Indievisual

28/06/2023

Testing the limits of the phrase "better late than never," my overview of Japanese movies appearing at the latter half of the 2022 festival season has gone live just as some of those festivals will be, or have begun announcing their 2023 lineups.

There is much catching up to do.

Find the article on the main Indievisual website; the blog entries (including the first part of this article) are eventually going to be migrated and consolidated to the main site.

As always, thanks for reading! 🙂

SKIPシティ国際Dシネマ映画祭 TOKYO FILMeX Nòt Film Fest Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 東京国際映画祭　TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Locarno Film Festival La Biennale di Venezia Donostia Zinemaldia - Festival de San Sebastián Vancouver International Film Festival New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) 부산국제영화제 Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) 부천국제판타스틱영화제 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 전주국제영화제 Festival du nouveau cinéma - FNC Pięć Smaków

The first half of the festival season will often set trends (see the first part published on the blog site). Some of the movies featured at festivals early in the year will filter their way through…

05/05/2023

Sad to hear Fukuma Kenji recently passed away.
Condolences to his family and all those who were close to him.

11/04/2023

Hi There✌️
It's been a while. Hope you are all doing well?

I actually wrote something. Link below. Going to try doing more writing so please check Instagram () for updates.

As always, thanks for taking the time to read.

Looking back at the year that was 2022 now three months into 2023 feels somewhat akin to returning home after going on holiday for a few weeks. Nothing has really changed. Everything is right where…

18/08/2022

Had the opportunity to view Nakanishi Mai's latest, "Swallow", via the SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL (SKIPシティ国際Dシネマ映画祭). I've posted my thoughts on this devilishly tantalizing take on professional rivalries on "Backstory".

As always, thanks for reading. And if you're in film exhibition and looking for some horror shorts. Do check this out.

https://blog.indie-visual.net/swallow-screening/

SKIP City INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL and Nakanishi Mai graciously allowed me to watch “Swallow”. Here are my thoughts.

27/06/2022

I'm trying to keep up with news of latest releases and festival appearances by Japanese movies and/or filmmakers. Here's a rundown on the first half of the 2022 festival season.

As always, thanks for stopping by and reading the articles.
https://blog.indie-visual.net/the-2022-festival-season-thus-far/

The curtains have closed on the first half of the 2022 film festival season. Check out the Japanese movies which were presented at a number of these events.

23/05/2022

New content! Just published 6 Eye On introductions to 6 movies directed by women filmmakers to commemorate International Women's Day 2022. Almost 3 months late, but it's here. This year's filmmakers are (top row from L to R):

Kawawada Emma
Yokohama Satoko
Murata Yui
Sode Yukiko
Yasukawa Yuka
Nakamura Mayu

http://read.indie-visual.net/category/eye-on/

23/05/2022

"One of the best things about Cannes is the chance it affords attendees to see something completely surprising and beautiful from a burgeoning talent. That’s what happened today at the Debussy premiere of Chie Hayakawa’s Plan 75, the Japanese filmmaker’s quietly devastating feature debut...By the end of the film, much of the audience (including me) was in tears and on their feet."

Hit the link to read the Vulture's article on the feature debut by Hayakawa Chie which premiered at Cannes' Un Certain Regard section.

Unsurprisingly, it's getting very little coverage at home in Japan, but you'll be hearing more about this movie on Indievisual for sure...
https://www.vulture.com/2022/05/chie-hayakawas-plan-75-quietly-devastates-cannes.html

The heart-wrenching dystopian film, about a government program for euthanizing senior citizens, marks the arrival of an exciting new writer-director.

31/01/2022

My 2021 Year-in-Review post is now up on the site. Click the link below to read what will be changing for Indievisual in 2022 and beyond.

https://read.indie-visual.net/2021-year-in-review/

Though things will be changing, I truly do appreciate the time you take to read the article. Thank you.

17/12/2021

Published introductions to 8 movies dealing with disabilities and/or their onscreen representation. They are:

Until Rainbow Dawn by Imai Mika
I Quit, Being Friends by Imamura Ayako
On the Road to Love by Ishii Tatsuya
The Sower by Takeuchi Yosuke (a newly re-edited version)
Just the Two of Us by Fujimoto Keita
Siblings of the Cape by Katayama Shinzo
37 Seconds by HIKARI
and
Kiyamachi Daruma by Sasaki Hideo

Check them out here (scroll to the colored area):
https://read.indie-visual.net/

These will be the last posts for 2021. I was hoping to publish another interview, but circumstances led to its postponement. Moving forward there may be fewer articles published. I'll tell you why in a state-of-Indievisual article I'll write next month. Stay tuned!

07/10/2021

After letting me know she completed her new short movie Swallow, writer-director Nakanishi Mai spoke with me to share the backstory of how the project came together and the experience of shooting a production during the pandemic. Check out this new emerging voice in horror.


高雄電影節 Kaohsiung Film Festival
As always, thanks for reading!

