Hoga News

Tokyo Filmex opens

Another film festival in Tokyo, Tokyo Filmex opened on Nov. 22.  I think Mai can write about it eventually, from the actual site.

Tokyo Filmex Official Site

Michi

"HAPPY FLIGHT" East Coast Premier

I got the following press release from New York - Tokyo, about "Happy Flight" showing at Japan Society New York.  "Happy Flight" is a work-place comedy by Shinobu Yaguchi, and is at 2nd place in box office over the 3rd weekend in November in Japan.  I love both "Water Boys" and "Swing Girls" by Yaguchi, so I wanted to see it while I was in Japan last week, but did not have time.

*******************************************************************************
East Coast Premiere of
HAPPY FLIGHT

with Special Guest Appearances by
Director Shinobu Yaguchi,  Actor Seiichi Tanabe, and Actress Haruka Ayase

Wed.,Dec.03, 2008        (1) Door 1:15pm, Film 2:00pm  (2) Door 6:00pm, Film 6:45pm
Japan Society: 333 East 47th Street, NYC
Admission Free. Need RSVP to http://www.newyork-tokyo.com/wp/happy-flight

Director Shinobu Yaguchi brought feelings of laughter, tears, and exhilaration to audiences with his films about boys' synchronized swimming (Waterboys) and girls' high school big band jazz (Swing Girls). The theme of his latest film, HAPPY FLIGHT,  is "airplanes" - of all things!

Yaguchi's intent was to create a realistic, completely new film that oversees all corners of the aviation industry. Having ANA (All Nippon Airways)
lend their Boeing 747 for filming and 500 staff members’  involvement, he created a  wonderfully entertaining film chock-full of Yaguchi's love and fascination of airplanes.

· Director & Screenplay:  Shinobu Yaguchi
· Cast: Seiichi Tanabe (Memories of Tomorrow, Honey and Clover), Haruka Ayase (Cyborg She, ICHI, The Magic Hour)
· Production Company:  Altamira Pictures (Shall We Dance)
· Executive Producer:  Shoji Masui  (Shall We Dance)
· Official Website: www.happyflight.jp
· ©2008 Fuji Television Network, Altamira Pictures, Toho, Dentsu

· Japan/2008/103 min./color/Japanese with English subtitles

For both screenings, Director Yaguchi, actor Seiichi Tanabe and actress Haruka Ayase, will make special appearances.
*******************************************************************************

Michi Kaifu

The fifth “Precure” Movie metwith the Weekend Box Office Success

According to a Japanese box office tracking companyKogyo Tsushinsha, the fifth “Precure” movie titled “Yes! Pretty Cure5 Go Go! The Movie - Happy Birthday In Candy Land –” had a success with the latest weekend box office as the top among the Japanese films.

Released on 8th November, this “Precure” film demonstrated its high popularity among children and of course the “Anime” fans of all ages in Japan.  This “Precure” series, originally broadcasted asTV animation programs, can be considered as one of the most typical and authentic magical girl anime, like “Sailor Moon” series, in my opinion. 

This film describes ‘sympathy’, ‘kindness’ and ‘gratitude’ to other people as themain theme, borrowing the narrative of the fairy tale classic “Sleeping Beauty” sometimes. In addition, its theme music “Birthday Party” was performed by Mika Mifune, a daughter of Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune who is renowned for Akira Kurosawa’s works, with her husband.  Actually, its sixth movie will be released in spring of 2009, so it seems that the adventures of “Precure” still goes on.

 

（C）2008　映画Yes！プリキュア5GoGo！製作委員会

Mai KATO

“PANDA DIARY” to be distributed in European countries

One of the Japanese leading film companies Shochiku Co., Ltd. announced yesterday that Wild Bunch, known as the distributor of Oscar-winning animal documentary feature “March of the Penguins”, has acquired French, Benelux, German and Italian rights to its documentary film “Panda Diary”.

