Tokyo fest seeks Asian regional role as it opens with ‘Star’

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‘One Cut’ Director Ueda embarks on new film

LOS ANGELES, Oct 25, (RTRS): Though its opening film is high-profile Hollywood romance “A Star is Born”, the Tokyo International Film Festival is increasingly focusing its efforts on building bridges with Asia. Especially Japan’s near neighbor, China.

The 31st edition of the Tokyo festival got under way Thursday evening with a ceremony at the X Theater in the fashionable Roppongi district. The event runs until Nov 3.

“Star” is a smart crowd-pleasing choice as opener, with good prospects for the Oscars and other awards, down the road. But director-star Bradley Cooper and singing superstar, Lady Gaga, despite her massive popularity in Japan, were notable by their absence on the red carpet. Japanese actor Shinubo Terajima stood in at the ceremony as ambassador for the film and introduced a clip.

The last time TIFF had no big Hollywood guest for its opening or closing film was in 1992 – the fifth edition, when “1492: Conquest of Paradise” was the closing film. The highest profile Western guest was British actor Ralph Fiennes, who attended as director of “The White Crow”. It has previously been noted that there are no US films in the festival’s main competition either.

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, who has attended many previous opening galas, was also absent Thursday. Abe is abroad on a state visit to China. That seems largely appropriate, given the festival’s Asia pivot being engineered by festival head Takeo Hisamatsu.

The Japanese film industry is slowly getting used to no longer being the largest box office market outside North America, having lost that crown to China some six years ago. This year has seen the release and box office success in China of Japanese films including Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters” and the latest “Doraemon”.

Political frictions, between neighbors and historic rivals, China and Japan, may have previously delayed the warming of relations within the film industry. But changing political tectonics may be throwing up opportunity. As China-US relations – political, financial and industrial – head towards a Cold War, China is rolling out the welcome mat for Japanese businesses. Abe’s Beijing trip is the first by a Japanese prime minister in six years.

With the start of his second edition as Tokyo International Film Festival director, Takeo Hisamatsu feels more confident of TIFF’s direction than when he assumed the post in March of last year. “The first thing I did when I took office was to clarify TIFF’s vision and organize programs and events based on that vision,” he told Variety.

“Our future direction is now clearer both to the public and within the festival organization. Also, based on the slogan ‘Entertainment and Art in Symmetry’, we have added new programs such as the Midnight Film Festival, Tribute to the Musical, and Cinema Arena 30, a free open-air screening program. These have appealed to audiences and we have succeeded in increasing attendance.”

Shinichiro Ueda, director of the indie hit film “One Cut of the Dead”, lifted the lid on his next project. It is an untitled comedy.

Last month Ueda revealed that he was making his next film with Shochiku Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Japanese film studio Shochiku. Speaking Tuesday at the Meet the Creator event, as part of the TIFFCOM market, he updated the project’s status.

“The new film will be a comedy,” he told Variety. “I’m writing the script now, but I can’t say what the story is about yet,” he said. He plans to start shooting in the spring of next year, but has not set a date for a release. “Of course, I’m nervous about it,” he said. “But I just have to focus on making it interesting.”

An ultra-low-budget zombie comedy, “One Cut” received a rapturous reception at the Udine Far East Film Festival, in April. “Seeing a foreign audience going crazy for the film gave (me) confidence it would work internationally,” said Ueda. “I don’t want to consciously make (the new film) for the global audience; I want to go about it naturally.”

“One Cut” has played in Japanese theaters since June when it was launched on two screens. Later it expanded to 340 screens, and has has now passed the 2 million admissions landmark. It is also being played this week at the Tokyo International Film Festival’s Japan Now program.

The new film is the latest in Shochiku Broadcasting’s talent development initiative. Started in 2013, it is making films by up-and-coming directors using original scripts, casting through auditions and rehearsing the actors in workshops.

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