In Swallow a striving actress is invited to a private, gourmet club only to discover her competition has prepared a horrifying banquet which devours her. Writer-director Nakanishi Mai fol…

27/09/2021

Director Nakanishi Mai just sent me word her newest short movie "Swallow" will be world premiering at 高雄電影節 Kaohsiung Film Festival next month. Like her previous short "Hana," this one also displays Nakanishi’s hallmark eerie, atmospheric mood in a story that subtly peels back the dreadful nature of human beings.

The cast includes Han Ning (Netflix "Detention") and Taiwan’s “Scream Queen” and Golden Horse Winner, Vera Chen. Look for updates here as more news becomes available.

喰之女 Swallow｜Trailer★世界首映雪蘭和咪咪是在演藝圈多年的女演員，表面上兩人是閨密，但私下雪蘭卻用盡心機獲取地位，將咪咪踩在腳底下。直到一天，雪蘭被咪咪邀請到一個神祕的餐會，據說那裡的美食祕方能永駐女人青...

24/09/2021

Teamed up again with Cinra to interview Singapore Film Society Chairman Kenneth Tan and Japanese Film Festival Program Manager, Say Peng Ho for JFF Plus and the Japan Foundation.

I hope you'll take the time to read it and/or please share with the movie buffs around you.

https://jff.jpf.go.jp/read/interview/sfs/

The Singapore Film Society first sprang to life in 1958 as a group of people with an interest in screening classical films. Their inaugural event in November...

24/09/2021

"With the pandemic and the Olympics, maybe you've forgotten the Fukushima crisis isn't over."

Nakamura Mayu is currently crowdfunding the follow-up to her documentary Alone in Fukushima. Indeed with all that's been going on in the world, the high turnover of the modern news cycle, and people's short memories, most of you probably don't realize there are still many people living with the wounds of that fateful day a decade ago. It's good to see Nakamura taking the opportunity of the current global crisis to remind us of another crisis which has yet to see people's lives restored to normal.

Though this campaign is Japan-only, Nakamura is internationally saavy and will likely (if not already) crowdfund on Kickstarter or similar platform abroad.

福島の全町避難になった町に動物たちと残り続けたナオトを追ったドキュメンタリー映画「ナオトひとりっきり」の続編の劇場版。震災１０年、コロナ禍、オリンピックを経て、福島を見つめる...。クラウドファンディング...

11/08/2021

In case you didn't know, Sono Sion made a move with Nicolas Cage who calls it "The wildest movie I've ever made." If you know Cage's output recently, that's quite a boast.

In Theaters, On Demand and Digital HD September 17Starring Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Bill Mosley, Nick Cassavetes, Tak SakaaguchiDirected by Sion SotoIn ...

05/07/2021

At the start of the year I began thinking about the film industry and how it's been impacted by the pandemic in 2020. I wondered how Japanese filmmakers were dealing with the situation, so I asked 25 of them.

Work and personal matters added to the time it's taken, but after months of work, I've finally published what has turned out to be my most massive piece yet. So massive in fact, I had to split it into two parts!

The directors and producers who participated are:
Asakura Kayoko
Fujimura Akiyo
Fukuma Keiko
Fukuma Kenji
Hayakawa Chie
Hirohara Satoru
Jimbo Yoshimasa
Jo Motoyo
Kato Yoshio
Kawasaki Ryo
Kawazoe Bilal
Kushida Takeshi
Miyazaki Daisuke
Moriya Fumio
Nakagawa Natsuki
Nakano Ryota
Nishikawa Fumie
Ochiai Atsuko
Sakaguchi Katsumi
Sato Yoshinori
Shimoeda Mika
Takayama Kohei
Tokiwa Shiro
Tsukada Marina
Yuasa Noriko

Their fascinating insights can be found in Part 1 here:
https://read.indie-visual.net/25-japanese-directors-talk-pandemic-and-looking-ahead/

And Part 2 here:
https://read.indie-visual.net/25-japanese-directors-talk-pandemic-and-looking-ahead-ii/

As always thanks for reading.

As 2021 opened much of the entertainment industry was still reeling from the impact brought on by the pandemic. Though productions are once again ramping up, they have to do so under strict safety …

27/04/2021

Speaking of Serling, this interview with Mike Wallace is also worth your time. Note what he says about pre-censorship and the role of sponsors and ultimately the audience–in particular the "letter writers"–on dramatizing contemporary issues.

Who could've predicted how social media would exacerbate the problem of the "letter writer" in this day and age.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydXkZ_hDztc

Serling talks about his start in radio and TV in the early 50's; censorship in Cincinnati; moving to CT and NY; the launch of the Twilight Zone

27/04/2021

Some cinema homework. "The Man" written by one of my favorite screenwriters, Rod Serling, based off the novel by Irving Wallace and starring James Earl Jones.

The tagline: It took an accident to make this man President of the United States. What they do to him now won't be an accident.

Originally made for television, it was released theatrically apparently due to its quality, but others believe the controversial topic scared off TV sponsors in the 11th hour. Either way, its fascinating to note its themes are as relevant today as they were then.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068912/

22/04/2021

22/04/2021

Now live on Indievisual! Four new write-ups introducing the work of four Japanese female directors to commemorate International Women's Day 2021. Clockwise from top-left the filmmakers are:

1. Tsukada Marina - "Taste of Emptiness"
2. Kai Sayaka - "Red Snow"
3. Yamada Kana - "Life: Untitled"
4. Amano Chihiro - "Mrs. Noisy"

Click in the link below to go directly to the Eye On category.
http://read.indie-visual.net/category/eye-on/

As always thanks for reading!

