2014 | Japan Film Festival of San Francisco

【2014-Archive】”wo ai ni” in TOKYO

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36 min | English | Directed by Koto Nagata
Starring: Yûki Furukawa, Lyan Cheng | Distributed by “wo ai ni” in TOKYO Partners
Co-presented by JVTA (Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy)

★ US Premiere
★ Special Appearance by Yûki Furukawa + Q&A!
For more about Yûki Furukawa visit here ☞ Yûki Furukawa

Don’t miss the super rare chance to meet actor Yûki Furukawa, the extremely popular star from “Itazura Na Kiss” (Mischievous Kiss)!!! Teaming up again with the director of “Itazura Na Kiss,” Yûki stars in this short film “wo ai ni (I love you) in TOKYO.” A sales clerk at a bike shop meets a Taiwanese girl who is traveling alone that is at a loss and having a hard time with the language.

【2014-Archive】Yûki Furukawa

Yûki Furukawa – Actor

Born in 1987 Tokyo, Yûki moved to Canada at the age of 7. After graduating junior high school, he moved to America to enter a high school in New York and return to Japan at the age of 19. Yûki was a student at Keio University, faculty of Science and Technology. March 2010, Yuki received the jury’s special award at the “Horipro’s 50 Year Anniversary Actor Audition” as his acting and English skills were highly evaluated.

Features he has starred include Wood Job! (Film, 2014), Mahoro Ekimae Kyosokyoku (Film, 2014) and Mischievous Kiss 2: Love in Tokyo (TV Drama, 2014).

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◉ Special screening of “wo ai ni” in Tokyo and Q&A!
“wo ai ni” in Tokyo, starring himself and Lyan Cheng, will be screened on Sunday, July 20th, at NEW PEOPLE Cinema, followed by Q&A. Don’t miss the super rare chance to meet actor Yûki Furukawa, the extremely popular star from “Itazura Na Kiss” (Mischievous Kiss)!!!

For more information about the film, visit “wo ai ni” in Tokyo film page ☞ click HERE

◉ Get your VIP Pass and see Yuki Furukawa!
J-POP SUMMIT 2014 will start issuing a variety of passes that maximizes the fan experience during our festival. VIP Pass A ($85) includes:
1.Exclusive Meet & Greet sessions with celebrities!
☆ Meet Yuki Furukawa and Tokyo Girls’ Style
2. Access to premium viewing areas* for 2 days during festival.
3. Get a J-POP Goody Bag!

【2014-Archive】HUNTER X HUNTER : The LAST MISSION

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2013 | 97 min | with English Subtitles | Directed by Keiichiro Kawaguchi
Voices: Megumi Han, Mariya Ise, Keiji Fujiwara | Distributed by Nippon Television

US Premiere

Based on the mega-hit manga by Yoshihiro Togashi (Yu Yu Hakusho). Gon and his friends visit the Battle Olympia tournament at Heavens Arena, where there’s an unexpected raid by an armed group called the Shadow Squad. The group’s leader, Jed, wants payback for the murder of his men by Netero.”Death to all Hunters!” declares Jed as he captures Netero. In order to rescue Netero, Gon must defeat Jed and his powerful mind force. Unveiling Hunter Association’s dark secret!

© POT (Yoshihiro Togashi) 1998-2012　© 2013 “HUNTER x HUNTER” Film Partners

【2014-Archive】J-POP Splash! 2014

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70 min | Presented by Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco

Come check out the special FREE event “J-POP Splash! 2014,” a flood of music videos presented by the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, featuring the hottest J-POP artists! Enjoy the latest musical acts topping the Japanese pop, rock, and modern charts on the big screen including Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Sakanaction, World Order, Perfume, SEKAI NO OWARI, RIP SLYME, YANAKIKU and Mr. Children! Don’t miss special guest DAICHI‘s live performance as the opening act! (Special Thanks to Takara Sake USA.)

【2014-Archive】SHORT PEACE

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2013 | 68 min | with English Subtitles
Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, Shuhei Morita, Hiroaki Ando, Hajime Katoki
Distributed by Sentai Filmworks

The inspiring anime omnibus SHORT PEACE finds a lone traveler confronted by unusual sprits inside an abandoned shrine in POSSESSIONS, a mysterious white bear defends the village from a red demon in the brutal GAMBO, men battling robotic tanks in apocalyptic Tokyo in A FAREWELL TO ARMS, and a spectacular tale of love, honor and firefighting in ancient Japan unfolds in COMBUSTIBLE.

