J-film fest in Los Angeles (Santa Monica/Downtown)

Wed Apr 8 14:44:39 EDT 2009

For people in LA, here is information on the Japan Film Festival Los  
Angeles. It's happening from April 10th-16th at Laemmle's Monica 4- 
Plex in Santa Monica and from April 17th-19th at Downtown Independent  
in Downtown Los Angeles.
Anne

JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES
2100 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 101 Los Angeles CA 90025
424-229-0093  press at jffla.org
www.jffla.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE　　　　　　 　　FOR MORE INFO. CONTACT　
Monday, April 6, 2009 　　　　　　 　　 
　                                           Ryoko Leung:　 
press at jffla.org

Japan Film Festival 2009

Los Angeles, California—
Japan Film Festival 2009 presented by the Japan America Media  
Association is pleased to announce the lineup for this year’s  
festival. The festival will begin on Friday, April 10th through 16th  
at Laemmle’s Monica 4-Plex in Santa Monica, April 17th through 19th  
at Downtown Independent in Downtown LA. We will be showing 22 feature  
films including those that will be North American or Los Angeles  
Premiers.

1. Featured Films
Opening Film: The Sky Crawlers  　Director: Mamoru Oshii   April 10th  
(Fri) 8pm
Starring: Rinko Kikuchi, Ryo Kase, Chiaki Kuriyama, Syosuke Tanihara,  
Ai Yamaguchi
Animation film featuring the voice of Rinko Kikuchi, Academy Award  
nominee. Director Mamoru Oshii was nominated for the Golden Lion Award  
for this film at the 2008 Venice Film Festival.
"Kildren" are ageless fighter pilots. They continue to live as  
adolescence until their death in battle. They are destined to fight in  
endless war to "entertain" the people who live in a peaceful world.

Closing Film: Vacation　　　Director: Hajime Kadoi  April 19th (Sun)  
6pm
Starring: Kaoru Kobayashi, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Nene Otsuka, Ren  
Osugi, Shuji Kashiwabara
2008 Dubai International Film Festival Special Jury Prize winner and  
Official Selection for the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.
Hirai, a veteran prison guard, was getting married to Mika, a single  
mother.
Originally hoping to make time to be with his new family, he found out  
that he would be entitled to a week's vacation - if he acts as the  
execution assistant.

Always 2 Sunset Third Street　（LA Premier）　　Director: Takashi  
Yamazaki   April 12th (Sun) 5:30pm, April 18th (Sat) 12pm, April 26th  
(Sun) 2:30pm
Starring: Hidetaka Yoshioka, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Koyuki, Maki Horikita,  
Hiroko Yakushimaru
Starring Koyuki (Last Samurai) and other casts from the previous  
installment.
The scene is set four months after the previous series in the Tokyo  
Shitamachi area. It tells of human events of the residents who live in  
Yuuhi machi 3 chome.

Mushi-shi  (LA Premier)  Director: Katsuhiro Otomo  April 11th (Sat)  
4:10pm
Starring: Joe Odagiri, Makiko Esumi, Nao Omori, Yu Aoi
A mystery and fantasy movie of Katsuhiro Otomo who directed ”AKIRA”  
and ‘’Steamboy”.
This is the mysterious story of a ”Mushi-shi” Ginko who has the  
ability to calm insects and heal people 100 years ago when mysterious  
insects ”Mushi” existed.

Campaign　　　Director: Soda Kazuhiro   April 11th (Sat) 1pm
Starring: Kazuhiko Yamauchi, Sayuri Yamauchi, Junichiro Koizumi, Junko  
Kawaguchi
Kazuhiko Yamauchi, the main star in this film, will be coming to JFF  
for a Q&A session!!
Official selection of the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival.  
Documentary film.
In the fall of 2005, 40-year-old, self-employed Kazuhiko “Yama-san”  
Yamauchi’s peaceful, humdrum life was turned upside-down. Japanese  
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had  
suddenly chosen him as its official candidate to run for a vacant seat  
on the Kawasaki city council. Yama-san had zero experience in  
politics, no charisma, no supporters, no constituency, and no time to  
prepare for the impending election.

Retribution     Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa      April 10th (Fri)  
5:30pm, April 13th (Mon) 9:45pm,
April 18th (Sat) 7:45pm
Starring: Koji Yakusho, Manami Konishi, Riona Hazuki, Tsuyoshi Ihara,  
Joe Odagiri, Ryo Kase
Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (“Tokyo Sonata”)’s horror film that  
terrified the world at 2006 Venice Film Festival, starring Koji  
Yakusho (“Babel”) who is a regular actor in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s  
films.
Detective Yoshioka is investigating a mysterious murder case. However,  
clues begin to appear that point to him being the murder. As the  
investigation progresses, even he begins to wonder whether he may be  
the murderer that he is pursuing.