09/03/2021

More content coming up! I'm working on a feature article now and I have a new interview lined up!! Stay tuned!

09/03/2021

Happy International Women's Day.

I'll be honest, I'm going to be late again in publishing Eye On articles focusing on Japanese female directors to commemorate this day. But they are coming. 2 of 4 are done. Just trying to do a bit more research. Watch this space for when those are published!

16/02/2021

Check out an episode of the Japanese web comedy series Like In Movies now playing at the Slamdance Film Festival. There's a Q&A with the creators too.

Don't have a pass? It's just $10 to access everything in the program.

https://slamdance.com/2021-film-program/

02/02/2021

Published a new special report covering news and other information I had intended on writing about last year before I had to push pause on Indievisual as paid commissions required my complete focus. Perhaps some of them will actually be fresh discoveries since the "latest news" in the digital cycle is often already old after hours have passed.

Hope you'll find something useful among the topics covered. Thanks for reading!

https://read.indie-visual.net/not-so-breaking-news/

2020 has been a year for the books. Aside from the political and social elephants in the room, this year will go down in memory as completely unique, full of unexpected developments which have not …

30/01/2021

It's that time again! This time the Osaka Asian Film Festival is doing things a little differently for 2021. Please click the link to see what's happening.

Osaka Asian Film Festival 2021 has screen programs from March 5 to March 14 and an online program which runs from February 28 to March 20 and features films from past editions of the festival.

28/01/2021

Work Alert!
I interviewed director Ohku Akiko for Japan Film Festival Plus (run by the Japan Foundation) to promote her film's selection to their online film festival lineup. Special thanks to Cinra.net editor Hara Satomi for offering me the opportunity. And of course to Ohku-san for her time. (@有限会社 猿と蛇)

https://jff.jpf.go.jp/read/interview/ohkuakiko/

Selected for the 2020 JFF Plus: Online Festival lineup, Tremble All You Want is an attention grabbing work which also screened in the 2020 online film festival We Are One: A Global Film Festival. Director Akiko Ohku answers questions about the production and her thoughts on the film.

15/01/2021

Trailer for the documentary on the thoroughly intriguing life of a beloved actor who most people only remember one way, but forget about the entirety of his career. The title is certainly apropos. And the release perfectly timed.

COMING FEB5TH, 2021PRE-ORDER NOW on ITUNEShttps://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/more-than-miyagi-the-pat-morita-story/id1546248956The Oscar nominated actor best ...

08/01/2021

The lone (I'm pretty sure) Japanese entry in the 2021 Sundance Film Festival is Nakai Noémie's short-doc "Tears Teacher". Tickets went on sale today. This year Sundance will be accessible online (int'l audiences can access one program and all events and discussions) and at satellite screens across the US. Do check her movie out. (click the link to go directly to her page on the schedule)
https://fpg.festival.sundance.org/film-info/5fd160d247af897c79b31017

I'll be keeping track of this promising young filmmaker who has been gaining attention with her short films as well as earning support for her in-development features. Perhaps I'll be able to interview in the future.

Join us for the 2021 Sundance Film Festival

08/01/2021

Just like that, the old year went away and a new one came in. Funny how they don't seem all that different.

That said, Part II of the process to create the Indievisual masthead is now online. Apologies for the wait. A bit more content coming soon!

Read how the road to finding the appropriate typeface led to a return to typography fundamentals.

15/12/2020

Braving COVID, I went to a screening of Songs of Triumph, Sakaguchi Katsumi's latest documentary. It may deal with Hansen’s Disease, more commonly known as leprosy, but it is not **about** the disease. That is to say, his movie is not an exposé on the disease itself. Like many of Sakaguchi’s works, the focus is entirely on the human subjects, on putting genuine faces to otherwise impersonalized issues.

Read more at the link provided.

映画「凱歌」

Sakaguchi Katsumi’s latest documentary reminds us faceless diseases do have a human face.

04/12/2020

Congratulations to director Kushida Takeshi on his feature Woman of the Photographs taking the Best Storytime Feature Narrative Award at the Nòt Film Fest held in the picturesque Italian village of Santarcangelo di Romagna.

NÓT in the local Romagnolo dialect means "Night", but sounds like the English word "Not" which defines the organizers’ way of celebrating films. As a self-professed "community of risk-takers, storytellers, innovators, outsiders, provokers, creators, and filmmakers," Kushida’s win is a resounding affirmation of his movie’s unique voice.

I had the opportunity to screen Woman of the Photographs online as part of the 2020 Osaka Asian Film Festival’s Indie Forum section. Click the featured link for my thoughts.

And find Not Film Fest here:
http://notfilmfest.com/

The 2020 Osaka Asian Film Festival took place under the shadow of COVID-19. Though at the time of this writing (April 7th, 2020) the Japanese central government is preparing a state of emergency in…