“Takano Tofu” claimed double honors on the closing night of the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy. It won the Golden Mulberry audience award and the MyMovies Purple Mulberry award.
Directed by Mihara Mitsuhiro, “Takano Tofu” is a melodrama about an elderly tofu-making craftsman, who is stuck in his ways but is also experimental and who is kindly, but whose stubbornness brings suffering on those around him. Udine’s Japan selector, Mark Schilling compared the work to that of master director Ozu Yasujiro.
The prizes were handed out in the early hours of Friday after a marathon day of celebratory activity that started with Chinese director Zhang Yimou on hand for a screening of his “Raise the Red Lantern,” continued with a generous-spirited masterclass and in the evening continued with the handover of Zhang’s lifetime achievement award. Two more films – Zhang’s “To Live” and the premiere of...
Directed by Mihara Mitsuhiro, “Takano Tofu” is a melodrama about an elderly tofu-making craftsman, who is stuck in his ways but is also experimental and who is kindly, but whose stubbornness brings suffering on those around him. Udine’s Japan selector, Mark Schilling compared the work to that of master director Ozu Yasujiro.
The prizes were handed out in the early hours of Friday after a marathon day of celebratory activity that started with Chinese director Zhang Yimou on hand for a screening of his “Raise the Red Lantern,” continued with a generous-spirited masterclass and in the evening continued with the handover of Zhang’s lifetime achievement award. Two more films – Zhang’s “To Live” and the premiere of...
- 5/3/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Skip City International D-Cinema Festival, in Saitama, on the outskirts of Tokyo, will hold its 2023 edition with both in-person and online components, long after Covid, which necessitated such hybrid formats, has retreated.
The festival, which sees itself as a gateway for emerging talent, and has operated since 2004, will hold its physical edition July 15-23 and its online from July 22- 26, organizers said on Wednesday.
This year, the festival will begin with the world premiere of “Confetti,” which was produced to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the festival as well as the 90th anniversary of its Kawaguchi City base.
The ten-title international competition includes: “Banu,” an Azerbaijani film depicting a woman fighting her socially powerful husband over custody of her son; “Eflatun,” a romantic story from Turkey involving a blind woman and a man whose hobby is photography; “ I Woke Up with a Dream,” the latest work from director Pablo Solarz; “Into the Ice,...
The festival, which sees itself as a gateway for emerging talent, and has operated since 2004, will hold its physical edition July 15-23 and its online from July 22- 26, organizers said on Wednesday.
This year, the festival will begin with the world premiere of “Confetti,” which was produced to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the festival as well as the 90th anniversary of its Kawaguchi City base.
The ten-title international competition includes: “Banu,” an Azerbaijani film depicting a woman fighting her socially powerful husband over custody of her son; “Eflatun,” a romantic story from Turkey involving a blind woman and a man whose hobby is photography; “ I Woke Up with a Dream,” the latest work from director Pablo Solarz; “Into the Ice,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Previous | Image 1 of 11 | NextAaron Kwok on the Apuc Red Carpet, March 14, 2023.
Chicago – Excitement was in the air in the first week of Season 16 for the Asian Pop Up Cinema (Apuc). It began on March 14th, 2023, with a Pre-Launch Special Event … an appearance from Hong Kong film and music superstar Aaron Kwok and the North American Premiere of his new film “Where the Wind Blows.” That was followed by the Opening weekend Japan Cinema Showcase, and an appearance by the actress Nahana for her new film “She is Me, I Am Her.”
Aaron Kwok is one of the best and brightest in Hong Kong, both as a pop singer and actor. He came in especially to represent “Where the Wind Blows” for the Asian Pop Up Cinema, to rock star acclaim at the AMC New City Cinema in Chicago. He received Apuc’s highest honor, the Award for Excellent Achievement in Film.
