KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER A Zellners Brothers Film

Running Time: 105 minutes Drama / USA / Color / English and Japanese (with English Subtitles)

Official Selection: 2014 Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Competition

Canadian Distribution Contact: Films We Like - Mike Boyuk – [email protected] - 416.971-9131

Publicity & Media: V Kelly & Associates, Inc. – [email protected] - 416.466.9799

Press Kit and High Rez Images: http://filmswelike.com/kumiko

filmswelike SYNOPSIS

Logline: A lonely Japanese woman becomes convinced that a satchel of money buried in a fictional film is, in fact, real. Abandoning her structured life in Tokyo for the frozen Minnesota wilderness, she embarks on an impulsive quest to search for her lost mythical fortune.

Synopsis: A psychological adventure from the Zellner Brothers, KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER tells the haunting and strangely funny story of a young Japanese woman set on fulfilling the wildest of dreams.

In a hectic city of 35 million, Kumiko (Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi) feels devastatingly alone. Trapped in isolating psychological torment, Kumiko —a meek twenty-something struggling to make it on her own in Tokyo—lives in constant resentment of her dead-end job and demeaning boss, her more successful and attractive peers, and her relentlessly nagging mother. But her spirits lift when, in a fictional American film, she observes a man bury a satchel of money in the wintry Midwestern wilderness. Though only witnessed on a staticky VHS tape, she becomes convinced that the treasure is real and merely awaiting discovery by a courageous dreamer like herself.

With little more than a self-made treasure map, Kumiko sets off on an epic, unpredictable journey across the Pacific and through the icy plains of Minnesota to unearth her mythical fortune.

Rinko Kikuchi commands the screen in a complex, heartbreaking performance, and filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner are also featured in key supporting roles. Inspired by a true story, KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER was filmed on location in Tokyo and Minnesota.

filmswelike CREW BIOS

David and Nathan Zellner | Filmmakers Two of the most distinct voices and idiosyncratic personalities in independent cinema today, Austin-based filmmakers, David and Nathan Zellner have written, produced, directed and appeared in numerous award-winning shorts and feature films over the past decade. The Zellners have been a force on the festival circuit dating back to the 2005 short film FLOTSAM/JETSAM, their first film to premiere at Sundance. Other notable shorts by the Zellners -- all of which have played at Sundance -- include the acclaimed AFTERMATH ON MEADOWLARK LANE and SASQUATCH BIRTH JOURNAL 2.

GOLIATH, their first feature film, premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Starring David Zellner as an aimless thirty-something whose life begins to unravel after his cat goes missing, GOLIATH was distributed theatrically by IFC Films.

KID-THING, a fable-like drama starring Sydney Aguirre and Susan Tyrell, premiered at Sundance in 2012 followed by an extensive festival run, including an international premiere at the 62nd Berlinale and a retrospective of the Zellner Brothers' work at the 2012 Buenos Aires Film Festival. KID-THING, which received a 2012 Gotham Award nomination, was distributed theatrically around the world and domestically in the US by Factory 25. The Zellners' latest film KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER starring Rinko Kikuchi will premiere in U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance 2014.

In addition to their work behind the camera, David and Nathan have also had notable roles and cameos in several notable independent films including: AIN'T THEM BODIES SAINTS, SHIT YEAR, BEESWAX, KID-THING, KUMIKO among many others.

Much of their work can be viewed at zellnerbros.com.

LILA 9th PRODUCTIONS | Production Company Lila 9th Productions was established in November 2008 operating from sourcing of original material and shepherding such through development, packaging, production and delivery of picture.

The first property was produced in January 2010, titled Daydream Nation, written and directed by Mike Goldbach, staring Kat Dennings (Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist), Josh Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama) and Andie MacDowell. After the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, it was acquired and released theatrically in 2011 by Anchor Bay.

Lila’s follow up feature film, Syrup, based on Max Barry’s international bestseller,

filmswelike was in partnership with Academy Award winning producer Barrie M. Osborne (The Lord Of The Rings, Matrix). The film stars, Amber Heard (Rum Diary), Kellan Lutz (Twilight, Immortals), Shiloh Fernandez (Red Riding Hood), and Kirstie Alley. Syrup was released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures in 2013.

Lila is actively developing and producing the following projects:

I, Lucifer, by Glen Duncan Screenplay adaptation by Dan Harris and Mike Dougherty (X Men 2 and Superman Returns).

