Massive Asian Film Festival in New York

: 05 September 2008

The New York Asian Film Festival and Japan Cuts Screen More than 50 Feature Films Source: Japan Society, Subway Cinema Beginning this month, New York City plays host to 24 days of Asian cinema. Subway Cinema`s New York Asian Film Festival (June 20- July 6) and Japan Society`s JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Films (July 2 - July 13) combined will feature more than 50 movies, over 60 short films, a free feature film screening for the NYC community; exclusive Q&A’s with filmmakers and other special events. This year also marks the second collaboration between JAPAN CUTS and NYAFF, who will co-present nine films at the Japan Society from July 3-6. A small sampling of the films being shown includes... ACCURACY OF DEATH (2008): A God of Death (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is tasked to spend a week with those who’ve been assigned a sudden demise. ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET (2005): Takashi Yamazaki`s nostalgic look back at 1958 Tokyo won 33 international awards, including the Japan Academy Prize for Best Picture. ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET- 2 (2007): The acclaimed sequel reunites the director and cast... and includes a guest appearance by Godzilla. ASSEMBLY (2007): Following China’s 1948 Civil War, Captain Gu Zidi (Zhang Hanyu) struggles to live with the choices he made on the battlefield. DAINIPPONJIN (2007): Japan’s most popular comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto stars in and directs this whacky kaiju spoof about an unpopular giant superhero. DORORO (2007): Live-action adaptation of the manga by Osamu Tezuka. FILMFUL LIFE (2006): Documentary about the life and films of the late Kon Ichikawa (FIRES ON THE PLAIN, THE INUGAMI FAMILY, THE BURMESE HARP). KISARAGI (2007): Five fans of a J-pop star meet on the anniversary of her suicide. Film of the Year at the 31st Japanese Academy Awards. L: CHANGE THE WORLD (2008): The follow up to the hit DEATH NOTE films features the young detective L in a cat and mouse game with eco-terrorists. Directed by Hideo Nagata (RING). MAD DETECTIVE (2007): Director Johnnie To returns to the action genre with the tale of Inspector Bun (Lau Ching-wan), a cop who works on a near-supernatural level of intuition and who can see other people’s true selves. SAD VACATION (2007): A man (Tadanobu Asano) swears revenge on the mother who had abandoned him as a child. SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2008): Takashi Miike`s (AUDITION, THE GREAT YOKAI WAR) English language homage to the Spaghetti Western. Guest-starring Quentin Tarantino. YASUKUNI (2008): Controversial documentary about the Tokyo’s Yasukuni shrine which honors Japan’s war dead.

Festival Venues

The IFC Center 323 Sixth Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Streets) New York, NY 10014 Box office: (212) 924-7771 The IFC Center is the ultimate entertainment space for New Yorkers seeking out the best in foreign and independent film. Located in the heart of Manhattan’s world-famous Greenwich Village neighborhood, the IFC Center (formerly the historic Waverly Theater) opened its doors in June 2005, after a four-year renovation. This stylish juxtaposition of landmark heritage and ultra-modern amenities features state-of-the-art theaters and a chic and flexible restaurant space. Japan Society 333 East 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues) - Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium New York, NY 10017 Box Office: (212) 715-1258 Japan Society is the premier producer of high-quality content on Japan for the United States, offering over one hundred events annually in the performing and visual arts, business and policy sector, and education fields, as well as publications and online forums. Over the course of more than a century, Japan Society has evolved into an internationally recognized nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that provides access to information on Japan, offers opportunities to experience Japanese culture, and fosters sustained and open dialogue on issues important to the U.S., Japan, and East Asia.