Chicago – Excitement was in the air in the first week of Season 16 for the Asian Pop Up Cinema (Apuc). It began on March 14th, 2023, with a Pre-Launch Special Event … an appearance from Hong Kong film and music superstar Aaron Kwok and the North American Premiere of his new film “Where the Wind Blows.” That was followed by the Opening weekend Japan Cinema Showcase, and an appearance by the actress Nahana for her new film “She is Me, I Am Her.”
Aaron Kwok is one of the best and brightest in Hong Kong, both as a pop singer and actor. He came in especially to represent “Where the Wind Blows” for the Asian Pop Up Cinema, to rock star acclaim at the AMC New City Cinema in Chicago. He received Apuc’s highest honor, the Award for Excellent Achievement in Film.
- 3/20/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – It’s Japan’s turn at the Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc), and the guest emcee is Mark Schilling, an American from Tokyo who in the 1980s began his journey as a world expert in Japanese cinema. For more info on this weekend, click Japan Cinema.
Born in Zanesville, Ohio, Mark Schilling arrived in Tokyo in 1975 and has lived there ever since (he relates the story in the Podtalk below). He has been reviewing Japanese films for The Japan Times since 1989 and has reported on the Japanese film industry from 1990 to the present, first for Screen International and currently for Variety. His articles on Japanese films and culture have appeared in a wide range of publications, including The Asian Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Interview, The Japan Quarterly, Kinema Junpo and the Japan editions of Newsweek, Time, Vogue and Premiere.
Schilling was the author or contributor to over 40 books, his...
Born in Zanesville, Ohio, Mark Schilling arrived in Tokyo in 1975 and has lived there ever since (he relates the story in the Podtalk below). He has been reviewing Japanese films for The Japan Times since 1989 and has reported on the Japanese film industry from 1990 to the present, first for Screen International and currently for Variety. His articles on Japanese films and culture have appeared in a wide range of publications, including The Asian Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Interview, The Japan Quarterly, Kinema Junpo and the Japan editions of Newsweek, Time, Vogue and Premiere.
Schilling was the author or contributor to over 40 books, his...
- 9/17/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Season 12 continues for the Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc) series of Chicago with a series of 11 films at the Lincoln Yards Drive-In from April 15th through May 2nd, 2021. For a complete schedule and ticketing information, click here.
The Opener at the Drive-In on Thursday, April 15th, is the U.S. Premiere of “One Second Champion” (Hong Kong), directed by Chiu Sin Hang. A loser single father learns that lesson the hard way when he becomes gifted with the power of seeing one second into the future. When his ability is exposed, a boxing buff persuades him to use his power in the ring. Can a second mean the difference between life and death?
April 15th, 2021: ’One Second Champion’ (Hong Kong) at Apuc Drive-In
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org
In addition to eight North American and 12 U.S. premieres, the festival is offering selected films from Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, China,...
The Opener at the Drive-In on Thursday, April 15th, is the U.S. Premiere of “One Second Champion” (Hong Kong), directed by Chiu Sin Hang. A loser single father learns that lesson the hard way when he becomes gifted with the power of seeing one second into the future. When his ability is exposed, a boxing buff persuades him to use his power in the ring. Can a second mean the difference between life and death?
April 15th, 2021: ’One Second Champion’ (Hong Kong) at Apuc Drive-In
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org
In addition to eight North American and 12 U.S. premieres, the festival is offering selected films from Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, China,...
- 4/15/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
In today’s Global Bulletin, “Love Island” comes to Czech Republic and Slovakia; Kan 11 plans an Israeli version of “The 1% Club”; Amazon Prime Video make India “Lol”; All3Media represents “Eating with your Enemy” on the global market; and Key Buyers Event: Digital teams with Wemw on a new co-pro initiative.
Format
ITV Studios’ super-format “Love Island” has continued its global roll-out with a new local version commissioned by TV Nova in Czech Republic and Markiza in Slovakia for the SVOD platform Voyo, marking the 21st local version of the program. The series will be produced by Paprika Studios at the ITV Studios hub on the Spanish Island of Gran Canaria, with season one scheduled for autumn of this year. Just this week, a Spanish version of “Love Island” premiered to an audience of 640,000 across several networks and platforms. Other upcoming versions include a new season about set sail in Netherlands on Rtl streaming platform Videoland,...
