In his last weeks of life, the Oscar-winning composer is filmed at the piano by his son. It is an almost wordless paean to a remarkable career
Short of presenting nothing more than music and a blank screen, this documentary about the late Japanese composer-performer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last appearances is as stark and minimal as a concert film can get. And yet it’s a work suffused with emotional tones and shades, surprisingly not all of them sad even though the subject knew at the time of filming he had mere weeks left before he’d die of cancer.
There are moments when director Neo Sora, Sakamoto’s son, turns up the lighting for the more upbeat songs and we can see the master smile, pleased with his own performance, or the composition, or … we know not what, as there is almost no dialogue, no nattering about the life.
Short of presenting nothing more than music and a blank screen, this documentary about the late Japanese composer-performer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s last appearances is as stark and minimal as a concert film can get. And yet it’s a work suffused with emotional tones and shades, surprisingly not all of them sad even though the subject knew at the time of filming he had mere weeks left before he’d die of cancer.
There are moments when director Neo Sora, Sakamoto’s son, turns up the lighting for the more upbeat songs and we can see the master smile, pleased with his own performance, or the composition, or … we know not what, as there is almost no dialogue, no nattering about the life.
- 3/28/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
To call Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus a concert film would be correct and also drastically inadequate. What unfolds onscreen is no mere performance, no mere gesture, but a face-to-face between presence and absence. Beginning its theatrical run just before the one-year anniversary of Sakamoto’s death from cancer, at 71, the handsome film is a testament to the artistic spirit and, above all, an act of love — by the performer, who was facing mortality and thinking of legacy, and by the director, Neo Sora, who is Ryuichi Sakamoto’s son.
The performances captured in Opus were filmed over a week in September 2022, at a studio in Tokyo’s Nhk Broadcasting Center that Sakamoto believed offers the finest acoustics in Japan. He and Sora embarked on this project while Sakamoto was still well enough to perform. Other than the unseen filmmakers, there is no audience. Alone at a Yamaha grand, a bright...
The performances captured in Opus were filmed over a week in September 2022, at a studio in Tokyo’s Nhk Broadcasting Center that Sakamoto believed offers the finest acoustics in Japan. He and Sora embarked on this project while Sakamoto was still well enough to perform. Other than the unseen filmmakers, there is no audience. Alone at a Yamaha grand, a bright...
- 3/16/2024
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Directed by Neo Sora, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” records the final performance of its namesake composer and musician prior to his death from cancer in March 2023. Per Sora, Sakamoto’s son, “Opus” is less a documentary than a concert film, capturing 20 tracks — electronic, orchestral, and everything in between — from his multifaceted career as they’re played on the piano in crisp black and white, in lighting that transitions from night to day and back to night.
As he explains, it was no small task to chronicle what he knew could be his father’s last artistic gift to the world. But when speaking about the film, Sora maintains a studied objectivity that focuses more on the process of making it than the feelings behind it — much less about his father in general. Even as a fan of Sakamoto’s since the days of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor,” it’s...
As he explains, it was no small task to chronicle what he knew could be his father’s last artistic gift to the world. But when speaking about the film, Sora maintains a studied objectivity that focuses more on the process of making it than the feelings behind it — much less about his father in general. Even as a fan of Sakamoto’s since the days of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor,” it’s...
- 3/15/2024
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away after a bout with cancer in 2023, but his legacy and presence are still being felt and celebrated. The new concert film, “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” which features his final Performance, is directed by his son, Neo Sora, and is coming out in March. The movie was executive produced by Jeremy Thomas, who worked on arguably two of the most important films in Sakmoto’s film-scoring career.
Continue reading ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus’ Trailer: The Legendary Composer’s Final Performance Film Opens In March at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus’ Trailer: The Legendary Composer’s Final Performance Film Opens In March at The Playlist.
- 2/15/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
There’s last will and testaments, and then there’s Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus, for which the musician and composer (for whom adjectives are sometimes adequate) enlisted his son, Neo Sora, to put on film one final performance: a 20-song symposium that would “wordlessly narrate his life through his music.” Ahead of its March 15 release from Janus Films, we have the first trailer.
As Jordan Raup said in our rundown of the best 2024 films we’ve already seen, “In a heartbreaking work that feels like a private personal home movie that the world is being graced with, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s son, filmmaker Neo Sora, captured one of his father’s final performances. Shot in beautifully austere black-and-white, Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus focuses solely on the music, capturing a man contending with his physical limitations in what amounts to one of the final offerings of his astounding talent. It’s a treasure.”
Find...
As Jordan Raup said in our rundown of the best 2024 films we’ve already seen, “In a heartbreaking work that feels like a private personal home movie that the world is being graced with, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s son, filmmaker Neo Sora, captured one of his father’s final performances. Shot in beautifully austere black-and-white, Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus focuses solely on the music, capturing a man contending with his physical limitations in what amounts to one of the final offerings of his astounding talent. It’s a treasure.”
Find...
- 2/15/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto gave his final performance in Japan knowing he was about to pass away. Now, the iconic composer’s legacy is captured in documentary “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” directed by his son Neo Sora.
Sakamoto collaborated with auteurs like Luca Guadagnino and also scored Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-winning turn in “The Revenant.” On March 28, 2023, Sakamoto died after a years-long battle with cancer. Despite retiring from live performances, Sakamoto returned to the stage one final time in late 2022 to play 20 pieces presented in a curated order. The first footage of the film includes Sakamoto performing the score of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Sheltering Sky,” among other pieces.
“Opus” was filmed at the Nhk Broadcast Center’s 509 Studio, which Sakamoto said had the “finest acoustics in Japan.” Cinematographer Bill Kirstein shot the film using three 4K cameras, with Sakamoto first recording his pieces on an iPhone from his home to...
Sakamoto collaborated with auteurs like Luca Guadagnino and also scored Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-winning turn in “The Revenant.” On March 28, 2023, Sakamoto died after a years-long battle with cancer. Despite retiring from live performances, Sakamoto returned to the stage one final time in late 2022 to play 20 pieces presented in a curated order. The first footage of the film includes Sakamoto performing the score of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Sheltering Sky,” among other pieces.
