JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO LAUNCHES JULY 27th TO OFFER BAY AREA SCREENINGS OF THE BEST IN RECENT JAPANESE LIVE-ACTION AND ANIME CINEMA
More Than 15 Titles To Premiere At NEW PEOPLE Cinema In A Special Week-Long Film Festival Set To Launch In Conjunction With
The 2013 J-POP Summit
San Francisco, CA, July 11, 2013 – The Japan Film Festival of San Francisco, the first fully-dedicated annual Japanese film celebration for the S.F. Bay Area, will launch in just a couple of weeks at NEW PEOPLE Cinema,
San Francisco’s famed pop culture movie theatre located inside of the
NEW PEOPLE J-Pop entertainment complex in the heart of the city’s
Japantown.
Kicking off on Saturday, July 27th, in conjunction with the 2013 J-POP Summit Festival, and running thru Sunday, August 4th, the Japan Film Festival of San Francisco
(JFFSF) is the first fully-dedicated annual Japanese film event for the
S.F. Bay Area and will screen more than 15 acclaimed live-action and
anime films representing some of the best in recent Japanese cinema.
Several notable Guests of Honor, including directors Miwa Nishikawa (Dreams for Sale) and Shinsuke Sato (GANTZ, Library Wars), as well artist “Zero Yen” architect Kyohei Sakaguchi will also appear in-person for the premieres of their latest projects.
Tickets
are $13.00 per film. NEW PEOPLE Cinema is located in San Francisco’s
Japantown at 1746 Post St. (Cross St. is Webster St.) A complete schedule and advance ticket information is available on www.jffsf.org.
The Japan Film Festival of San Francisco starts during the 2013 J-POP Summit, taking place Saturday July 27th and Sunday July 28th
across the historic Japantown district to celebrate the phenomenon of
Japanese pop culture with a colorful array of live bands and artists,
panel discussions, film premieres, edgy fashion shows, electronic dance
events, celebrity appearances and more. Full details are available at www.J-POP.com.
Notable Film Premieres Include:
DREAMS FOR SALE - S.F. PREMIERE!!!
** Featuring special in-person appearance by Director Miwa Nishikawa
Saturday, July 27th, 7:00pm
Co-presented with the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco
Written and directed by Miwa Nishikawa (SWAY and Dear Doctor), Dreams for Sale is
a richly evocative drama about a couple that lose everything in a fire
and attempt to make a fresh start by swindling others. A wife and her
husband Kanya run a small eatery in a corner of Tokyo, but on the 5th
anniversary of its opening, a fire erupts in the kitchen and burns the
place to a cinder. In desperate need of cash, the pair embarks on a
hilarious and heartwarming marriage scam in an attempt to put their
lives back on track.
EVANGELION 3.0 YOU CAN (NOT) REDO - U.S. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, July 27th, 11:00am
Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, aka “Evangelion: The New Movie: Q,” is the third of four feature films released in the Rebuild of Evangelion saga, by famed anime director Hideaki Anno. Catch the action in this exclusive U.S. premiere!
HOW TO BUILD A MOBILE HOUSE - U.S. PREMIERE!!!
** Featuring special in-person appearance by “Zero Yen Architect” Kyohei Sakaguchi
Saturday, July 27th, 1:30pm
Presented by MUJI USA
With the appearance of the famous "Zero Yen" architect, Kyohei Sakaguchi, the documentary, How to Build a Mobile House, delves into the roots of dwelling and living through the unique activities of this artist/architect who "does not build."
LIBRARY WARS - U.S. PREMIERE!!!
Friday, August 2nd, 7:00pm & Saturday, August 3rd, 1:10pm
** Featuring special in-person appearance by Director Shinsuke Sato
Library Wars
is based on the bestselling novel by Hiro Arikawa. Set in the year 2019
in Japan, a new law is passed to crack down on free expression. But to
oppose this oppressive crackdown, the Library Force is created to
protect libraries. A fierce battle soon ensues between these two groups.
Info & tickets available at: http://jffsf.org/2013/shinsuke-sato
PLATNUM DATA - U.S. PREMIERE!!!