Format
ITV Studios’ super-format “Love Island” has continued its global roll-out with a new local version commissioned by TV Nova in Czech Republic and Markiza in Slovakia for the SVOD platform Voyo, marking the 21st local version of the program. The series will be produced by Paprika Studios at the ITV Studios hub on the Spanish Island of Gran Canaria, with season one scheduled for autumn of this year. Just this week, a Spanish version of “Love Island” premiered to an audience of 640,000 across several networks and platforms. Other upcoming versions include a new season about set sail in Netherlands on Rtl streaming platform Videoland,...
- 4/14/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago, Il – – In their longest run yet, Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Season 12 will screen more than 33 films and one of its most diverse lineups. The joint virtual and drive-in film festival opens March 15 and runs through May 1, 2021.
Presented in three parts, the festival will include its official selection at its new virtual cinema, powered by eventive for the USA (March 15-31), Academy Award contenders for Best International Feature Film (April 1-15) via its screening partner Smart Cinema USA; and one-night-only screenings at the Lincoln Yards Drive-In operated by the Davis Theater (April 15 – May 1).
In addition to 8 North American and 12 U.S. premieres, the festival will offer three Hidden Gem Encores and selected films from Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Mongolia. For the first time in Asian Pop-Up Cinema’s history, the lineup will also feature four co-productions directed by non-Asian filmmakers from France/China, France/Cambodia,...
Presented in three parts, the festival will include its official selection at its new virtual cinema, powered by eventive for the USA (March 15-31), Academy Award contenders for Best International Feature Film (April 1-15) via its screening partner Smart Cinema USA; and one-night-only screenings at the Lincoln Yards Drive-In operated by the Davis Theater (April 15 – May 1).
In addition to 8 North American and 12 U.S. premieres, the festival will offer three Hidden Gem Encores and selected films from Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Mongolia. For the first time in Asian Pop-Up Cinema’s history, the lineup will also feature four co-productions directed by non-Asian filmmakers from France/China, France/Cambodia,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
In today’s Global Bulletin, “The Terror” sets sail on BBC Two and iPlayer, “The Man Standing Next” tops South Korea’s Blue Dragon Awards, Banijay announces two European remakes of “Lego Masters,” Discovery Plus is now available on Samsung Smart TVs and Amazon Fire TV in the U.K. and Ireland, Tms announces “Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet” will release in several territories in April, and Mrs hires Nick Royak.
Acquisition
BBC Two and BBC iPlayer have acquired AMC Studios International’s horror anthology “The Terror” for linear and streaming in the U.K. The series is executive produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions and showrun by David Kajganich (“True Story”) and Soo Hugh (“The Whispers”).
Inspired by true events, “The Terror” is a fictionalized version of what happened to Captain Sir John Franklin’s lost Arctic expedition in which the Royal Navy ventured into uncharted waters braving sub-zero temperatures,...
Acquisition
BBC Two and BBC iPlayer have acquired AMC Studios International’s horror anthology “The Terror” for linear and streaming in the U.K. The series is executive produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions and showrun by David Kajganich (“True Story”) and Soo Hugh (“The Whispers”).
Inspired by true events, “The Terror” is a fictionalized version of what happened to Captain Sir John Franklin’s lost Arctic expedition in which the Royal Navy ventured into uncharted waters braving sub-zero temperatures,...
- 2/10/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
For the second week of September, we don’t have a ton of horror and sci-fi headed home on Blu-ray and DVD, but there are a few releases genre fans are definitely going to want to pick up. This Tuesday’s biggest release is the new Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection in 4K from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, which includes the uncut version of Psycho, and Psycho is also getting its own stand alone release for its 60th anniversary as well.
Arrow Video has put together a Limited Edition set for Graveyards of Honor which features both filmic versions, and both Saw and Candyman are getting a re-release too. Other titles arriving on September 8th include A Deadly Legend and Evil Boy.