Now Wait For Last Year, by Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Total Recall). Adaptation by Ted Kupper, Produced by Barrie M. Osborne (The Great Gatsby, Lord Of The Rings, Matrix) and Cameron Lamb.

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier. Produced by Barrie M. Osborne (The Great Gatsby, Lord Of The Rings, Matrix) and Cameron Lamb.

CAMERON LAMB | Producer In November 2008, Cameron Lamb established Lila 9th Productions. The mandate was to source material for development and packaging that could be seen through fruition to a delivered property that has significant opportunity for world wide theatrical distribution.

The first property was produced in January 2010, titled Daydream Nation, written and directed by Mike Goldbach, staring Kat Dennings (Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist), Josh Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama) and Andie MacDowell. After the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, it was acquired and released theatrically in 2011 by Anchor Bay.

Cameron’s follow up feature film, Syrup, based on Max Barry’s international bestseller, was in partnership with Academy Award winning producer Barrie M. Osborne (The Lord Of The Rings, Matrix). The film stars, Amber Heard (Rum Diary), Kellan Lutz (Twilight, Immortals), Shiloh Fernandez (Red Riding Hood), and Kirstie Alley. Syrup was released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures in 2013.

CHRIS OHLSON | Producer Chris Ohlson's debut film as a producer, John Bryant's The Overbrook Brothers, premiered in competition at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival and went on to be released by IFC Films. Ohlson also executive produced Paul Gordon’s award- winning The Happy Poet, which screened at more than 40 festivals worldwide, including The Venice Film Festival’s Venice Days, and he served as a co-producer on Bryan Poyser’s Lovers of Hate, which world premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Recently, Ohlson executive produced Good Night, currently on the film festival circuit after its 2013 SXSW World Premiere.

filmswelike

His physical production credits includes Mitch Schultz’s DMT: The Spirit Molecule, Nanette Burstein’s American Teen, Kevin Triplett’s Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah, Mari Marchbanks’ Fall To Grace and Jacob Vaughn’s The Cassidy Kids.

Ohlson has won numerous advertising awards for his commercial work and has created a handful of experimental narrative short videos that have screened at galleries and museums around the world.

He is a 2013 Sundance Creative Producing Fellow as well as an alumus of the IFP Filmmaker Labs.

SEAN PORTER | Director of Photography Sean Porter’s recent list of credits include It Felt Like Love by Eliza Hittman, which world premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and went on to screen Rotterdam, London, Germany and in Milan where it was nominated for best cinematography. The film won Best Narrative in Memphis, “Best of Fest” award in Nashville, and multiple other awards internationally. In 2012 Sean photographed Megan Griffiths' Eden, which took Audience Awards at SXSW, San Diego and Milan. Eden stars Jamie Chung, Matt O’Leary and Beau Bridges.

MUSIC | The Octopus Project The Octopus Project has been releasing joyous party music since 2002, all the while touring the world both on their own, as handpicked support for artists as diverse as Aesop Rock, DEVO, and Explosions in the Sky, and playing festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza and All Tomorrow's Parties. Their music has been used in numerous commercials, for brands including: Nike, Apple, Absolut Vodka, and GoPro. They've scored a handful of films as well, including the Zellner Bros award- winning KID-THING. In 2013, The Octopus Project released their fifth full-length album, Fever Forms, to great acclaim.

filmswelike CAST BIOS

RINKO KIKUCHI | Kumiko Japanese-born Rinko Kikuchi has shown range and depth with every role she plays. Kikuchi was most recently seen in the sci-fi thriller Pacific Rim. Rinko landed her first professional role in the Japanese film Ikitai in 1999. Since then, she has displayed her talent as an actress, starring in critically acclaimed Japanese films such as Hole in the Sky (2001) and The Taste of Tea (2004), and continues to gain popularity within Japan’s film industry.

Rinko was catapulted onto the international feature film scene with her Academy Award®- nominated role for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Babel (2006). Playing the role of young deaf high- schooler Chieko with fervent energy and commitment, Rinko achieved an outstanding reputation around the world for her dramatic performance. The film garnered seven Academy Award® nominations, securing Kikuchi’s status as one of Hollywood’s leading young actresses.

