Nippon Connection

Holger Ziegler H.Ziegler
Fri Mar 15 05:54:57 EST 2002


Hello Dear Kinejapan Members,

for the second time we are organizing the Japanese Film Festival Nippon
Connection in Frankfurt/Germany. Its a good possibility to see a lot of
japanese films and to meet japanese film people and people interested in
japanese films. Therefore I would like to send the press release to
inform the members of the kinejapan list, even if it is a bit long.
Sorry for this but I think it is worth it.

Best regards,

Holger Ziegler
festival director


NIPPON CONNECTION
Japanese Film Festival 02
Frankfurt am Main
Germany
17.- 21. April 2002


Irasshaimase!

With the support of the Japanese Consulate General, the Nippon
Connection Film Festival is going to take place for the second time from
17 - 21 April. New cinema from Japan is still unknown to most people in
Germany. This is a fact we want to change, because Japan produces some
of the most innovative films in the world. The Festival offers a broad
range of films and videos from the past two years. There is a great deal
for our audience to discover and, thanks to our sponsors All Nippon
Airways and Maritim Hotel, those at the Festival will have the
opportunity to meet directors and producers in a pleasant atmosphere. 

Over the course of five days, Nippon Connections will present over 40
exciting films by young directors, many of which are German and European
premieres. Among them are Toshiaki Toyoda's (Pornostar, Unchain) new
film Blue Spring, which stunningly deals with the bleak situation at
Japanese schools, and the new masterpiece by Takashi Miike Ichi, The
Killer. The Festival will open with All About Lily Chou Chou by Shunji
Iwai, a film that garnered much praise at the International Berlin Film
Festival.
Moreover, in the Nippon Digital series we present a selection of
compilations by the multimedia festival Onedotzero (London), the
Yamagata Documentary Festival (Japan), Image Forum (Tokyo) and the Nihon
University (Tokyo).

The Festival is well rounded through its many fringe events: parties
(e.g.  Party and Live Acts with Hito and Cocolo, Berlin, a Party with
cult filmmaker Jorg Buttgereit spinning records and showing his films
and an opening party with DJ Mansfield, Tokyo); a concert by Melt
Banana); an exhibition of the works of Kumi Machida (Tokyo); a panel on
contemporary Japanese cinema; a lecture by Tokitoshi Shiota (Japanese
critic); a breakfast film screening; various workshops (tea-ceremony,
haiku, ikebana, language lessons; a cooking class with Consulate General
Mr. Okada; a lecture by Jean-Christophe Ammann on the photography of
Araki; and much more.) The audience is presented with a colourful and
exciting spectrum of Japanese culture ranging from the traditional to
cyberspace.

In April 2000 Nippon Connection drew more than 10,000 visitors from
around Germany and Europe and was one of the largest festivals of its
kind. Because of its great success, we decided to add another day and a
second theatre to this year's Festival.

The Festival is organized by the non-profit organization Nippon
Connection e.V. It takes place at the Studierendenhaus on the campus of
Frankfurt University. There are parallel screenings in two theatres
seating 400 and 100, respectively, which have been specially equipped
for the festival.
Please visit us at: 
www.nipponconnection.de
info at nipponconnection.de

Your Nippon Connection-Team


If you have further questions regarding films or supporting events, or
if you require illustrations / photos, please contact: Marion Klomfass,
Phone: 0177 4671141, Fax: 069 467114, E-mail: marion at nipponconnection.de 


Excerpt from the program (15 March 2002):

o BLUE SPRING by Toshiaki Toyoda (PORNOSTAR; UNCHAIN), Japan 2001
(German premiere)
o WAVE (NAMI) by Hiroshi Okuhara, Japan 2001 (German premiere)
o ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU CHOU by Shunji Iwai, Japan 2001
(Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o HUSH! by Ryosuke Hashiguchi, Japan 2001
o THE MARS CANON (KASEI NO KANON) by Shiori Kazama, Japan 2001
(Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o UNLOVED by Kunitoshi Manda, Japan 2001 (Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o ICHI THE KILLER by Takashi Miike, Japan 2002 (German premiere)
o THE CITY OF LOST SOULS (HYORYU GAI) by Takashi Miike, Japan 2000
(Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o A DROWNING MAN (OBORERU HITO) by Naoki Ichio, Japan 2001 (with Shinya
Tsukamoto) (European premiere)
o THE COLOR OF LIVE by Yoshimasa Ichibashi, Japan 2001 (Compilation of
the TV-Show Vermillion Pleasure Night; with the FUCCON FAMILY) (European
premiere)
o INUGAMI by Masato Harada, Japan 2001 (Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o THE PRINCESS BLADE (SHURAYUKI HIME) by Shinsuke Sato, Japan 2001
(Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o BODY DROP ASPHALT by Junko Wada, Japan 2000 (Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o BASTONI - THE STICK HANDLERS (BOU) by Kazuhiko Nakamura, Japan 2001
(European premiere)
o METROPOLIS by Taro Rin, Japan 2001 (Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o BATTLE ROYAL by Kinji Fukasaku, Japan 2000  (German premiere)
o A KID ON THE ALLEY OF 3-2 KYOJIMA by Yuuri Obitani, Japan 2001
o ZIPPER AND TITS by Koji Shirakawa, Japan 2001
o WXIII PATLABOR THE MOVIE 3 by Fumihiko Takayama, Japan 2002 (German
premiere)
o SOUND TRACK by Ken Nakai, Japan 2002 (Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o SCOUTMAN by Masato Ishioka, Japan 2000 (Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o THE NEW GOD by Yutaka Tsuchiya, Japan 1999 (Rhein-Main-Premiere)
o A2 by Tatsuya Mori, Japan 2001 (German premiere)
o AMATEUR SINGING CONTEST (NODO JIMAN) by Kazuyuki Izutsu, Japan 1999
o NEKOJIRU-SO by Tatsuo Sato, Japan 2000
o Digital Nippon: LOVE CINEMA Series; Kyupi Kyupi; program of the
multimedia Festival Onedotzero (London, GB), Yamagata Film Festival
(Japan) and Image Forum, Tokyo. 
o Discussion-panel of Young Cinema from Japan (with Asako Fujioka (New
Cinema from Japan, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival,
FilmEx), Takashi Nishimura (New Cinema from Japan, Producer), Stephan
Holl (Rapid Eye Movies Distributor, K?ln), Dr. Marcus Stiglegger
(University of Mainz) (21.4.)
o Lecture by Tokitoshi Shiota (Japanese critic)




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