“Opus” was filmed at the Nhk Broadcast Center’s 509 Studio, which Sakamoto said had the “finest acoustics in Japan.” Cinematographer Bill Kirstein shot the film using three 4K cameras, with Sakamoto first recording his pieces on an iPhone from his home to...
- 2/15/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Janus Films has released the trailer for “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” a documentary celebrating the composer’s life.
Sakamoto put on one final performance in late 2022, which was captured in a concert film featuring just him and his piano. He curated and sequenced the 20 pieces himself, with the selection spanning his entire career. This includes his pop-star period with Yellow Magic Orchestra, his scores for filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci and his final album, “12.”
His son Neo Sora directed the film, which was executive produced by Jeremy Thomas. “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus” will open on March 15 in New York at Lincoln Center, with a national rollout to follow.
Watch the full trailer below.
Oscar-Nominated Short Film ‘The Last Repair Shop’ To Make Television Debut
The Oscar-nominated short film “The Last Repair Shop” will make its television debut on ABC owned television stations and select affiliate stations on Saturday, Feb. 17. It will also be...
Sakamoto put on one final performance in late 2022, which was captured in a concert film featuring just him and his piano. He curated and sequenced the 20 pieces himself, with the selection spanning his entire career. This includes his pop-star period with Yellow Magic Orchestra, his scores for filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci and his final album, “12.”
His son Neo Sora directed the film, which was executive produced by Jeremy Thomas. “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus” will open on March 15 in New York at Lincoln Center, with a national rollout to follow.
Watch the full trailer below.
Oscar-Nominated Short Film ‘The Last Repair Shop’ To Make Television Debut
The Oscar-nominated short film “The Last Repair Shop” will make its television debut on ABC owned television stations and select affiliate stations on Saturday, Feb. 17. It will also be...
- 2/14/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay, Caroline Brew, Diego Ramos Bechara and Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
“Auto-bio Pamphlet,” a Marathi-language film that is both a love story and a rage against class divisions, will open the 18th edition of the Jogja-netpac Asian Film Festival later this month. The festival will close with the world premiere of spy thriller “13 Bombs in Jakarta.”
Jaff run Nov. 25 – Dec. 2 and include 205 films from 25 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific.
Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, “13 Bombs in Jakarta” (aka “13 Bom di Jakarta”) tells of a group of terrorists who launch their attack with the threat of bombs scattered throughout the Indonesian capital. Sasongko is also the founder of local studio Visenema, which has four films at the festival.
“As the opening film for this year’s edition, we choose something light-hearted, which is ‘Autobio Pamphlet’ from India. Its coming-of-age story will be perfect to set the festival’s spirited and entertaining mood,” said Alexander Matius, Jaff program director. The film had...
Jaff run Nov. 25 – Dec. 2 and include 205 films from 25 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific.
Directed by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, “13 Bombs in Jakarta” (aka “13 Bom di Jakarta”) tells of a group of terrorists who launch their attack with the threat of bombs scattered throughout the Indonesian capital. Sasongko is also the founder of local studio Visenema, which has four films at the festival.
“As the opening film for this year’s edition, we choose something light-hearted, which is ‘Autobio Pamphlet’ from India. Its coming-of-age story will be perfect to set the festival’s spirited and entertaining mood,” said Alexander Matius, Jaff program director. The film had...
- 11/11/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The 141 titles set to screen include 18 of this year’s international feature Oscar submissions.
Freud’s Last Session and Albert Brooks: Defending My Life are to get their world premieres at this year’s AFI Fest, running October 25-29 in Los Angeles.
Also among the 141 titles in the festival’s full line-up are All Of Us Strangers, American Fiction, Fallen Leaves and The Taste Of Things.
Matthew Brown’s Freud’s Last Session, with Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode, and Rob Reiner’s documentary about Albert Brooks will be part of AFI Fest’s Special Screening line-up.
Previously announced world premieres at...
Freud’s Last Session and Albert Brooks: Defending My Life are to get their world premieres at this year’s AFI Fest, running October 25-29 in Los Angeles.
Also among the 141 titles in the festival’s full line-up are All Of Us Strangers, American Fiction, Fallen Leaves and The Taste Of Things.
Matthew Brown’s Freud’s Last Session, with Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode, and Rob Reiner’s documentary about Albert Brooks will be part of AFI Fest’s Special Screening line-up.
Previously announced world premieres at...
- 9/28/2023
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
The full lineup has been unveiled for the festival’s 36th edition.
The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) today revealed the lineup for its 36th edition, including 20 world premieres across its two competition strands.
The festival, set to run October 23 to November 1, will feature 15 titles in its main Competition section led by Japan and China, which each have three films in the selection.
Scroll down for full list
From China are crime drama A Long Shot from debut feature director Gao Peng; Snow Leopard by late Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden, which premiered at Venice; and Dwelling By The West Lake by Gu Xiaogang,...
The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) today revealed the lineup for its 36th edition, including 20 world premieres across its two competition strands.
The festival, set to run October 23 to November 1, will feature 15 titles in its main Competition section led by Japan and China, which each have three films in the selection.
Scroll down for full list
From China are crime drama A Long Shot from debut feature director Gao Peng; Snow Leopard by late Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden, which premiered at Venice; and Dwelling By The West Lake by Gu Xiaogang,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Janus Films has acquired “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” a concert film centered around the late, great performer that premiered recently at the Venice Film Festival and is set to make its North American debut at the New York Film Festival.
Janus Films will release the film theatrically, followed by a streaming premiere on The Criterion Channel and a home video release on the Janus Contemporaries label, a new imprint of Criterion (its first releases come out next month).
Sakamoto was a singular musical force, from his early work with Japanese electronic pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra to his solo work and collaborative albums to his unforgettable work on film scores, from “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” to “The Last Emperor” to Brian De Palma’s “Snake Eyes.” (He also composed the score to “The Revenant” with Alva Noto and The National’s Bryce Dessner.) Sakamoto additionally worked on multiple television shows and video games.
Janus Films will release the film theatrically, followed by a streaming premiere on The Criterion Channel and a home video release on the Janus Contemporaries label, a new imprint of Criterion (its first releases come out next month).
