimoto founded in 1986. One day, a boy named Shin
who wears a pupa-like mask encounters a girl named Koo. The days spent
with Koo, who is a free spirit unlike any other, start to fill up his
life with cherished and unforgettable moments. Noted musical composer
and arranger, Yoko Kanno, provides the voiceover of Koo.
BLIND SWORDSMAN: ZATOICHI
Sunday, August 9th, 4:00pm
Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi
is a 2003 samurai action film, directed by and starring actor Takeshi
Kitano ("Beat" Takeshi) as Zatoichi. It also co-stars Tadanobu Asano,
who plays Ronin Hattori, Zatoichi's rival. The film is a revival of the
classic Zatoichi series of film and television series. It won the
prestigious Silver Lion for Best Director award at Venice Film Festival
and went on to win numerous other awards internationally.
PALE MOON
Sunday, August 9th, 6:30pm
Based
on the bestselling novel "Kami No Tsuki (Paper Moon)" by Mitsuyo
Kakuta, and directed by Daihachi Yoshida, the critically acclaimed crime
drama unfolds around an obedient housewife working part-time as a bank
teller who becomes a reckless embezzler to live it up with a young
lover. Leading actress Rie Miyazawa takes on an outrageous behavior in a
subtle performance and gracefully displays her aging beauty.
The 2015 J-POP SUMMIT takes place Saturday and Sunday August 8th & 9th at the historic Fort Mason Center in San Francisco’s Marina district. Tickets and V.I.P Passes to the 2015 J-POP SUMMIT are available now at: www.J-POP.com. Throughout
the weekend, attendees can enjoy a colorful assortment of Japanese
pop-influenced culture, fashion, pop art, live music, technology and
travel that will be complemented by celebrity Guests of Honor, anime
programming, cosplay and pop idol contests, and a wide assortment of
vendors and other programming.
NEW
PEOPLE Cinema is a 143-seat cinema located in the underground floor of
NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco. Equipped with a cutting-edge HD digital
projection and THX®-certified sound system, NEW PEOPLE Cinema is home for local film festivals and entertaining events. www.newpeoplecinema.com
About JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO
Launched
in 2013, Japan Film Festival of San Francisco is the first and only
fully dedicated Japanese film event for the SF Bay Are. This year’s
edition will feature a colorful mix of narratives, anime and documentary
film premieres and exclusive screenings with special guest appearance
at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema in SF’s Japantown from August 8th (Sat) through August 16th (Sun), 2015. More details and ticket information is available at www.jffsf.org.
About J-POP SUMMIT
The J-POP SUMMIT
is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration held in San Francisco, CA
that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel
discussions, film premieres, fashion shows and events, food and spirits,
art, and celebrity appearances. In 2014, the two-day event attracted 125,000 attendees. Details on J-POP SUMMIT are available at www.J-POP.com
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