Upcoming Films at the 2019 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco
2019/10/1
The Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco is partnering with the 2019 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (October 4 – October 13) to present three special engagements at New People Cinema in San Francisco’s Japantown. Please join us at these screenings of modern Japanese film.
“Every Day a Good Day” (Modern Drama)
Date and Time: Friday, October 4; 7:15 PMThe San Francisco premiere of the film adaptation of Based on Noriko Morishita’s bestselling essay about her 25 years as a student of Tea, the film stars Haru Kuroki (Silver Bear winner at Berlin for The Little House) as Noriko, the legendary Kirin Kiki as her tea ceremony teacher, and Mikako Tabe as the cousin whose fleeting interest sends Noriko on a journey into the heart of Tea. Highlighting the five senses and the changing seasons inspired by tea ceremony, this moving drama finds life and energy from an unexpected source.
© EVERY DAY A GOOD DAY Film Partners
“I Go Gaga, My Dear” (Documentary)
Date and Time: Saturday, October 5; 12:00 Noon+Special Q&A with Director Naoko Nobutomo
This heart-warming documentary was critically acclaimed as one of the best films from Japan in 2018. After spending decades as a television director, Naoko Nobutomo made her theatrical feature debut: a personal documentary that captures the enduring love and struggles of her aging parents in Kure, Hiroshima while her mother’s dementia gradually progresses. Nobutomo interweaves direct and intimate documentation with old footage of her parents, including scenes from her own battle with breast cancer that depicts their support.
© I GO GAGA, MY DEAR Film Partners
“The Miracle of Crybaby Shottan” (Biopic)
Date and Time: Saturday, October 12; 6:40PMThis film is based on the autobiography of Shoji Segawa, a unique shogi (Japanese chess) player who left his daytime job and turned pro at the age of thirty-five. It inspiringly depicts with rich emotion the comeback of a man who once failed at his dream. Director Toshiaki Toyoda, who himself once held shogi aspirations, teams up with lead actor Matsuda Ryuhei for the fourth time. Shoji (Matsuda), called “Shottan,” joined the Future Shogi Player Cultivation League, a professional shogi player training academy, at the age of fifteen. However, the league stipulates a player who does not rise to the 4th-dan by the age of twenty-six must withdraw from the league. As Shoji grows older, his losses mount under the strain.
© THE MIRACLE OF CRYBABY SHOTTAN Film Partners
For more details on these films and to purchase tickets, please visit the Japan Film Festival of San Francisco’s official website: http://jffsf.org/2019/