Sakamoto was a singular musical force, from his early work with Japanese electronic pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra to his solo work and collaborative albums to his unforgettable work on film scores, from “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” to “The Last Emperor” to Brian De Palma’s “Snake Eyes.” (He also composed the score to “The Revenant” with Alva Noto and The National’s Bryce Dessner.) Sakamoto additionally worked on multiple television shows and video games.
- 9/25/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Neo Sora’s concert documentary “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus,” a standout at the Venice Film Festival, has sold for theatrical distribution in North America to Janus Films ahead of its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival.
The theatrical release will be followed by a Blu-ray Disc release on the “Janus Contemporaries” label.
This is the latest deal inked by London and Paris-based production, finance and sales outfit Film Constellation, following a slew of sales to Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Midas Filmes), Germany and Austria (Rapid Eye), Scandinavia (NjutaFilms), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), South Korea (Media Castle), China (Jl Vision Films), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (Cai Chang) and Singapore (Anticipate Pictures). Bitters End will release the film in Japan in 2024.
On March 28, 2023, legendary composer Sakamoto Ryuichi died after his struggle against cancer. In the years leading up to his death, Sakamoto could no longer perform live. Single concerts,...
The theatrical release will be followed by a Blu-ray Disc release on the “Janus Contemporaries” label.
This is the latest deal inked by London and Paris-based production, finance and sales outfit Film Constellation, following a slew of sales to Spain (Filmin), Portugal (Midas Filmes), Germany and Austria (Rapid Eye), Scandinavia (NjutaFilms), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), South Korea (Media Castle), China (Jl Vision Films), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (Cai Chang) and Singapore (Anticipate Pictures). Bitters End will release the film in Japan in 2024.
On March 28, 2023, legendary composer Sakamoto Ryuichi died after his struggle against cancer. In the years leading up to his death, Sakamoto could no longer perform live. Single concerts,...
- 9/25/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The SXSW Sydney festival has set a 75-film screening schedule for its first edition. The selection skews heavily towards music, but is also distinctly international.
Headline titles include re-edited Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense,” “Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles,” an exploration of iconic Australian musical act The Wiggles; drill rap documentary “Onefour: Against All Odds,” directed by Gabriel Gasparinatos; and the widely-acclaimed “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” directed by Neo Sora.
“The first ever SXSW Sydney Screen Festival aims to platform the most exciting new voices, new forms and new ways of creating on screen. We hope to inspire our audiences and industry, by unwrapping the future of screen innovation as it emerges,” said Ghita Loebenstein, the festival’s head of screen. “Like our Austin counterparts, our festival presents global programming from leading creators, and our unique offer is this distinctive Asia Pacific lens. We also thematically lean...
Headline titles include re-edited Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense,” “Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles,” an exploration of iconic Australian musical act The Wiggles; drill rap documentary “Onefour: Against All Odds,” directed by Gabriel Gasparinatos; and the widely-acclaimed “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” directed by Neo Sora.
“The first ever SXSW Sydney Screen Festival aims to platform the most exciting new voices, new forms and new ways of creating on screen. We hope to inspire our audiences and industry, by unwrapping the future of screen innovation as it emerges,” said Ghita Loebenstein, the festival’s head of screen. “Like our Austin counterparts, our festival presents global programming from leading creators, and our unique offer is this distinctive Asia Pacific lens. We also thematically lean...
- 9/21/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
To capture the breadth and depth of the musical career of Japanese composer and recording artist Ryuichi Sakamoto seems impossible, but somehow “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” almost accomplishes this herculean challenge. A document of Sakamoto’s final performance before his death from cancer last March, the film provides no commentary or context for the enormity of his body of work, yet somehow encompasses it all as he performs a curated set list in a Japanese recording studio for an audience of one — himself. Far more than a showcase of his talent and productivity, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” lets Sakamoto deliver an elegy, and in the process, an autobiography of his creative journey, as captured through the precision and poetry of director Neo Sora’s camera.
Working from a set list personally selected by Sakamoto from his discography, Sora — Sakamoto’s son — recorded his subject’s performances over the span of a week,...
Working from a set list personally selected by Sakamoto from his discography, Sora — Sakamoto’s son — recorded his subject’s performances over the span of a week,...
- 9/7/2023
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
The concert film, directed by Neo Sora, premiered at Venice Film Festival on September 4.
Film Constellation has closed key distribution deals for Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus, which captures the final performance of the late Japanese composer and received its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday (September 4).
The London and Paris-based firm has sold the feature to Spain (Filmin), Germany and Austria (Rapid Eye), Scandinavia (NjutaFilms), South Korea (Media Castle), China (Jl Vision Films), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (Cai Chang) and Singapore (Anticipate Pictures). Bitters End will handle the release of the film in Japan in...
Film Constellation has closed key distribution deals for Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus, which captures the final performance of the late Japanese composer and received its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday (September 4).
The London and Paris-based firm has sold the feature to Spain (Filmin), Germany and Austria (Rapid Eye), Scandinavia (NjutaFilms), South Korea (Media Castle), China (Jl Vision Films), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (Cai Chang) and Singapore (Anticipate Pictures). Bitters End will handle the release of the film in Japan in...
- 9/6/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Comandante.Beyond the Venice Film Festival's habitual paucity of female filmmakers, the most striking aspect of this year’s lineup was its astounding number of biopics. Granted, the genre has always been a staple of the fest, which under artistic director Alberto Barbera has effectively metastasized into a launchpad for Hollywood’s awards race. But the inclusion of so many in its eightieth edition was nonetheless remarkable. The official competition alone was home to six—among them big studio projects like Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, Michael Mann’s Ferrari—to say nothing of all those slotted in the parallel sidebars, from Quentin Dupieux’s fittingly surrealist Daaaaaali! to Neo Sora’s Ryuichi Sakamoto—Opus. Beyond the industry’s flirtations with the genre for its bona fide commercial potential, what accounts for our ongoing fascination with biopics is perhaps their promises of identification and revelation: in charting the lives of extraordinary figures,...
- 9/5/2023
- MUBI
The profound existential context of “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” lays waste to the usual questions regarding concert documentaries, such as whether there is or is not a visual language to match the music. While there are moments in which one could close their eyes to concentrate on Sakamato’s otherworldly piano stylings and not miss much, there are glimpses of what it has all meant to the maestro that redeem a generally uneven split between sound and vision. Indeed, there are parallels to be made here with David Bowie’s music video for “Lazarus,” due to the mortal shiver of seeing a formidable musician playing himself off into the afterlife.