The Battery  Director: Yojiro Takita   April 12th (Sun) 3:00pm, April  
19th (Sun) 12pm, April 26th (Sun) 12pm
Starring: Kento Hayashi, Kenta Yamada, Yuuki Amami, Goro Kishitani,  
Masato Hagiwara
A feature film by the Academy Award winning director Yojiro Takida  
(Departures).
A story of a junior high school boy, who feels alone because of his  
superior talent as a baseball pitcher. He overcomes his conflict with  
his family and through the process nurtures his friendship with his  
classmate and “battery” (pitcher and catcher partnership) partner.

ICHI　(LA Premier)　　Director: Fumihiko Sori   April 11th (Sat)  
9:30pm
Starring: Haruka Ayase, Shido Nakamura, Yosuke Kubozuka, Akira Emoto,  
Riki Takeuchi, Takao Osawa
A new and female version of the famous sword hero “Zatoichi”,  
previously performed by world famous actors such as Shintaro Katsu and  
Takeshi Kitano.
The heroine, Ichi, depends on only her sword hidden in a cane to fight  
fiercely with men. She falls in love with a samurai through her  
fights, which leads to her misfortune.

The Gift from Beate　　　Director: Tomoko Fujiwara   April 12th  
(Sun) 1pm, April 18th (Sat) 2:45pm,
April 25th (Sat) 6pm
Starring: Beate Sirota Gordon
Ms. Beathe Shirota Gordon makes every effort to build "essential  
equality of the sexes" in the Constitution of Japan after WWⅡ.  
Supported by her effort, Japanese women devote their energies to  
establishing a sex equal society.

252: Signal of Life　（US Premier）　Director: Nobuo Mizuta  April  
12th (Sun) 8:30pm, April 19th (Sun) 3pm, April 26th (Sun) 5pm
Starring: Hideaki Ito, Masaaki Uchino, Takayuki Yamada, Yu Kashii,  
Yuichi Kimura
With the biggest monster Typhoon ever to hit Japan, people try to  
survive while in a furious panic.

【Tribute to actor, Ken Ogata】
A Long Walk　　(US Premier)　Director: Eiji Okuda  April 13th (Mon)  
4pm, April 14th (Tues) 6:30pm,
April 17th (Fri) 7pm.
Starring: Ken Ogata, Saki Takaoka, Kana Sugiura, Shota Matsuda, Eiji  
Okuda
Veteran actor Ken Ogata stars in one of his final roles. A multiple  
prize winner at the 2006 Montreal World Film Festival (2006 Montréal  
World Film Festival Grand Prix des Amériques, Prize of the Ecumenical  
Jury, and the FIPRESCI Prize).

A middle-aged man who suffers from remorse in his life meets a girl  
who has blocked out her emotions after being repeatedly abused by her  
mother. While chased as a kidnapper, he decides to take off on a  
journey of redemption.

Vengeance is Mine　　　Director: Shohei Imamura   April 14th (Tues)  
3:30pm, April 17th (Fri) 9:45pm
Starring: Ken Ogata, Rentaro Mikuni, Chocho Miyako, Mitsuko Baisyo,  
Mayumi Ogawa
A story of a man who kills five people and flees through Japan.  The  
film show his life of crime, women, and his relation with his father.

2. Schedule

3. Date and Venue
April 10 (Fri) to 16 (Thu)          Laemmle’s Monica 4-Plex (Santa  
Monica)
1332 2nd Street Santa Monica, 90401

April 17 (Fri) to 19 (Sun)          Downtown Independent (Downtown Los  
Angeles)
251 S. Main Street Los Angeles, California 90012

April 25 (Sat) and 26 (Sun)       Starplex Cinema  (Irvine)
4626 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, CA 92604

4. Ticket Prices
【Weekday: Mon to Fri】
General ----------  $10
Students / Seniors (60+) / Children (12 and under) ------ $7　 
(*Students and Seniors with valid ID)
Matinee(before 4:30pm)  --------  $7
Advance ticket (3 tickets) --------  $20
            *This ticket is valid for Santa Monica and Downtown LA  
only. It is NOT valid in Irvine.
This is a voucher
            only and will need to be exchanged for the actual ticket  
at the ticket office.
Your seat will not be
            guaranteed until you exchange it to the actual ticket.
This ticket will be available until April 9th.

【Weekends:Sat and Sun】
All Show -------  $10

For more information, please visit www.jffla.org.
Press page http://www.jffla.org/press
Film stills download www.jffla.org/press-download

Media inquiries welcome!

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