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*Genre: Drama / Samurai / 127min
*Director / Writer KORE-EDA Hirokazu (Nobody Knows, After Life)
*Starring Junichi Okada (Tokyo Tower, Fly, Daddy, Fly), Rie Miyazawa (TheTwilight Samurai, Ashura), Tadanobu Asano (Cafe Lumiere, Zatoichi)
Director Kore-eda Hirokazu, brings out his first samurai film, after his internationally praised "Nobody Knows".
The story follows a young samurai, fated to avenge his father's death. The huge problem is, that he is hopeless with swords, and knows that once he carries out the revenge, he will die – a samurai’s death, with honor. Living in the poor tenement house with the unique neighbors and also falling in love with the beautiful widow, he starts to cherish life.
Will he choose vengeance and honor, or will he choose life?
Great reactions from audience and press at Toronto and San Sebastian, with follow up screening at major film festivals around the world. |
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*Genre: Drama / 121min
*Director Kiyoshi SASABE (Half a Confession - Han ochi)
*Writer Yoji Yamada (director / writer for The Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade)
*Motofumi Tomikawa (writer for The Eel)
*Based on the story by Hideo Yokoyama
*Starring: Ebizo Ichikawa (Kabuki Actor), Yusuke Iseya (CASSHERN, Distance)
Koji Namiki is a talented young pitcher, who injures his elbow, but hopes to get on the field with his teammates once again. However, the outbreak of WWII wipes out the baseball ambitions. They join the military and in the navy undergo the severe training that prepares them for attack. Leaving his beloved parents, his girlfriend, and all dreams for baseball, Koji decides to take the special mission on ‘Kaiten’ (special attack submarine - “human torpedo”). Death awaits him in the Kaiten, as he remembers what has taken him here, deep down in the ocean. |
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*Genra: Drama / Samurai
*Director Yoji YAMADA (The Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade)
*Starring Takuya Kimura (2046, Howel's Moving Castle-voice)
The third of the Samurai Trilogy.
A follow up to the two very successful samurai dramas, "The Twilight Samurai" and "The Hidden Blade", Oscar nominated director Yoji Yamada brings another strong story of a samurai, who fights for his faith.
The film depicts a strong and deep love between a young samurai, who loses his eyesight during a mission, and his wife who eventually sacrifices herself to save her husband's honor. The blind samurai vows revenge, in order to get back not only his honor, but his love. |
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*Genre: Horror / 93min
*Director/Writer: Takeshi Furusawa (writer credit for Doppelganger)
*Starring: Erika Sawajiri (SHINOBI, Pacchigi!)
“Do not pick up the haunted ticket…” Series of frights attack a high school girl, after her sister goes missing, and it all seem to lead to the body seen on the tracks of a certain tunnel. She needs to find out what is causing all the terror, in order to save her sister from being pulled into the dark. This electrifying and forbidden horror story, based on the urban legend of the haunted train, will take you to a nightmare dimension where evil lurks in everyday life. |
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*Genre: Drama / 114min
*Director: Shin Togashi
*Starring: Manami Konishi (Letter From the Mountain), Hayato Ichihara (All
About Lily Chou-Chou),Erika Sawajiri (Ghost Train)
The film follows a young aspiring art university student, who falls in love with the older sister of his girlfriend. The heartrending longing and the true love that the three characters pursue, is pure, but almost painful. Is the person who stands next to you, is the person that gives you true comfort and love? Can you say that you love him/her from the bottom of your heart? |
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*Genre: Drama / 116min
*Director: Kozo Nagayama
*Starring: Ai Otsuka (musician), Eita (Train Man)
A very ordinary young girl heads to the metropolis, Tokyo, leaving her hometown in the countryside. She starts working at a bar called "Treasury of Dreams", somewhat an ironic name for a place full of youth not being able to find dreams. A story of love, friendship, laughter and tears, a hip portrayal of group of youth in Tokyo. |
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*Genre: Drama / 119 min
*Director: Norihiro Koizumi(debut)
*Starring: YUI (musician), Takashi Tsukamoto (About Love, Battle Royal), Goro Kishitani (One Missed Call, Returner, All Under the Moon)
A young high school girl Kaoru, who is diagnosed with XP (Xeroderma Pigmentosum) cannot walk outside under the sun, or go to school. Her only relation to the world is her music which she performs on the streets at night, until she falls in love with Koji, a high school boy who passes her house every morning to go surfing as the sun rises. When their passes finally cross, a change in everyone’s hearts is brought. A heart warming yet passionate and beautiful love story from a 25 years old director. |
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*Genre: ACTION / Running time: TBC
*Director: Katsuhide Motoki
*Starring: Eiji Wentz (voice – “Brave Story”), Yo Oizumi (voice – “Howl’s Moving Castle” “Sprited Away”)
A popular animation series and comic book is finally adapted into a live-action film for the first time using cutting edge CGI companies all over the world including Centro Digital Pictures ("Kill Bill vol.1, vol. 2", "Kung Fu Hustle", "Shaolin Soccer") based in Hong Kong.