Sakamoto died aged 71 in March 2023 of a cancer that made touring and performing impossible during his final years. “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda” premiered at Venice Film Festival in 2017, shedding light on the musician’s process and values at a time when he...
Sakamoto died aged 71 in March 2023 of a cancer that made touring and performing impossible during his final years. “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda” premiered at Venice Film Festival in 2017, shedding light on the musician’s process and values at a time when he...
- 9/5/2023
- by Sophie Monks Kaufman
- Indiewire
Late Oscar-winning Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto was celebrated at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday with the Out Of Competition premiere of concert film Opus.
The moving black-and-white work captures Sakamoto delivering his final performance in the months leading up to his death in March after a seven-year battle with cancer.
Alone with his piano on stage, he performs twenty of his compositions, spanning the music of his pop-star Yellow Magic Orchestra period to his first film score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence; his Oscar-winning music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and his final album, 12.
Sakamoto’s filmmaker and artist son Neo Sora, who directed the film, was in Venice to present the work.
“I think he would have really loved that the film plays in Venice. He came to Venice six years ago with for Coda (Ryuichi Sakamoto Coda) so it would have been a full circle for him as well,...
The moving black-and-white work captures Sakamoto delivering his final performance in the months leading up to his death in March after a seven-year battle with cancer.
Alone with his piano on stage, he performs twenty of his compositions, spanning the music of his pop-star Yellow Magic Orchestra period to his first film score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence; his Oscar-winning music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and his final album, 12.
Sakamoto’s filmmaker and artist son Neo Sora, who directed the film, was in Venice to present the work.
“I think he would have really loved that the film plays in Venice. He came to Venice six years ago with for Coda (Ryuichi Sakamoto Coda) so it would have been a full circle for him as well,...
- 9/5/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar-winning Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s final performance is captured in posthumous documentary “Opus,” directed by his son Neo Sora.
Sakamoto, who was behind the scores of films like “The Last Emperor” and “The Revenant,” died in March at age 71 after a years-long battle with cancer. His last piano performance was staged for “Opus,” which is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
In the concert film, Sakamoto performs 20 compositions; the teaser trailer shows Sakamoto playing the score of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Sheltering Sky.”
Sakamoto issued a statement about “Opus” prior to his passing, saying that the film was “conceived as a way to record my performances — while I was still able to perform — in a way that is worth preserving for the future.”
“Opus” is filmed at the Nhk Broadcast Center’s 509 Studio, which Sakamoto said had the “finest acoustics in Japan.” Cinematographer Bill Kirstein shot the film using three 4K cameras,...
Sakamoto, who was behind the scores of films like “The Last Emperor” and “The Revenant,” died in March at age 71 after a years-long battle with cancer. His last piano performance was staged for “Opus,” which is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
In the concert film, Sakamoto performs 20 compositions; the teaser trailer shows Sakamoto playing the score of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Sheltering Sky.”
Sakamoto issued a statement about “Opus” prior to his passing, saying that the film was “conceived as a way to record my performances — while I was still able to perform — in a way that is worth preserving for the future.”
“Opus” is filmed at the Nhk Broadcast Center’s 509 Studio, which Sakamoto said had the “finest acoustics in Japan.” Cinematographer Bill Kirstein shot the film using three 4K cameras,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s final performance before passing in late March was captured for a concert film titled Opus, set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5th.
Recorded without an audience in December 2022, the film solely features the late Japanese composer and electronic music pioneer on his piano as he plays 20 handpicked pieces spanning his entire career, from his initial success as co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra to his film scores for The Last Emperor to his final album, 12. Sakamoto performs several works as solo piano performances for the first time, including The Wuthering Heights, Ichimei — Small Happiness, and a new arrangement of the 1978 Yellow Magic Orchestra track “Tong Poo.”
Watch a teaser from the film of Sakamoto performing a selection from his music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1990 romantic drama The Sheltering Sky over at Deadline.
In a posthumous statement about the concert film, Sakamoto said, “The...
Recorded without an audience in December 2022, the film solely features the late Japanese composer and electronic music pioneer on his piano as he plays 20 handpicked pieces spanning his entire career, from his initial success as co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra to his film scores for The Last Emperor to his final album, 12. Sakamoto performs several works as solo piano performances for the first time, including The Wuthering Heights, Ichimei — Small Happiness, and a new arrangement of the 1978 Yellow Magic Orchestra track “Tong Poo.”
Watch a teaser from the film of Sakamoto performing a selection from his music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1990 romantic drama The Sheltering Sky over at Deadline.
In a posthumous statement about the concert film, Sakamoto said, “The...
- 8/28/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Ryuichi Sakamoto’s final performance before passing in late March was captured for a concert film titled Opus, set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 5th.
Recorded without an audience in December 2022, the film solely features the late Japanese composer and electronic music pioneer on his piano as he plays 20 handpicked pieces spanning his entire career, from his initial success as co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra to his film scores for The Last Emperor to his final album, 12. Sakamoto performs several works as solo piano performances for the first time, including The Wuthering Heights, Ichimei — Small Happiness, and a new arrangement of the 1978 Yellow Magic Orchestra track “Tong Poo.”
Watch a teaser from the film of Sakamoto performing a selection from his music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1990 romantic drama The Sheltering Sky over at Deadline.
In a posthumous statement about the concert film, Sakamoto said, “The...
Recorded without an audience in December 2022, the film solely features the late Japanese composer and electronic music pioneer on his piano as he plays 20 handpicked pieces spanning his entire career, from his initial success as co-founder of Yellow Magic Orchestra to his film scores for The Last Emperor to his final album, 12. Sakamoto performs several works as solo piano performances for the first time, including The Wuthering Heights, Ichimei — Small Happiness, and a new arrangement of the 1978 Yellow Magic Orchestra track “Tong Poo.”
Watch a teaser from the film of Sakamoto performing a selection from his music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1990 romantic drama The Sheltering Sky over at Deadline.
In a posthumous statement about the concert film, Sakamoto said, “The...
- 8/28/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
New York Film Festival will serve as the world premiere of Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie’s genre-defying series “The Curse,” led by Emma Stone; and Garth Davis’s science-fiction drama “Foe,” starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal.
