Director Masato HARADA to Be the Focus of JAPAN NOW at the 28Th Tokyo International Film Festival

PRESS RELEASE September 14, 2015

Director Masato HARADA to be the focus of JAPAN NOW at the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival

Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is pleased to announce that Masato HARADA will be the first Director in Focus of TIFF’s new section JAPAN NOW. Masato HARADA is the award-winning director of such works as “Bounce Ko Gals,” “Climber’s High,” “Chronicle of My Mother” and “The Emperor in August,” which continues to draw crowds to the theaters over a month after its opening.

Created to showcase outstanding Japanese films from recent and upcoming months, JAPAN NOW will display the diversity of Japanese film, and unique facets of Japanese culture, as well as providing a multifaceted look inside Japan today. The section will also highlight outstanding work by other directors, with subtitled screenings of films to boost their recognition overseas.

Masato HARADA was chosen as the initial Director in Focus due to his success over a 30-year career, creating a range of compelling films that are both social criticisms and world-class entertainments. He has received international attention, but JAPAN NOW will present the first mini-retrospective of his work, with English-subtitled screenings of "Kamikaze Taxi" (1994), "Climber’s High"(2008), "Chronicle of My Mother" (2011), "Kakekomi" (2015) and "The Emperor in August" (2015).

On Friday, October 9, a JAPAN NOW Press Conference featuring Masato HARADA, with a very special English-subtitled screening of his jidaigeki film, “Kakekomi,” will be held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ). We also will be welcoming Harada’s muse and legendary actress Kirin KIKI. We cordially invite members of the press to join this special opportunity to hear from them and the latest information about the 28th TIFF.

The full JAPAN NOW lineup will be announced at our press conference on September 29, 2015.

Date and time: October 9 (Friday), 2015 Press conference starts at 5:00 pm Place: The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) Address: Yurakucho Denki North Building 20F, 1-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo URL: http://www.fccj.or.jp Speakers (tentative): Masato Harada Director Kirin Kiki Actress Yasushi Shiina Director General, TIFF&TIFFCOM Kohei Ando JAPAN NOW Programming Advisor Special Screening of “KAKEKOMI” [2015/143 min.] from 6:00 to 8:23 pm After the screening there will be a Q&A Session with the director.

“KAKEKOMI” (Production Company/Distributor: Shochiku Co., Ltd.) In old Edo, there was a temple for kakekomi - women who were seeking divorce and fleeing from their man. Entering the temple gates, the women first tell their sad stories to the Divorce Arbitrator, who will handle every need for restarting their lives. Director Masato Harada’s first period film is based on a story that was spun by Hisashi Inoue, the great Japanese author, over 11 years.

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Writer-director MASATO HARADA is highly acclaimed for a range of award-winning films, as well as his roles as villains in Hollywood blockbusters “The Last Samurai” and “Fearless.” Among his most well-known works are “Kamikaze Taxi” (1995), “Bounce Ko Gals” (1997), “Jubaku - Spellbound” (1998), “Climber’s High” (2008) and “Chronicle of My Mother” (2012). His early-summer release “Kakekomi” and his late-summer “The Emperor in August” have both been box-office hits, as well as being heralded at international festivals.

KIRIN KIKI made a name for herself with many uniquely comedic and eccentric roles on TV, but she slipped into legend when she began anchoring films by Japan’s masters. Her role in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 2008 “Still Walking” won her a Best Supporting Actress award at Japan’s Oscars, and she also received a Best Actress award for Joji Matsuoka’s 2008 “Tokyo Tower - Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad.” For Kiki’s first collaboration with Masato Harada, “Chronicle of My Mother,” she received the Japan Academy Award for Best Actress.

28th Tokyo International Film Festival Date: October 22 (Thu) – 31 (Sat), 2015 Venues: Roppongi Hills, Shinjuku Wald 9, Shinjuku Piccadilly, TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku and other theaters in Tokyo. http://2015.tiff-jp.net/en/ Market: TIFFCOM 2015 (Japan Content Showcase 2015) October 20 (Tue) – 22 (Thu)

Attention: PRESS ACCREDITATION deadline: September 24, 2015 Applications must be received by no later than September 24, 2015. Please note that all members of the press are advised to apply for Press Accreditation in advance to cover festival events.

For further information or inquiries, please contact; TIFF Public Relations Division Tel: +81-3-3553-4793; Fax: +81-3-3553-4788; email: [email protected]

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