Japan Foundation 16mm prints

[Aaron Gerow]

On Sep 3, 2008, at 3:21 AM, Mark Mays wrote:

> Has anyone had any experience programming a fest or retro in  
> concert with
> the Japan Foundation? The consulate just moved here to Nashville  
> and this
> seems like a great opportunity to put something together here.

Yale has done a series of films through the JF practically every  
semester since I have come here. We have had a good relation with the  
NY office, who have been quite cooperative. Again, they will not tell  
you outright what they have, but if you give them a list, they will  
tell you if they have it or not. Since I have a long relationship  
with the JF, I know a lot of what they have already, but the NYC  
people have helped me when I have searched for other things.

The main problem these days is the copyright holders. Some are  
wonderful. We showed Boryoku no machi last year and the copyright  
holder was so thrilled he let us show it for free. Some, like Toei,  
are recently coming under the mistaken impression that since the  
"contents industry" is big these days that can ask for $900 to screen  
a 35mm print of a film completely unknown abroad in an educational  
setting with no attendance fees. More reasonable places charge $300  
to $500 for 35mm screenings in our case, since most will cut off a  
bit of the rental fee if we tell them we don't charge admission.

I have suggested to the JF that they should put in a word or two with  
the copyright holders, since if they keep insisting on such rates,  
people will stop showing the films and an audience--for later on DVD  
and other formats--will not grow. But many in the Japanese film  
industry these days are ignorant and short-sighted, only looking at  
the money in front of their faces and not thinking of long-term ways  
of building up their business. It is quite frustrating dealing with  
such people who don't understand their business or care much about  
movies.

Aaron Gerow
Assistant Professor
Film Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures
Yale University
53 Wall Street, Room 316
PO Box 208363
New Haven, CT 06520-8363
USA
Phone: 1-203-432-7082
Fax: 1-203-432-6764
e-mail: aaron.gerow at yale.edu
site: www.aarongerow.com