They will screen as part of Spotlight, which Film at Lincoln Center describes as a selection of “significant and surprising films, one-of-a-kind presentations including adventurous portraits of creative minds, one-night only events with live musical accompaniment, bold short films by acclaimed directors, and probing documentaries.”
As previously announced, Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” will hold its North American premiere on Oct. 2 as the Spotlight Gala screening. Additional highlights in Spotlight are Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron”; a late-night showing of Harmony Korine’s “Aggro DR1FT”; Richard Linklater’s existential comedy “Hit Man,” starring and co-written by Glen Powell; Sean Price Williams’s feature debut “The Sweet East”; and Trân Anh Hùng...
They will screen as part of Spotlight, which Film at Lincoln Center describes as a selection of “significant and surprising films, one-of-a-kind presentations including adventurous portraits of creative minds, one-night only events with live musical accompaniment, bold short films by acclaimed directors, and probing documentaries.”
As previously announced, Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” will hold its North American premiere on Oct. 2 as the Spotlight Gala screening. Additional highlights in Spotlight are Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron”; a late-night showing of Harmony Korine’s “Aggro DR1FT”; Richard Linklater’s existential comedy “Hit Man,” starring and co-written by Glen Powell; Sean Price Williams’s feature debut “The Sweet East”; and Trân Anh Hùng...
- 8/17/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
This concert film chronicles the final performance of the Oscar-winning Japanese composer of ‘The Last Emperor’ and ‘Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence’.
London and Paris-based outfit Film Constellation has boarded world sales on Neo Sora’s Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus, ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The concert film chronicles the final performance of Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning Japanese composer of The Last Emperor and Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, who died on March 28 aged 71. It will premiere out of competition at Venice on September 5. A first-look image from the film can be seen above.
Featuring just Sakamoto and his piano,...
London and Paris-based outfit Film Constellation has boarded world sales on Neo Sora’s Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus, ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The concert film chronicles the final performance of Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning Japanese composer of The Last Emperor and Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, who died on March 28 aged 71. It will premiere out of competition at Venice on September 5. A first-look image from the film can be seen above.
Featuring just Sakamoto and his piano,...
- 8/17/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
La BêteCOMPETITIONComandante (Edoardo De Angelis)The Promised Land (Nikolaj Arcel)Dogman (Luc Besson) La Bête (Bertrand Bonello) Hors-Saison (Stéphane Brizé) Enea (Pietro Castellitto) Maestro (Bradley Cooper)Priscilla (Sofia Coppola)Finalmente L’Alba (Saverio Costanzo)Lubo (Giorgio Diritti) Origin (Ava DuVernay) The Killer (David Fincher)Memory (Michel Franco)Io capitano (Matteo Garrone)Evil Does Not Exist (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)The Green Border (Agnieszka Holland)The Theory of Everything (Timm Kröger)Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos)El conde (Pablo Larrain)Ferrari (Michael Mann)Adagio (Stefano Sollima)Woman OfHolly (Fien Troch)Out Of COMPETITIONFictionSociety of the Snow (J.A. Bayona)Coup de Chance (Woody Allen)The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Wes Anderson)The Penitent (Luca Barbareschi)L’Ordine Del Tempo (Liliana Cavani)Vivants (Alix Delaporte)Welcome to Paradise (Leonardo di Constanzo)Daaaaaali! (Quentin Dupieux)The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (William Friedkin)Making of (Cedric Kahn)Aggro Dr1ft (Harmony Korine)Hitman (Richard Linklater)The Palace (Roman Polanski...
- 7/29/2023
- MUBI
Two movies whose directors are likely to draw protests, Woody Allen’s French-language “Coup de Chance” and Roman Polanski’s “The Palace,” will make their world premieres at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival, Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera and La Biennale di Venezia president Roberto Cicutto announced at a Tuesday morning press conference.
Both films will screen out of competition, though they’ll likely draw an inordinate amount of attention at a festival that has assembled a robust lineup of major filmmakers even as it struggles with the effects of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
Films booked for the Venice main competition include Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro”; Yorgos Lanthimos’ sci-fi drama “Poor Things”; Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla Presley film “Priscilla”; Michael Mann’s auto-racing film “Ferrari”; Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Niecy Nash-Betts and Vera Farmiga; and David Fincher’s “The Killer,” with Michael Fassbender.
Both films will screen out of competition, though they’ll likely draw an inordinate amount of attention at a festival that has assembled a robust lineup of major filmmakers even as it struggles with the effects of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
Films booked for the Venice main competition include Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro”; Yorgos Lanthimos’ sci-fi drama “Poor Things”; Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla Presley film “Priscilla”; Michael Mann’s auto-racing film “Ferrari”; Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Niecy Nash-Betts and Vera Farmiga; and David Fincher’s “The Killer,” with Michael Fassbender.
- 7/25/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
On the heels of yesterday’s TIFF announcement, the first major fall festival of the season––Venice International Film Festival––is unveiling its lineup. Taking place August 30-September 9, the competition jury this year is chaired by Damien Chazelle.
Highlights include new films from David Fincher, Michael Mann, Wes Anderson, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Sofia Coppola, Bradley Cooper, Bertrand Bonello, Frederick Wiseman, Roman Polanski, William Friedkin, Ava DuVernay, Harmony Korine, Richard Linklater, Woody Allen, and more.
Competition
Adagio; dir. Stefano Sollima
The Beast; dir. Bertrand Bonello
Io Capitano; dir. Matteo Garrone
Comandante; dir. Edoardo de Angelis
El Conde; dir. Pablo Larraín
Die Theorie von Allem; dir. Timm Kröger
Dogman; dir. Luc Besson
Enea; dir. Pietro Castellitto
Evil Does Not Exist; dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Ferrari; dir. Michael Mann
Finalmente L’Alba; dir. Saverio Costanzo
Green Border; dir. Agnieszka Holland
Holly; dir. Fien Troch
Hors-Saison; dir. Stéphane Brizé
The Killer; dir. David Fincher
Lubo; dir. Giorgio Diritti
The Promised Land; dir.
Highlights include new films from David Fincher, Michael Mann, Wes Anderson, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Sofia Coppola, Bradley Cooper, Bertrand Bonello, Frederick Wiseman, Roman Polanski, William Friedkin, Ava DuVernay, Harmony Korine, Richard Linklater, Woody Allen, and more.
