Films
The Bridge (2022) The film is inspired by events of the year 1920 that brought two nations closer: Poland and Japan. The story is told from a 10-year-old boy’s perspective, showing the history of orphans who lost their families and had to rush into manhood to fight for their lives. • Directed by: Izumi Yoshida • Runtime: 22 min • Country: Poland
About Director Izumi Yoshida Born in 1989, Izumi Yoshida is a Lodz Film School graduate. Since 2017 she has been a lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz. Her first film “Kinks” was nominated for and won many awards at film festivals including the Split Film Festival and Animator. In 2019, she was named as Polish Film Institute’s expert in animation.
Gratitude (2022) A man wanders alone, separated from his family, in search of a place to die. He runs away from the massage therapist who is supposed to comfort him and drives deep into the mountains in a stolen car. He abandons the car and walks further into the forest where he meets a strange young man. • Directed by: Eita Nagayama • Runtime: 21 min • Country: Japan
About Director Eita Nagayama Born in 1982, Nagayama has won numerous film awards, including the Japan Academy Award, the Elan d'or Award, and the Blue Ribbon Award. Although he has made independent films, this is his first large-scale film as a director.
Heaven is Still Far Away (2016) Yuzo, a censorship mosaic engineer, shares his apartment with Mitsuki, a high school girl. One day, he receives a phone call from Mitsuki's sister for her film project. Originally conceived as a thank-you gesture for supporters of Hamaguchi's 2016 film "Happy Hour," this delicate tale of the supernatural blurs the boundaries between the past and the present and showcases the director's expertise in exploring concealed emotions. • Directed by: Ryusuke Hamaguchi • Runtime: 38 min • Country: Japan
About Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi Born in Japan in 1978, Hamaguchi’s 2008 graduate work from Tokyo University of Arts’ master's degree program, ”PASSION,” was selected to the San Sebastian International Film Festival and Tokyo Filmex. In 2015, his work ”Happy Hour” premiered and won awards at the 68th Locarno International Film Festival. In 2021, his ”Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy” won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 71st Berlinale, and ”Drive My Car” won the Best Screenplay award and 3 independent prizes, including the FIPRESCI Prize at the 74th Cannes Film Festival. In the following year, it received 4 nominations at the 94th Academy Awards including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, and won the Best International Feature Award. In 2023, Hamaguchi’s feature length film ”Evil Does Not Exist” won the Silver Lion - Grand Jury Prize at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, the FIPRESCI Prize, and more.
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MASKAHOLIC (2021) When Kumi wears a mask, she looks a lot like the famous actress Maiko Eriya. One day, a photo of Kumi is published in a magazine as Maiko. A friend eggs on Kumi to disguise as Maiko and start an Instagram account. As Kumi keeps posting suggestive photos on Instagram, the account is suspected to be a secret account of Maiko and goes viral. Kumi is then summoned to Maiko’s agency, and… • Directed by: Hiroki Horanai • Runtime: 17 min • Country: Japan
About Director Hiroki Horanai Born in Japan in 1985, Horanai aspired to become a director after watching James Cameron's "Titanic." In addition to winning the SSFF & ASIA Cinematic Tokyo category for "Tokyo Comet" in 2018, Horanai is also known for "GHOSTING" which was part of "At that moment, I wanted to cry -CINEMA FIGHTERS project-," "Samurai Swordfish," and others. https://kantoku-dcrx.jp/staff/horanai-Hiroki/
Negative Space (2017) Based on a 150-word poem by Ron Koertge, “Negative Space” is a short animated film that depicts a father-and-son relationship through the art of packing a suitcase. • Directed by: Max Porter / Ru Kuwahata • Runtime: 5 min 30 sec • Country: France
About Directors Max Porter & Ru Kuwahata Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata are a filmmaking duo based in Baltimore, USA. Collaborating for over a decade as “Tiny Inventions”, they have directed short films, TV commercials, music videos and comics. Produced by Ikki Films and Manuel Cam Studio in France, “Negative Space” is their fourth professional film.
Some Body Comes into the Light (2023) A beautiful session between dancer Tanaka Min and director Wim Wenders that illustrates something before we started speaking with words • Directed by: Wim Wenders • Runtime: 9 min • Country: Japan
About Director Wim Wenders Wim Wenders (born 1945) came to international prominence as one of the pioneers of German Cinema during the 1970’s and is now considered one of the most important figures in contemporary film. In addition to his many prize-winning feature films - Paris Texas (’84), Wings of Desire (’87), and documentary films such as Pina, Buena Vista Social Club, The Salt of the Earth and Pope Francis: A Man of His Word - his work as a scriptwriter, director, producer, photographer and author also encompasses an abundance of innovative documentary films. Photo by Peter Lindbergh
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