Rinko followed up her success with a number of highly acclaimed international films such as Rian Johnson’s The Brothers Bloom (2008), with Adrien Brody and Rachel Weisz; Isabel Coixet’s Map of the Sounds of Tokyo (2009), with Serge Lopez; Mikael Håfström’s Shanghai (2010), with John Cusack and Ken Watanabe; and Anh Hung Tran’s Norwegian Wood (2010), a highly anticipated adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s international bestselling novel of the same name.

Rinko hails from Hadano, Japan, and is a skilled sword fighter as well as an accomplished motorcyclist and horseback rider. In 2007, she was named one of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch.

NATHAN ZELLNER | Robert See Crew Bio

DAVID ZELLNER | Deputy See Crew Bio

NOBUYUKI KATSUBE | Mr. Sakagami Born and raised in Tokyo, Katsube joined Theater NLT after graduating from Haiyuza theater school. He also participated in Theater Kessei, founded by Yukio Mishima, and went on to join the theatre group EN in the late 70’s. Katsube’s work includes unforgettable appearances in the popular Television shows, Taiyo-ni- Hoero (Nippon TV) and Mito-Komon (TBS), and his movie credits includeTengoku- No-Taizai (1992) and Oboreru-Sakana (2001). He has been working extensively in television dramas, films, and theater productions for more than 30 years.

filmswelike

SHIRLEY VENARD | Old Woman Shirley Venard has had a rich and vibrant career on stage, film, television, and radio. She has literally voiced hundreds of commercials over the years. She has also performed on stages as diverse and honored as the Guthrie, Mixed Blood, and the Pillsbury House Theaters in Minneapolis and played the tragic heroine Jocasta in Oedipus at Michigan’s The Meadowbrook Theatre. She has also been featured in the films, The Last Word, The Cure and Herman U.S.A.