"Gegege No Kitaro" (original title) is directed by Katsuhide Motoki ("Free & Easy" series, "Drugstore Girl") and stars Eiji Wentz (voice - "Brave Story") from the popular duo, WaT, and renowned actor Yo Oizumi (voice - "Howl's Moving Castle," "Spirited Away").
Kitaro is a young specter (yokai) who lost his parents at birth. His father's soul lives in one of his eyeball. Raised within the specter clan, Kitaro also keeps an eye on the human society, and fights the evil monsters in order to save the human beings from the threats from another world. |
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*Genre: ANIMATION
*Director: Koji Yamamura (“Mt. Head” Oscar Nomination 2003, Annecy 2003 Grand Prix)
Based on famed Jewish-Czech writer Franz Kafka’s short prose of the same name from 1919.
A hapless country doctor describes with breathless urgency a night-time summons to attend a young patient. Events soon take on a surreal aspect as "unearthly horses" transport him instantaneously to the bedside. The doctor, preoccupied with personal distractions and grievances against those he is employed to care for, fails to find what is revealed to be a vile, fatal wound. He is humiliated by the villagers, who are "always expecting the impossible from the doctor," and doomed to an endless return trip, losing everything. |
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*Genre: ANIMATION / Family
*Director: Keiichi Hara
Based on popular picture books "Kappa, Oosawagi" and "Kappa, Bikkuri-tabi” written by Masao Kogure. Kouichi Uehara, a forth grade student in elementary school lives in a suburb of Tokyo. One day, he picks up a large stone which looked like a fossil by the river on the way back from school. It turned out that he picked up a baby "Kappa" (=A Japanese mythical water creature) called "Quu" which was sleeping underground for the past 300 years. Kouichi and Quu become good friends and starts living with Kouichi and his family. However, Quu could not adjust to the life style in Tokyo and starts to miss his peers. On a hot summer day, Kouichi and Quu decide to go on an adventurous road trip to find his peers. |
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*Genre: DRAMA
*Director: Yoji Yamada
*Starring: Sayuri Yoshinaga
A story of a family’s struggles through a dark time, taking place in Tokyo in 1940.
Yamada comments, "You can say this film is a half of a period drama, but in a sense, this is more difficult than a period film as a historical investigation. Therefore, the staff has been studying so hard. I would like to make this film with homage to all of the tender mothers who held her family in her arms and lived through hard time like a raging roller storm.” |
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*Genre: DRAMA – 60 – 75min X 6 episodes
Six sensual and luscious episodes that will take you to the sexual desire of ordinary people’s un-eventful everyday life. |
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*Genre: DRAMA
Newspaper reporter Akiko Sasaki (30) had come to the Tateshina plateau with an item left by her deceased father. Although she intended to do research on the ancient earthen figurines found around this area, in fact she also had a hunch that she might meet someone that she was searching for - the woman that her deceased father had always loved, until that last days of his life. |
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*Genre: ANIMATION / 22 min x 24 episodes
*Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Zipang, Get Backers, Hunter x Hunter)
*Original Story? Tow Ubukata (FAFNER)
A Shochiku and Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Kill Bill: Vol.1)joint project.
A Shochiku and Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Kill Bill: Vol.1)joint project.
The story follows “Chevalier” (=”Knight” in French) D'Eon de Beaumont, a handsome intellect who actually lived in 18th century. D'Eon was known as a diplomat who traveled around various countries under the French king's command. But his most peculiar trait was that he managed to pass himself off as a woman. The core of the story is based on the mysterious hero and the historical facts.
Truth has been erased in the darkness of history - A great epic that far exceeds imagination is finally revealed in all its intricate detail. |
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*Genre: ANIMATION / 22 min x 13 episodes
*Director: Masashi Abe
Original Story based on the manga, "TOKKO", from Toru Fujisawa, the creator of the "GTO" series.
*Cast: Kenichi Suzumura as Shindo (Gundam SEED DESTINY: voice of Shinn Asuka), Fumiko Orikasa as Sakura (BLEECH: voice of Rukia Kuchiki), Kana Ueda as Kureha (KASHIMASHI: voice of Hazumu Osaraki)
Akemi Kanda as Saya (Negima!: voice of Magister Negi Magi)
From the creator of "GTO", Toru Fujisawa comes a new suspense action animation, "TOKKO".
A bloody massacre happens in the crime city Tokyo. 10 years later, Shindo Ranmaru and other survivors from the deadly massacre joins special secret police force “TOKKO” to fight against evil creatures committing brutal crimes. In order attain special power against these creatures, they make a deal with another creature called “PHANTOM” in exchange for their own lives. |
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*Genre: CLAY ANIMATION / 3 min x 5 episodes
*Director: Yuichi Ito
Here is the forest between the world of human beings and imaginary animals. In an underground apartment, two rabbits lead happy lives.
The story often seems heartwarming, but at the same, brings a cynical laughter. |
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*Genre: Drama / 85 min
*Director: MIIKE Takashi (The Great Yokai Wars, Ichi the Killer)
*Starring: Ryuhei Matsuda (Gohatto), Masanobu Ando (Battle Royal, Kids Return), Ryo Ishibashi (The Grudge, Audition)
JJapan’s busiest and most world renowned film director depicts a beautifully sensual world of troubled young men like audiences have not yet seen before.
