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<br><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">I just wanted to post something about
an event taking place in Toronto next weekend that I’ve had a hand
in, which I don’t think I’ve actually posted anything on
Kinejapan about yet.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It is the 2nd annual Shinsedai Cinema
Festival, a four-day showcase of the best recent Japanese films that
takes place in Toronto’s Japan Canadian Cultural Centre between
22-25 July.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">There are some amazing films playing,
including some of the best-regarded of the past year, such as
Tetsuaki Matsue’s <i>Live Tape</i>, Momoko Ando’s <i>Kakera: A
Piece of Our Life</i>, Tokachi Tsuchiya’s <i>A Normal Life Please</i>,
and Tetsuichiro Tsuta’s <i>Island of Dreams</i>, plus a few
revivals/rediscoveries, notably Go Shibata’s stunning 1999 debut
<i>NN-891102</i> and Gen Takahashi’s epic <i>The Wire</i>-styled
expose of police corruption <i>Confessions of a Dog</i>, a film I am
frankly amazed so few people know about given that it was made back
in 2006, although one which I am pretty sure will be picking up a lot
more interest as the year progresses.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Another thing I am particularly excited
about this year is a screening of Kenji Mizoguchi’s hauntingly
beautiful silent film, <i>The Water Magician</i>, with a new
soundtrack by the Toronto-based experimental outfit Vowls.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Anyway, there’s a lot more info about
the festival on its website
(<a href="http://shinsedai-fest.com/tag/shinsedai-2010/">http://shinsedai-fest.com/tag/shinsedai-2010/</a>),
but if you are a Japanese film fan or scholar and are based in
Toronto or its immediate environs, you will not get a better
selection of films laid out for you than this.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Sadly I can’t make it this year due
to my new baby son’s arrival in my household, but I really look
forward to hearing any feedback from those list members that do make
it.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Best</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Jasper</p>
<br><br>Midnight Eye: The Latest and Best in Japanese Cinema<br>www.midnighteye.com<br><br>More details about me on http://jaspersharp.com/<br><br><br> <br /><hr />Get a new e-mail account with Hotmail – Free. <a href='http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/197222280/direct/01/' target='_new'>Sign-up now.</a></body>
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