Competition
Adagio; dir. Stefano Sollima
The Beast; dir. Bertrand Bonello
Io Capitano; dir. Matteo Garrone
Comandante; dir. Edoardo de Angelis
El Conde; dir. Pablo Larraín
Die Theorie von Allem; dir. Timm Kröger
Dogman; dir. Luc Besson
Enea; dir. Pietro Castellitto
Evil Does Not Exist; dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Ferrari; dir. Michael Mann
Finalmente L’Alba; dir. Saverio Costanzo
Green Border; dir. Agnieszka Holland
Holly; dir. Fien Troch
Hors-Saison; dir. Stéphane Brizé
The Killer; dir. David Fincher
Lubo; dir. Giorgio Diritti
The Promised Land; dir.
- 7/25/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Includes films from David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Venice Film Festival announced the programme for its 80th edition, including a 23-strong Competition with new films from David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Scroll down for full line-up
The selection was announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera. The SAG-AFTRA strike in the US has had a “quite modest” impact on the selection according to Barbera, who was forced to pull Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers as the opening film over the weekend due to the strike.
Venice Film Festival announced the programme for its 80th edition, including a 23-strong Competition with new films from David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Scroll down for full line-up
The selection was announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera. The SAG-AFTRA strike in the US has had a “quite modest” impact on the selection according to Barbera, who was forced to pull Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers as the opening film over the weekend due to the strike.
- 7/25/2023
- by Ben Dalton¬Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
This year’s selection will be announced at 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by Roberto Cicutto and Alberto Barbera.
The line-up for the 80th Venice International Film Festival (August 30-September 9) will be revealed this morning at 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera
The press conference will be live-streamed below, and this page will be updated with the films as they are announced.
Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers was originally set to open the festival but was pulled by MGM amid the actors’ strike. It was replaced by Edoardo De Angelis’ Comandante.
The closing film...
The line-up for the 80th Venice International Film Festival (August 30-September 9) will be revealed this morning at 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera
The press conference will be live-streamed below, and this page will be updated with the films as they are announced.
Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers was originally set to open the festival but was pulled by MGM amid the actors’ strike. It was replaced by Edoardo De Angelis’ Comandante.
The closing film...
- 7/25/2023
- by Ben Dalton¬Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
The Venice Gap-Financing Market (September 1-3), part of the Venice Production Bridge, will present 34 fiction and documentary projects.
The Venice Gap-Financing Market (September 1-3), part of the Venice Production Bridge, will present 34 fiction and documentary projects at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (August 30-Septmber 9), including a new project from Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir, All Before You.
All Before You offers a retelling of the 1963 farner-led revolt against British colonial rule in Palestine. Jacir’s previous director credits include The Oblivion Theory, which won the top prize at the Berlinale co-production market in 2021, Salt Of This Sea, Wajib and When I Saw You,...
The Venice Gap-Financing Market (September 1-3), part of the Venice Production Bridge, will present 34 fiction and documentary projects at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (August 30-Septmber 9), including a new project from Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir, All Before You.
All Before You offers a retelling of the 1963 farner-led revolt against British colonial rule in Palestine. Jacir’s previous director credits include The Oblivion Theory, which won the top prize at the Berlinale co-production market in 2021, Salt Of This Sea, Wajib and When I Saw You,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The 10th edition of the Venice Gap-Financing Market, organized as part of the Venice Film Festival’s industry program Venice Production Bridge, has selected 62 projects in the final stages of development and funding.
Filmmakers taking projects to Venice include Jim Sheridan, an Oscar nominee with “In America,” “In the Name of the Father” and “My Left Foot”; Annemarie Jacir, whose credits include Cannes’ “Salt of This Sea,” Berlin’s “When I Saw You” and Locarno’s “Wajib”; Aisling Walsh, who directed “Maudie” with Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, and “Elizabeth Is Missing” with Glenda Jackson; and Kim Mordaunt, who won best debut at Berlin with “The Rocket.”
Also selected are Roberto Minervini, who directed Cannes’ “The Other Side” and Venice’s “What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?”; Laurynas Bareisa, who won the Venice Horizons Award for “Pilgrims”; Måns Månsson, who was in Berlin competition with “The Real Estate”; György Pálfi,...
Filmmakers taking projects to Venice include Jim Sheridan, an Oscar nominee with “In America,” “In the Name of the Father” and “My Left Foot”; Annemarie Jacir, whose credits include Cannes’ “Salt of This Sea,” Berlin’s “When I Saw You” and Locarno’s “Wajib”; Aisling Walsh, who directed “Maudie” with Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, and “Elizabeth Is Missing” with Glenda Jackson; and Kim Mordaunt, who won best debut at Berlin with “The Rocket.”
Also selected are Roberto Minervini, who directed Cannes’ “The Other Side” and Venice’s “What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?”; Laurynas Bareisa, who won the Venice Horizons Award for “Pilgrims”; Måns Månsson, who was in Berlin competition with “The Real Estate”; György Pálfi,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
New Feature projects by Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir, Ireland’s Aisling Walsh and Jim Sheridan as well as Romanian filmmaker Anca Damian have been selected for the upcoming edition of the Venice Gap-Financing Market.
The 10th edition of the co-financing meeting will run from Sept. 1 to 3 as part as of the Venice Production Bridge, which is the industry component of the Venice Film Festival (Aug 30 to Sept. 9)
The market will present 62 projects in the final stages of development and funding, selected from 280 submissions.
The selection spans 34 feature-length fiction Film and documentary projects, 14 Immersive projects, 11 Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality projects and three Biennale College Cinema projects.
To be eligible for inclusion, the fiction films must have at least 70% of funding in place and be looking for minority partners only.
Full List of Feature Film Projects:
After The Evil (doc) by Tamara Erde, Gloria Films Production All Before You (fiction), by Annemarie Jacir,...
The 10th edition of the co-financing meeting will run from Sept. 1 to 3 as part as of the Venice Production Bridge, which is the industry component of the Venice Film Festival (Aug 30 to Sept. 9)
The market will present 62 projects in the final stages of development and funding, selected from 280 submissions.
