freeadmission | Japan Film Festival of San Francisco

★ Oct.7 Sun @ 1:45PM 【North American Premiere】

2018 | 35 min | with English Subtitles | Directed by Brad Kremer & Christopher Frey
Presented by Cross Media International

THM: Illustration of an Icon follows Hiroyuki-Mitsume Takahashi as he strives to bring his fresh and vividly futuristic artwork from the backstreets of Tokyo across the Pacific to an international audience at the J-POP SUMMIT in San Francisco. With the help of an American “otaku” writer (Patrick Macias), a pioneering anime executive (Vince Shortino), and a new Japanese talent manager (Yuichi Kawakami), can Takahashi’s unbound and undefined form of creative and personal expression resonate with a global audience, or will it simply be lost in translation?

*First come first served. Please make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the screening to secure your seat.

A Tale of Love and Honor: Life in Gion

★ Sept.29 Sat @ 3:30 PM
★ FREE ADMISSON

2017 | 49 min | with English Subtitles | Presented and supported by NHK WORLD-Japan

Within Japan, there’s a place that seems to transport visitors to another world: Gion, in Kyoto. When night falls in this historic district, nearly 100 geiko, or traditional entertainers, make their way to teahouses to perform classical arts, such as music and dance, for carefully selected guests. Kimi Ota, 77, is the proprietress of a 200-year-old teahouse. Throughout its history, it has always been run by a woman. The proprietress cannot marry and must have a daughter who can someday take over. Peer behind the curtain into the unique and alluring world of Kyoto’s teahouses.

*First come first served. Please make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the screening to secure your seat.