New Cinema From Japan at the Berlin Film Festival

[Asako]

At the Berlin International Film Festival (Feb. 10-21)

New Cinema From Japan will hold an information booth inside the European
Film Market again this year, for the promotion and sales of new Japanese
films. Only accredited professionals can enter the market venue, but the
official selection films are of course accessible to the public. This
year's lineup as follows. 

New Cinema From Japan is a non-profit organization of independent
professionals working in various fields of the Japanese film industry,
who see the need for some hands-on active organizing in promoting new
Japanese cinema overseas. At the Berlin Market each year, we've been
organizing a loose coalition of producers who are willing to pool their
funds to finance a promotion and sales booth for new films with English
subtitles. 

Some issues we're faced with overlap with discussions going on the
KineJapan. Not all films bring in a profit from overseas distribution.
We've seen lots of low-budget indies spending a fortune on English
subtitles and press material, but ending up showing in only small local
film festivals... no sales! Producers (particularly the major companies)
are wary of investing in international promotion, which they see as a
financial risk. Being invited to film festivals actually costs quite a
lot (new prints have to be struck, translation costs, etc. etc), with no
assurance that a sales will be made. 

New Cinema From Japan is only an "omiai" interlocutor, but we're hoping
to inform the Japanese producers as well as the overseas industry pros
of the potential of recent Japanese film. 

New Cinema From Japan is organized mainly by producers Nishimura
Takashi, Aihara Hiromi, Takehira Tokio, YIDFF coordinator Fujioka Asako,
and other volunteers. 

Fujioka Asako
Tokyo
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At the Berlinale '99! NEW CINEMA FROM JAPAN presents


Official Selection

In Competition
Keiho (Keiho Dai Sanjukyujo) by MORITA Yoshimitsu (attending)
Sales: Shochiku, Mr. KOGA Masaki

Panorama 
Jin-Roh (Jin-Roh) by OKIURA Hiroyuki (attending)
Sales: Gold View, Ms. Kiyo JOO 

Wait and See (A Haru) by SOMAI Shinji
Sales: Shochiku, Mr. KOGA Masaki

Forum
"A" ("A") by MORI Tatsuya (attending)
Sales: Gold View, Ms. Kiyo JOO 

Adrenaline Drive (Adrenaline Drive) by YAGUCHI Shinobu (attending)
Sales: Pia Film Festival, Ms. ARAKI Keiko 

License to Live (Ningen Gokaku) by KUROSAWA Kiyoshi (attending)
Sales: Tokuma International, Ms. MORIYOSHI Haruyo

Market Screenings 

Beautiful Sunday (Beautiful Sunday) by NAKASHIMA Tetsuya
Sales: Gold View, Ms. Kiyo JOO 

Bullet Ballet (Bullet Ballet) by TSUKAMOTO Shinya
Sales: Gold View, Ms. Kiyo JOO 

Nodo-jiman / The Amateur Singing Contest (Nodo-jiman) by IZUTSU Kazuyuki
Sales: Cine Qua Non, Ms. ONO Kayoko, Ms. SON Myung-suk


On Video

Inside Mind (Kokoro no Naka) by OKI Hiroyuki
Pornostar (Pornostar) by TOYODA Toshiaki
7/25 (7/25) by HAYAKAWA Wataru
Shabondama Elegy (Shabondama Elegy) by Ian KERKHOF
Shooting Star (Ryusei) by YAMANAKA Hiromitsu 
The Story of PuPu (PuPu no Monogatari) by WATANABE Kensaku
A Tale of Osaka (Osaka Monogatari) by ICHIKAWA Jun
Tsuru - Henry (Mugen Ryukyu Tsuru Henry) by TAKAMINE Go
Watching the Detective (Aru Tantei no Yu'utsu) by YAGI Junichi

Short Films on Video 

Baby-Baby (Baby Baby) by FURUTA Hirohiko
The King's Children (Osama no Kodomo) by MAEDA Shinjiro
Winds (Kaze) by SONO Shion

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NEW CINEMA FROM JAPAN
1-9-11-506 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002 Japan
TEL: +81-3-5468-2565 / FAX: +81-3-5468-2566 / E-mail: newcinejp at aol.com