The selection spans 34 feature-length fiction Film and documentary projects, 14 Immersive projects, 11 Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality projects and three Biennale College Cinema projects.
To be eligible for inclusion, the fiction films must have at least 70% of funding in place and be looking for minority partners only.
Full List of Feature Film Projects:
After The Evil (doc) by Tamara Erde, Gloria Films Production All Before You (fiction), by Annemarie Jacir,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Drift director Anthony Chen is gearing up to direct his first US-set project, Heartbeat: A New York Story, about the rarely-told experiences of the Asian gay community during the AIDS epidemic in 1980s New York.
The English-language feature is based on a short story Tea For Two, by acclaimed Taiwanese writer Pai Hsien-yung, and is described as “an emotional and affecting story of self-discovery, grief and hope through the eyes of a Taiwanese gay man.” Singaporean playwright Joel Tan has adapted the short story for the screen.
Singapore-born Chen recently made his English-language debut on Drift, produced by Emilie Georges, Peter Spears and Naima Abed, which filmed in Greece and the UK and received its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival. Heartbeat: A New York Story, which he hopes to start shooting next year, will be his first project filmed in the U.S.
Chen’s Giraffe Pictures will...
The English-language feature is based on a short story Tea For Two, by acclaimed Taiwanese writer Pai Hsien-yung, and is described as “an emotional and affecting story of self-discovery, grief and hope through the eyes of a Taiwanese gay man.” Singaporean playwright Joel Tan has adapted the short story for the screen.
Singapore-born Chen recently made his English-language debut on Drift, produced by Emilie Georges, Peter Spears and Naima Abed, which filmed in Greece and the UK and received its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival. Heartbeat: A New York Story, which he hopes to start shooting next year, will be his first project filmed in the U.S.
Chen’s Giraffe Pictures will...
- 3/12/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Nao Yoshigai’s nature-focused documentary isn’t so much a warning as to the dangers of climate change, but more an ode to a simpler life surrounded by nature in one of Japan’s more remote parts, notably the coastal town of Shari on the Shiretoko Peninsula in north east Hokkaido.
Shari is screening at Black Movie
Surrounded by lush white snow, Yoshigai narrates over shots of the stunning setting, in between interviews with locals as they go about their day-to-day lives. This includes a baker, fisherman, antiques collector and schoolchildren during a sumo wrestling class. Gradually, the town is visited by a strange being known simply as ‘Red Thing’, played by Yoshigai herself, whose playful, childlike nature enchants and scares the townsfolk.
The focus of the documentary has three key themes. Firstly, many of the inhabitants were not born in Shari, but settled there, enchanted by the natural beauty of the place.
Shari is screening at Black Movie
Surrounded by lush white snow, Yoshigai narrates over shots of the stunning setting, in between interviews with locals as they go about their day-to-day lives. This includes a baker, fisherman, antiques collector and schoolchildren during a sumo wrestling class. Gradually, the town is visited by a strange being known simply as ‘Red Thing’, played by Yoshigai herself, whose playful, childlike nature enchants and scares the townsfolk.
The focus of the documentary has three key themes. Firstly, many of the inhabitants were not born in Shari, but settled there, enchanted by the natural beauty of the place.
- 1/23/2023
- by Andrew Thayne
- AsianMoviePulse
The Sundance Institute announced a new annual scholarship and fellowship program for Asian American filmmakers, in partnership with the Asian American Foundation (Taaf).
Officially titled “Sundance Institute | The Asian American Foundation Fellowship and Collab Scholarship,” the program provides Asian American and Pacific Islander (Aapi) artists with “creative and tactical support to develop their skills and grow professionally” and improve Aapi representation in film and TV.
The new fellowship will annually promote emerging artists in both fiction and nonfiction storytelling with funding provided by Panda Express and the MacArthur Foundation. The Fellowship and Scholarship are made possible by support from Taaf, through a 400,000 grant provided by its Aapi Giving Challenge partner Panda Express, with MacArthur contributing 140,000.
The fellowship will offer six Aapi artists a year-round learning experience to advance their professional development in the arts. Through the fellowship, each artist will receive a 20,000 unrestricted grant to support their individual projects, as...
Officially titled “Sundance Institute | The Asian American Foundation Fellowship and Collab Scholarship,” the program provides Asian American and Pacific Islander (Aapi) artists with “creative and tactical support to develop their skills and grow professionally” and improve Aapi representation in film and TV.
The new fellowship will annually promote emerging artists in both fiction and nonfiction storytelling with funding provided by Panda Express and the MacArthur Foundation. The Fellowship and Scholarship are made possible by support from Taaf, through a 400,000 grant provided by its Aapi Giving Challenge partner Panda Express, with MacArthur contributing 140,000.
The fellowship will offer six Aapi artists a year-round learning experience to advance their professional development in the arts. Through the fellowship, each artist will receive a 20,000 unrestricted grant to support their individual projects, as...
- 8/3/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Sundance Institute and The Asian American Foundation (Taaf) are partnering to launch the Sundance Institute/Asian American Foundation Fellowship and Collab Scholarship in support of rising Aapi filmmakers. The program is geared towards increasing Aapi representation in film and TV by investing in talent and spotlighting their stories.
Six participants will be chosen for the programs each year. On the fellowship side, artists will receive a 20,000 unrestricted grant in support of their individual projects and year-round educational opportunities. Scholarship recipients will participate in live online classes of their choosing, gain access to Sundance master classes online, attend exclusive networking events and receive project guidance from the Sundance Collab Advisors.
The first cohort of fellows includes Vera Brunner-Sung (“Bitterroot”), Desdemona Chiang (“Made in USA”), Shayok Misha Chowdhury (“Rheology”), Tadashi Nakamura (“Third Act”), Neo Sora (“Earthquake”) and Sean Wang (“Dìdi (弟弟)”).
The scholarship recipients are Georgia Fu (“Approximate Joy”), Leomax (Ziyuan...
Six participants will be chosen for the programs each year. On the fellowship side, artists will receive a 20,000 unrestricted grant in support of their individual projects and year-round educational opportunities. Scholarship recipients will participate in live online classes of their choosing, gain access to Sundance master classes online, attend exclusive networking events and receive project guidance from the Sundance Collab Advisors.