filmswelike CREDITS

CAST

Kumiko Rinko KIKUCHI

Sakagami Nobuyuki KATSUBE

Michi Kanako HIGASHI

Library Security Guard Kyokaku ICHI

Chieko (Young Office Girl) Ayaka OHNISHI

Ms. Kanazaki Mayuko KAWAKITA

Office Ladies Asami TANO

Ako YOSHIDA

Anna WAKAMORI

Risa HOTTA

Hitomi SAWANO

Ariei UMEFUNE

Dry Cleaning Clerk Takao KINOSHITA

Dancing Couple Tetsuya HAYAKAWA Mihoko TOMODA

Rinko's Mother Yumiko HIOKI

Mayo (Michi's Child) Yusei FUJII

Department Store Clerk Natsuki KANNO

Robert Nathan ZELLNER

Brad Brad PRATHER

Bus Driver Earl MILTON

Old Woman Shirley VENARD

Gift Shop Clerk Madde GIBBA

Motel Clerk Ravi JASTHI

filmswelike Deputy David ZELLNER

Chinese Restaurant Owner Lucy LUU

Cab Driver Phil HALL

Bunzo the Rabbit BUNZO

CREW

Line Producer (Japan) Georgina POPE

Production Manager (Japan) Masa KOKUBO

1st Assistant Director (Japan) Yuichi TAZAWA

Production Manager (U.S.) Todd COBERY

1st Assistant Director (U.S.) Tomas "Dutch" DECKAJ

JAPAN UNIT

Production Designer Kikuo OTA

Costume Designer Tony CROSBIE

Casting Director Sadami HWANG

Location Manager Mitsutoshi HAMAZAKI

Sound Mixer Ryotaro HARADA

2nd Assistant Director Takashi SEKIYA

Script Supervisor Kazuko SHINGYOKU

Key Dolly Grip Koushi HAYAKAWA

Gaffer Seiji NAKANE

Hair & Make-Up Artist Ai TOMARU

Wig Maker SAKIE

Focus Puller Yasushi MIYATA

Assistant Camera Gen ITO

filmswelike Digital Intermediate Technician Ivan KOVAC

Transcriber Hideyuki YOSHIZAWA

Set Dresser Keisuke SAKURAI

Unit Manager Toshio HANAOKA

Assistant Location Manager Masashi NAKAJIMA

Stills Photographer Geoff JOHNSON

Steadicam Operators Shinichi CHIBA Taro KIMURA

Steadicam Assistant Yuka MASHIRO

Best Boy Electrician Satoshi TANI

Electrician Tsukasa MOTOYA

Wardrobe Assistant Mitsue ISHII

Hair & Make-Up Casual Narumi FURUKAWA

Art Department Casual Masako TAKAYAMA

Chikako SATO

Shimpei INOUE

Ryuichi TERAO

Mayumi KURAOKA

Shoichi HONDA

Dolly Grip Assistant Casual Fumiya OHE

Electrician Casual Naoki KOYAMA Yasuhiro ISHIGURO Shigeru KAMATA Jun YOKOYAMA

Drivers Natsuki HIRATSUKA Tatsuya AKAOGI

Naoyuki KAWAGUCHI

Production Accountant Saeko KAWAMURA

filmswelike Script Translation Mitsuko OKI

U.S. UNIT

Production Designer Chad KEITH

Costume Designer Kiersten RONNING

Casting Director Lynn BLUMENTHAL

Associate Producer Deidre BACKS

Production Coordinator Julia SCHAFFER

2nd Assistant Director Matt CENTER

2nd 2nd Assistant Director Amber GOERISH

Production Accountant Abby BAILEY

APOC Amy THOMPSON

Script Supervisor Kazuko SHINGYOKU

1st Assistant Camera Justin CAMERON

2nd Assistant Camera Chris HADLAND

DIT / Media Manager Jon STEINHORST

Steadicam Operator Jesse EVANS

Stills Photographer Kris DRAKE Ricky BOBBY

Behind the Scenes Video Kevin HORN

Gaffer Michael WINN

Key Grip Bruce HENDERSON

Best Boy Electric Jeff FISCHER

Best Boy Grip Dean WOYTCKE

Swing Erik THOMSEN

Swing Matt MUEGGE

filmswelike Additional Grip Chad FOEHRINGER Jeff VILLARS Craig HANSON Dan MILLER Chris HULTGREN Dave UNDERHILL

Additional Electric Nick HILLYARD

Sound Recordist Jim MORGAN

Boom Operator David "Lion" THOMPSON

Art Director Michelle GILSTEAD

Set Decorator Britni WEST

Props Master Chris THICKINS

Set Dresser Matt JOYER

Wardrobe Supervisor Jessi DERY

Wardrobe Assistant Jane WILLIAMS

Key Makeup Artist Mary FLAA

Key Hair Stylist Carrie MESSINA

Key Hair Sandra BETHKE

Location Manager Anne HEALY

Assistant Location Manager Kai MILLER

Lead Snow FX Technician Roland HATHAWAY

Snow FX Technician Daniel YEAGER

Snow FX Assistant Jason SCHUMACHER

Stand-in Nicole CHRISTINE

Extras Casting Kati BATCHELDER

Extras Casting Intern Kelly COLE Chris POPHAM

Craft Services Tammy HOLLINGSWORTH

Transportation Coordinator Mike ARNOLD

filmswelike Motorhome Driver Ryan SMITH

Picture Vehicle Driver Brian DENNY

Animal Wrangler Debi POOL

Key Set Medic Kurt GENSMER

Set Medic Dave DUSTIN

Catering Manager Cody ALLEN

Office Production Assistant Katie MILEWSKI

Key Set Production Assistant Joel WINSTEAD

Set Production Assistant Joah COLBY Cristi RUMPZA Rick HANKES Ryan S. JOHNSON Elizabeth RICHARDSON

Intern Sean BURKE Eric BRAAM Conner EVERT Nicki SCHAD David DIETZ Shane LATTIE

POST PRODUCTION

Post Production Supervisor Andrew J.D. HAUSER

DI Services COLOR COLLECTIVE

Digital Intermediate Colorist Alex BICKEL

Color Assist Mike HOWELL

Digital Intermediate Producer Jenna GABRIEL

Audio Post Production HEARD CITY

Re-Recording Mixer Cory MELIOUS

Producer Gloria PITAGORSKY

Foley Matt SNEDECOR

Dialog & SFX Editor Cory MELIOUS

filmswelike Sound Design René JONES-JONES

Music Supervisor Dominique PREYER HEAR IT - CLEAR IT MUSIC SUPERVISION

VFX Artist Nick SMITH Catscan SMOTHERS

Title Design By Stuart JONKER

Assistant Editor Todd J. SMITS

Ad Hominem Enterprises Evan ENDICOTT Adam WAGNER Sean WOLFSON

Production Counsel GRAY KRAUSS STRATFORD DES ROCHERS LLP Ian STRATFORD, Esq. Anita SURENDRAN, Esq.

"Star Bowling" Music Video Courtesy of PEELANDER-Z

SHOGUN Courtesy of RANDOM HOUSE

filmswelike