The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection
Universally recognized as the Master of Suspense, the legendary Alfred Hitchcock directed some of cinema's most thrilling and unforgettable classics. The Alfred Hitchcock Classics...
Arrow Video has put together a Limited Edition set for Graveyards of Honor which features both filmic versions, and both Saw and Candyman are getting a re-release too. Other titles arriving on September 8th include A Deadly Legend and Evil Boy.
The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection
Universally recognized as the Master of Suspense, the legendary Alfred Hitchcock directed some of cinema's most thrilling and unforgettable classics. The Alfred Hitchcock Classics...
- 9/7/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Haruma Miura, a Japanese actor known for his roles in the “Attack on Titan” films and “Kimi ni Todoke,” has died, according to Kyodo News and other local reports. He was 30.
Kyodo News reported that the actor was found in his Tokyo home on Saturday and was later pronounced dead upon arriving at a hospital. Investigative sources and police believe that Miura died by suicide, although the cause of death has not been officially confirmed. According to media reports, Miura left a note, whose contents have not been divulged.
Miura’s management company Amuse Inc. said in a statement to Kyodo News that they are awaiting more details.
“To fans and people concerned, we apologize for the worry and the inconvenience caused, but as to details, we are still confirming and will inform you once again,” Amuse Inc. wrote.
At the time of his death, Miura was shooting the drama...
Kyodo News reported that the actor was found in his Tokyo home on Saturday and was later pronounced dead upon arriving at a hospital. Investigative sources and police believe that Miura died by suicide, although the cause of death has not been officially confirmed. According to media reports, Miura left a note, whose contents have not been divulged.
Miura’s management company Amuse Inc. said in a statement to Kyodo News that they are awaiting more details.
“To fans and people concerned, we apologize for the worry and the inconvenience caused, but as to details, we are still confirming and will inform you once again,” Amuse Inc. wrote.
At the time of his death, Miura was shooting the drama...
- 7/18/2020
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
As most industry folk are unable or unwilling to travel for the present, Variety asked its team of international correspondents to highlight a selection of key scripted shows from around the world. The picks — all set to drop this summer or fall — are designed to appeal to those of an adventurous disposition.
From the U.K. come three shows: a paranormal comedy-drama from Nick Frost and Simon Pegg; a comedy about “a bad person who’s a good mother” from Canadian-born Katherine Ryan; and a submarine-set murder mystery, written by BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Tom Edge.
Another series about a murder that took place on a submarine, this time based on a grisly real crime, looks at the investigation in Denmark into the
murder of journalist Kim Wall.
From France comes a playful show about a cross-dressing detective, set in Paris during the Jazz Age, from the producers of “Call My Agent!...
From the U.K. come three shows: a paranormal comedy-drama from Nick Frost and Simon Pegg; a comedy about “a bad person who’s a good mother” from Canadian-born Katherine Ryan; and a submarine-set murder mystery, written by BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Tom Edge.
Another series about a murder that took place on a submarine, this time based on a grisly real crime, looks at the investigation in Denmark into the
murder of journalist Kim Wall.
From France comes a playful show about a cross-dressing detective, set in Paris during the Jazz Age, from the producers of “Call My Agent!...
- 6/25/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – The Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc) of Chicago, and their international Selection Committee, has announced the winners of the Apuc “Funniest Stay-At-Home Short Film Competition. The competition took place over the last three months of the global quarantine, and attracted entries from the U.S. and the world.
The Top Five winners were Raymond Hui with 2020 A Year In Review, Saloni Nahar with Self Tapes, Michael Crowley with Family Social Distancing, Jennifer Zhang with Stay Inside Jennifer Zhang Song and Meiling Jin with Meiling-ual … the films are available to view below.
2020 A Year In Review By Filmmaker Raymond Hui
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org
The international Selection Committee included chair Patrick McDonald, Mark Schilling, Darcy Paquet, Shelly Kraicer, Aimeé Laberge, Cherrie Lau, Kathy Wu and Sophia Wong Boccio.
Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema – founded and curated by veteran film programmer Sophia Wong Boccio – is dedicated to highlighting films in different Asian...
The Top Five winners were Raymond Hui with 2020 A Year In Review, Saloni Nahar with Self Tapes, Michael Crowley with Family Social Distancing, Jennifer Zhang with Stay Inside Jennifer Zhang Song and Meiling Jin with Meiling-ual … the films are available to view below.
2020 A Year In Review By Filmmaker Raymond Hui
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org
The international Selection Committee included chair Patrick McDonald, Mark Schilling, Darcy Paquet, Shelly Kraicer, Aimeé Laberge, Cherrie Lau, Kathy Wu and Sophia Wong Boccio.
Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema – founded and curated by veteran film programmer Sophia Wong Boccio – is dedicated to highlighting films in different Asian...
- 6/15/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
My thoughts and admiration for Mark Schilling’s work have already been shared in the review of “Art, Cult and Commerce“. In that regard, continuing with his bibliography was inevitable, and the fact that the present book deals with the oldest Japanese motion picture studio, and particularly its Action Cinema period, made its appeal even more intense. Even more so, since, during the latest years, there seems to be a renewal of interest regarding the genre, especially through the home video releases of companies like Arrow and Eureka.
The book begins with the history of Nikkatsu, focusing on the period from the late 50s until the early 60s, when the Nikkatsu Action genre started, flourished and declined. The second part deals with the main male protagonists of those movies, presenting detailed biographies of Yujiro Ishihara, Akira Kobayashi, Keiichiro Akagi and Tetsuya Watari, highlighting the concept of the...
The book begins with the history of Nikkatsu, focusing on the period from the late 50s until the early 60s, when the Nikkatsu Action genre started, flourished and declined. The second part deals with the main male protagonists of those movies, presenting detailed biographies of Yujiro Ishihara, Akira Kobayashi, Keiichiro Akagi and Tetsuya Watari, highlighting the concept of the...
- 5/15/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Let me start with a personal note. I have been reading, writing, watching and obsessing with Asian cinema for about 15 years now and in that time frame, Mark Schilling has always set the bar for me regarding writing about Japanese cinema through his reviews, interviews, feature articles and books. His style of writing is easy to read, to the point, without the complexities of academic texts or the unnecessary literary elements that so frequently torment contemporary reviews, and always very informative, highlighting the knowledge he has accumulated over decades of dealing with Japanese cinema. In that regard, it was a true pleasure to get the opportunity to read and review a book that collects some of his best writings of the last two decades (more than 60 interviews and hundreds of reviews).
The most obvious asset of the book is that, at 482 pages and in a rather large format,...
The most obvious asset of the book is that, at 482 pages and in a rather large format,...
- 5/1/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
September 18th is definitely a phan-tastic day to be a genre lover, as we’re finally getting individual Blu-ray releases for both Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead and Phantasm IV: Oblivion this week, courtesy of Well Go USA. Scream Factory has given two classic horrors an HD overhaul—Scream for Help and The Evil—that cult film enthusiasts should definitely check out, and there is a pair of Special Edition Blu-rays arriving on Tuesday from Arrow Video to boot: Horrors of Malformed Men and The Pyjama Girl Case.
Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for September 18th include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The X-Files: Season 11, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, Impulse, and 666: Seance Hour.
The Evil
A psychologist (Richard Crenna) and his wife (Joanna Pettet) buy a dilapidated historical mansion with a dark past in this terrifying chiller. Hoping to restore the estate and turn it into a drug rehabilitation clinic,...
Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for September 18th include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The X-Files: Season 11, Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, Impulse, and 666: Seance Hour.
The Evil
A psychologist (Richard Crenna) and his wife (Joanna Pettet) buy a dilapidated historical mansion with a dark past in this terrifying chiller. Hoping to restore the estate and turn it into a drug rehabilitation clinic,...
- 9/17/2018
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
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