The first cohort of fellows includes Vera Brunner-Sung (“Bitterroot”), Desdemona Chiang (“Made in USA”), Shayok Misha Chowdhury (“Rheology”), Tadashi Nakamura (“Third Act”), Neo Sora (“Earthquake”) and Sean Wang (“Dìdi (弟弟)”).
The scholarship recipients are Georgia Fu (“Approximate Joy”), Leomax (Ziyuan...
- 8/3/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
In preparation for a summer return to in-person artist development labs, the Sundance Institute today named those selected as fellows for its 2022 Directors, Screenwriters and Native Labs.
Creatives developing original work for the screen as part of the Native Lab include Justin Ducharme (Positions), Taietsarón:sere ‘Tai’ Leclaire (How to Deal with Systemic Racism in the Afterlife), Daniel Pewewardy (Residential), Tiare Ribeaux (Huaka’i) and Tim Worrall (Ka Whawhai Tonu – Struggle Without End).
Those participating in the Directors Lab and/or the Screenwriters Lab include Dina Amer (Cain and Abel), Zandashé Brown (The Matriarch), Caledonia Curry and Meagan Brothers (Sibylant Sisters), Hasan Hadi (The President’s Cake), Michael León and Ashley Alvafez (Crabs in a Barrel), Eliza McNitt (Black Hole), Olive Nwosu (Lady), Neo Sora (Earthquake) and Yuan Yang (Late Spring).
The Native Lab began online from May 2-6 and continues in person from May 9-14, in Santa Fe, Nm, for...
Creatives developing original work for the screen as part of the Native Lab include Justin Ducharme (Positions), Taietsarón:sere ‘Tai’ Leclaire (How to Deal with Systemic Racism in the Afterlife), Daniel Pewewardy (Residential), Tiare Ribeaux (Huaka’i) and Tim Worrall (Ka Whawhai Tonu – Struggle Without End).
Those participating in the Directors Lab and/or the Screenwriters Lab include Dina Amer (Cain and Abel), Zandashé Brown (The Matriarch), Caledonia Curry and Meagan Brothers (Sibylant Sisters), Hasan Hadi (The President’s Cake), Michael León and Ashley Alvafez (Crabs in a Barrel), Eliza McNitt (Black Hole), Olive Nwosu (Lady), Neo Sora (Earthquake) and Yuan Yang (Late Spring).
The Native Lab began online from May 2-6 and continues in person from May 9-14, in Santa Fe, Nm, for...
- 5/9/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Languages spoken by the indigenous people get extinguished through the dominance of the official onesm either by the deliberate neglect of official governments, or through planned actions, bans and direct oppression, but also very often through migration. When languages start disappearing, traditions and customs follow to slowly fade away. This is a story as global as any other that stands witness to the identity-robbing process of assimilation, painfully universal.
Ainu Neno An Ainu is screening at Nippon Connection
Ainu culture was endangered long time ago through the decision of the Japanese Meiji era Government (1868-1912) to develop Hokkaido, which is when the Ainu land was confiscated and their language banned. This is just one of many details learned through a voice-over by a college student Maya, a native Ainu who grew up in the village of Nibutani in the Hokkaido prefecture. Almost as if thinking aloud, the girl accompanies the...
Ainu Neno An Ainu is screening at Nippon Connection
Ainu culture was endangered long time ago through the decision of the Japanese Meiji era Government (1868-1912) to develop Hokkaido, which is when the Ainu land was confiscated and their language banned. This is just one of many details learned through a voice-over by a college student Maya, a native Ainu who grew up in the village of Nibutani in the Hokkaido prefecture. Almost as if thinking aloud, the girl accompanies the...
- 6/3/2021
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
There is something rather understated about Neo Sora’s “The Chicken.” Although syringed with plenty of underlying meaning and enigmatic moments of pondering, there is a relative tranquillity throughout its thirteen-minute runtime which colours the short with a palpable lightness. Based on Naoya Shiga’s short story “An Afternoon on November 3rd”, one of 2020’s film festival favourites is undeniably an engrossing watch.
The Chicken is screening at Japan Society
The film revolves around Hiro (Junshin Soga), a young Japanese immigrant who now resides in New York but dreams of owning a farm in Siberia, living off his own produce and teaching his children the value of life in a grassroots environment. He feels out of place in modern America, with the weather “too hot,” the rent seemingly only ever increasing, and gentrification rife within all corners of the country. Yet, in line with his wife (Sandra Maren Schneider), a...
The Chicken is screening at Japan Society
The film revolves around Hiro (Junshin Soga), a young Japanese immigrant who now resides in New York but dreams of owning a farm in Siberia, living off his own produce and teaching his children the value of life in a grassroots environment. He feels out of place in modern America, with the weather “too hot,” the rent seemingly only ever increasing, and gentrification rife within all corners of the country. Yet, in line with his wife (Sandra Maren Schneider), a...
- 2/7/2021
- by Nathan Sartain
- AsianMoviePulse
Locarno Film Festival’s decision this year to pull its traditional completed feature film sections — with its top Golden Leopard prizes — has thrust into the limelight its short film lineup, Pardi di Domani (Leopards of Tomorrow). This year’s contest certainly lives up to its name — with many filmmakers already delivering titles that feel like short feature films.
“Several themes stand out, such as issues of family ties, friendships, while some films underpin more political and topical issues,” says Charlotte Corchète, head of the selection committee.
Selected from the 43-title lineup, here are some of the films worth catching.
“Black Hole”
The most buzzed of Swiss shorts, capturing Vincent and his teen friends during a long summer in his home Swiss valley, skateboarding, lazing by the lake, driving around in Vitara convertible or sharing a joint. For Vincent, however, this summer will be his last: He’ll soon leave to study abroad.
“Several themes stand out, such as issues of family ties, friendships, while some films underpin more political and topical issues,” says Charlotte Corchète, head of the selection committee.
Selected from the 43-title lineup, here are some of the films worth catching.
“Black Hole”
The most buzzed of Swiss shorts, capturing Vincent and his teen friends during a long summer in his home Swiss valley, skateboarding, lazing by the lake, driving around in Vitara convertible or sharing a joint. For Vincent, however, this summer will be his last: He’ll soon leave to study abroad.
- 8/10/2020
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
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