“Panda Diary” (original title “Pandaful Life”), directed by Tadashi Mori, was actually co-produced with China.  According to Shochiku, ‘it is the first time to be able to shoot the new born baby panda in the mother’s arms’.  This movie is narrated by Japanese actress Miho Kanno who starred in Kitano’s 2002 film “Dolls”, so it will be also worth to keeping our eyes on who will dub into each European languages.

       

(c) 2008 PANDA DIARY Film Partners             (c) 2008 PANDA DIARY Film Partners

Mai KATO

Jason Gray's sneak preview of AFM

American Film Market (AFM) is taking place in Los Angeles right now, and Jason Gray writes some previews of Japanese films showcased in AFM this year.

jasongray: Japanese Films at AFM

I cannot go to AFM this year to cover it - darn it! 

Michi Kaifu

“Departures” has DEPARTED for international film markets

A box-office and a commemorative event of Japanese film “Departures” was held on October 29th at Marunouchi Piccadilly 2 in Yurakucho, Tokyo.  The theatre was crammed with excited movie fans, and the whole audience burst into cheers at the appearance of the actor Masahiro Motoki and the director Yojiro Takita on the stage. 

Released in September 13th, 2008, the attendance of “Departures” in domestic market now exceeds 2.15 million, and its box-office revenues hit \2.5 billion.  It has also been screened by some international film festivals, and won awards including Grand Prix Des Ameriques at the 32nd Montreal World Film Festival, Best Picture / Best Director / Best Actor at Golden Rooster Award etc.  In fact, this film is a Japanese contender for the 81st Academy Award (February 22nd, 2009) nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film, so we may be able to see Motoki and Takita on the stage of Kodak Theatre in near future.  For the 2008 Foreign Language Oscar, there are 67 films on the official submission list.  Let’s see what will happen.

‘The ceremonial scenes of “Encoffination”, a custom unique to Japanese, are well packaged, and the universality of its theme, that is “life and death”, would be appealing for international audience’, Masahiro Motoki, who played the lead Daigo, commented on these success in overseas receptions.  As for the theme, director Yojiro Takita explains further; ‘This movie offers the story of a man who finds what is the most important for him by facing people’s death’.

In addition to Daigo who is an encoffineer, a son, a husband and a father of unborn baby, many other roles actually appears in the funeral scenes so that audience can easily identify with the characters of this film.  Obviously, it should be one of the reasons why this film has been widely accepted by audience, as the experience of Motoki suggests; ‘In hotel lobbies, airports and so on, people of all ages and both sexes have often spoken to me and made remarks about this film.  I had this kind of experience when I starred in so-called Taiga drama, but this time is absolutely more than that’.

Now let’s focus on the casts in “Departures”.  Daigo’s wife was played by Ryoko Hirosue who is now 28 years old.  It would be surprising if you know how old Motoki is (actually 42), since their acting as a husband and a wife in this movie is fairly natural.  Although both Hirosue and Motoki had been a major young star, or “aidoru” in Japanese, when they were teenagers, now it is easy to see that they have been transformed into a fine actor / actress.  Of course, we cannot ignore Tsutomu Yamazaki and Kimiko Yo, who played the boss and co-worker of Daigo respectively.  Even though this movie deals with the heavy subject of “life and death,” their elastic but delicate performances beautifully control the atmosphere of each sequence bringing both laugher and tears to audience.

The event was wrapped up with the messages for audience, and here I quote Motoki’s words concerning a Japanese veteran actor who was casted in “Departures” and then died on October 11th, 2008.  ‘When Mr. Toru Minegishi, who played father of Daigo in this film, passed away, and so did Jun Ichikawa and Ken Ogata whom I worked with before, I just needed to accept the fact that human being shall physically vanishes so suddenly, though it is only natural.  Starring in this movie, I, however, have come to understand that I can exist with something they left for me, and I also have to hand it down to the next generation’.

Mai KATO