A murder occurs in jail, and there is a suspect who confesses that he had killed the man. However, there is no physical evidence. What is the truth that is hidden behind the incident? Is it hope or despair what they see on the other side of their iron-barred cells? |
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*Genre: Family / 109 min
*Director Keita Kono (Tales of the Unusual:TV Series)
*Starring Takao Osawa (Crying Out Love in the Center of the World ), Yasuko Matsuyuki (Another Heaven)
Taichi, a little boy, finds a deaf, blind and numb baby fox, lost from its parents in the wilderness. He brings the poor animal to the vet, his soon father to be, but the doctor comes to the conclusion that it is worthless to try keeping the fox alive and the kindest option is mercy killing. However, Taichi is determined. He connects his situation to the unfortunate animal, and tries to save the fox from darkness. |
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*Genre: Action / Samurai/ 101min
*Director: Ten SHIMOYAMA ( Otogiriso )
*Starring: Joe Odagiri (Bright Future, Out of This World ), Yukie Nakama (Ring Ø: Birthday)
Destined for love, fated to kill.
Destined for love, ordered to kill. The ultimate action movie created with cutting-edge visual effect technology. The Koga and Iga Ninjas are two Ninja family ordered to fight for each others lives. However, the young leaders of each group are in love.
A fast pacing Ninja Action meets Romeo & Juliet. |
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*Genre: Suspense Thriller / 123min
| *Director: |
Toru MATSUURA
( debut, notable TV documentary director )
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*Starring: Yosuke Eguchi (Another Heaven), Aoi Miyazaki(Eureka, Harmful Insect), Masanobu Ando (Battle Royal, Kids Return)
“Synesthesia” is a sense of mind where one sense inspires another causing them to see, hear, smell, taste things which no one else is able to feel. It is a sensibility which cannot be understood by other people. An incident brings two lonely souls who possess this unsolved puzzle of mind to meet, leading to strange events and a serial murder case. Can they solve the mystery to pursue a peaceful life? |
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*CINEMA KABUKI / 110min
*Director Hideki NODA (Notable stage director / playwright)
*Starring: Kanzaburo Nakamura (Kabuki-actor)
A documentary record of a live KABUKI performance directed by Hideki Noda.
A perfect marriage of cutting-edge technology (DLP cinema Hi-Def projection) and traditional art, shimmers with intensity, bringing its characters and setting into vibrant life. |
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*Genre: Action / Drama / Samurai / 119min
*Director: Yojiro TAKITA ( When the Last Sword is Drawn)
*Starring: Somegoro Ichikawa (kabuki-actor), Rie Miyazawa ( The Twilight Samurai)
Art Direction by Yuji Hayashida (CASSHERN), Ending Theme "My Funny Valentine" by Sting
17th century Japan - it is late Edo period. The city of Edo appears calm, but down below, a string of ghastly incidents is shaking the town. The demons, usually out of the human eye, are on the rampage. The cause is a rumor among them that Ashura, a legendary devil queen, has returned: “If Ashura is back, then this world can all be ours!” The fight between the demon slayers and the demons trying to take over the human world is in place, as one slayer meets a beautiful girl, who realizes that she has the fate of turning into demon once she experiences true love. |
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*Genre: Sci-Fi / Drama / Family / 111min
*Director: Takahiko AKIYAMA (special effects director, FINAL FANTASY)
*Starring: Masatoshi Nakamura, Kanta Hongo, Mikako Tabe
Twelve-year-old Satoru has gone into withdrawal following the death of his mother in a car accident. The story begins with him steering HINOKIO, a two-legged remote control robot his scientist father has invented, to school. It is through operating Hinokio from his room that Satoru gradually opens up to others. A remake deal currently in place with a Hollywood Studio.
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50-60min×6 episodes
Top creators of Japanese horror movies unite in the collaboration, to bring the works of Japanese horror-pioneer Kazuo Umezz’s works to life. Don’t believe what you see!
Episode 1 HOUSE OF BUGS (51min)
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Circuit)/ Writer: Sadayuki Murai (Steamboy, Millennium Actress)
Episode 2 THE WISH (67min)
Director: Atsushi Shimizu (The Messaiah from the Future) / Writer: Sadayuki Murai (Steamboy, Millennium Actress)
Episode 3 DEATH MAKE (53min)
Director: Taiichi / Writer: Chikazu Konaka (School Ghost Story 3)
Episode 4 THE PRESENT (49min)
Director: Yudai Yamaguchi (Battlefield Baseball, writer for Versus, Alive)/ Writer: Tamio Hayashi
Episode 5 DIET (48min)
Director: Tadafumi Ito / Writer: Hiroshi Takahashi (RING series)
Episode 6 SNAKE GIRL (49min)
Director: Noboru Iguchi/ Writer: Chikazu Konaka (School Ghost Story 3) |
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