*Film contains graphic violence and nudity. Viewer discretion is advised

© SHORT PEACE COMMITTEE © KATSUHIRO OTOMO / MASH・ROOM / SHORT PEACE COMMITTEE

【2014-Archive】ASK THIS OF RIKYU

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2013 | 123 min | with English Subtitles | Directed by Mitsutoshi Tanaka
Starring: Ichikawa Ebizō XI, Miki Nakatani | Distributed by TOEI
Co-presented by Excel Human

★ San Francisco Premiere
★ Special Appearance by Director Mitsutoshi Tanaka + Q&A!
For more about Director Mitsutoshi Tanaka visit here ☞ Director Mitsutoshi Tanaka

Based on the award-winning novel “Rikyu Ni Tazuneyo” by Kenichi Yamamoto, the film begins with the final days of Rikyu, the tea master with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese “Way of Tea” tradition, who was ordered to commit ritual suicide by the chancellor Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Who was Rikyu – who inspired fear in the most powerful man of his time?

© 2013 Ask This of Rikyu Production Committee

【2014-Archive】BON LIN

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2014 | 91 min | with English Subtitles | Directed by Keiichi Kobayashi
Starring: Ema Sakura, Mahiro Takasugi | Distributed by FULMOTELMO

US Premiere

Director Keiichi Kobayashi’s second feature film is a surprisingly pleasant and refreshing road movie of young duo undertaking Akihabara, the world-renown vibrant holy ground for OTAKU. Natsuko, a.k.a. BON, an eccentric Boys’ Love (BL) and online game nerd girl, heads to Tokyo along with LIN, her longtime game-playmate, in order to save her best friend MIYU, who seems to be suffering from an abusive boyfriend she lives with.

© BON LIN

【2014-Archive】Pecoross’ Mother and Her Days

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2013 | 113 min | with English Subtitles | Directed by Azuma Morisaki
Starring : Ryo Iwamatsu, Harue Akagi | Distributed by Tidepoint Pictures

SF Premiere

Based on the autobiographical comic by Yuuichi Okano, this heart-warming comedy depicts a middle-aged comic artist Pecoross’s humorous daily life with his mother, Mitsue, who has dementia that began soon after her husband passed away 10 years before. Directed by Azuma Morisaki, the oldest active filmmaker in Japan at the age of 85, the film was critically acclaimed as one of the best movies of 2013 in Japan.

© “Pecoross’ Mother and Her Days” Production Committee

【2014-Archive】Why Don’t You Play In Hell?

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2013 | 129 min | with English Subtitles | Directed by Sion Sono
Starring: Jun Kunimura, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Hiroki Hasegawa | Distributed by Drafthouse Films
Co-presented by CAAM

SF Premiere

Why Don’t You Play In Hell? is among Sono’s best work as his trademark outrageous-style is infused with his affection for 35mm and Japanese cinema. The Fuck Bombers are an eager group of wannabe filmmakers whose dream of making movies have come crashing down. Circumstances have brought them to this fateful moment where they’ll be able to film the climactic battle between two rivaling yakuza groups. As the bloody brawl unfolds, the filmmakers are also taken to the extreme…

*Film contains graphic violence and nudity. Viewer discretion is advised

© 2013 “Why Don’t You Play In Hell?” Film Partners

【2014-Archive】The Garden of Words

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2013 | 46 min | with English Subtitles | Directed by Makoto Shinkai
Voices: Kana Hanazawa, Miyu Irino | Distributed by Sentai Filmworks

SF Premiere

Directed by Makoto Shinkai, this film captures glowing moments from rainy season in Tokyo, unfolding a gentle tale of youth, love and unspoken words. When Takao, a 15-year old high school student who dreams of becoming a show designer, decides to skip school one day in favor of sketching in a rainy garden, he has no idea how much his life will change when he encounters a mysterious older woman named Yukino.

© Makoto Shinkai / Comix Wave Films