Thursday, August 1st, 7:00pm & Saturday, August 3rd, 7:00pm
J-Pop artist Kazunari Ninomiya (Gantz, Letters from Iwo Jima) stars in Platinum Data,
the biggest film to be released in Japan in 2013. Ryuhei Kagura
(Kazunari Ninomiya) is a criminal scientist and after solving series of
complex cases, he is assigned to investigate the murders of several
people connected to new DNA forensics technology. But trace of evidence
analyzed through the DNA forensic system soon identifies him as the
offender. With no such memory, he decides to flee and the pursuer
becomes the pursued. Is Kagura guilty or innocent? Platinum Data holds
the key… Info & tickets available at: http://jffsf.org/2013/platinum-data
RENT A FAMILY INC. – JUST ADDED!!!
Wednesday, July 31st, 7:00pm
Co-presented with The San Francisco Film Society
This funny documentary by Danish filmmaker Kaspar Astrup Schröder (The Invention of Dr. Nakamatsu)
follows Ryuichi, a Japanese family man who operates a professional
stand-in business called “I Want to Cheer You Up Ltd,” that rents out
fake relatives (i.e. spouses, parents, and friends) to customers that
desperately need to cover up a secret. But Ryuichi himself leads a
double life by not telling his family about the business he is running.
Will Ryuichi come clean to his family in order to cheer up his own
family situation?
Additional Live-Action Film Screenings & Premieres:
HELTER SKELTER - S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, August 3rd, 4:20pm
Sakuran director
Mika Ninagawa's live-action adaptation of the eponymous shojo manga by
Kyoko Okazaki utilizes brilliantly colored visuals to depict the descent
of an outwardly perfect but inwardly unstable star that reigns over the
entertainment world. Co-presented with the Center for Asian American
Media. Info & tickets available at: http://jffsf.org/2013/helter-skelter
HIMIZU - S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Sunday, August 4th, 1:10pm
Sion
Sono's award-winning masterpiece is set after the Tohoku earthquake and
tsunami and follows the attempts by a 14-year-old boy to escape his
dismal surroundings and the strange string of events that set him on a
new course. Co-presented with the Center for Asian American Media. Info & tickets available at: http://jffsf.org/2013/himizu
LESSON OF THE EVIL – S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, July 27th, 4:20pm & Tuesday, July 30th, 7:00pm
RUROUNI KENSHIN - S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Sunday, July 28th, 6:30pm & Thursday, August 1st, 4:00pm
A new live-action film adaptation of creator Nobuhiro Watsuki 's smash hit samurai manga.
SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO – WEST COAST PREMIERE!!!
Sunday, August 4th, 3:20pm
A
stunning live-action adaptation of the famed space saga, originally
created by Leiji Matsumoto, which laid the foundation for the entire
Japanese science fiction anime genre.
Additional Anime Film Screenings & Premieres:
BERSERK THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II – Special Encore Presentation!!!
Sunday, July 28th, 3:50pm
The exciting second film in the BERSERK GOLDEN AGE ARC TRILOGY based on the bestselling manga series. Info & tickets available at: http://jffsf.org/2013/berserk2
HUNTER X HUNTER: PHANTOM ROUGE - U.S. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, August 3rd, 11:00am
Hunter X Hunter: Phantom Rouge is based on the mega-hit manga series by Yoshihiro Togashi, which has sold over 60 million copies worldwide.
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: THE LOST TOWER - U.S. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, July 28th, 1:30pm
The latest feature film action/adventure featuring the world’s most popular ninja – Naruto!
TIGER & BUNNY: THE BEGINNING – Special Encore Presentation!!!
Friday, August 2nd, 4:00pm
The hero-inspired big screen action of the smash hit anime property – Tiger & Bunny – returns to the Bay Area for a special encore screening.
WOLF CHILDREN – S.F. PREMIERE!!!
Sunday, July 28th, 11:00am & Sunday, August 4th, 6:15pm
From Mamoru Hosoda, the visionary and award-winning creator of the acclaimed anime films, Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, comes a beautiful tale of love and triumph. Info & tickets available at: http://jffsf.org/2013/wolf-children/
NEW
PEOPLE Cinema is a 143-seat cinema located in the underground floor of
NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco. Equipped with a cutting-edge HD digital
projection and THX®-certified sound system, NEW PEOPLE Cinema is home for local film festivals and entertaining events. www.newpeoplecinema.com
About J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL
The
J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration
that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel
discussions, film premieres, fashion and DJ dance events, and celebrity
appearances. The Festival is hosted by NEW PEOPLE in cooperation with
the Japantown Merchants Association. In 2012, the two-day event
attracted 65,000 attendees.
More information about the J-POP Summit Festival is available at J-POP.com.