Rotterdam and Sento

[gregory starr]

>Just out of curiosity, how is Sento's English? One dimension of the film
>festival circuit is schmoozing, and the Japanese crowd is generally
>debilitated when it comes to that. Just look around at the parties, and
>you'll notice the Tokyo-ites huddled in a corner while everyone else works
>the floor.
>
>Markus

Markus,
Sento's nothing if not a smart marketer.  He also employs a
New York based PR guy who's previously worked at festival offices, including
Cannes, and who knows how to get press and advises on protocol.
One well-known tale is how he advised Sento to ply the director of
the Berlin fest and his wife with a certain brand of whiskey when making
the initial approach to get Choir Boys (which had yet to be completed)
selected to the fest.  Who knows if it worked?  But he left the Imperial
with a pretty firm promise to see the film and it eventually made it.
Greg Starr
Premiere Japan