9th CAMERA JAPAN FESTIVAL
2-5 October LantarenVenster Rotterdam, 6-9 October De Melkweg & 10-12 October Kriterion Amsterdam
Japanese filmmakers, musicians and artists will attend CAMERA JAPAN in Rotterdam. From Thursday 2 until Sunday 5 October, the festival presents forty-three recent Japanese films at LantarenVenster. The festival guests will perform or introduce their films and answer questions after the screenings. Highlights will be the Dream Pop concert by musicians Cuushe and aus, as well as a percussion performance by IMAI Ryoko. The full festival programme is available on www.camerajapan.nl
Meet the filmmakers
The young delegates of the feature film And the Mud Ship Sails Away travelling to Rotterdam will be director WATANABE Hirumi, his brother and also producer/composer WATANABE Yuji and DOP BANG Woo-Hyun. They will be accompanied by the brothers' parents who will also travel to The Netherlands for the occasion.
FUJITA Yosuke attends CAMERA JAPAN to present his new film comedy Fuku-chan of Fukuku Flats. FUJITA, a reputed director of theatre plays, documentary and short films, made his fiction feature debut Fine, Totally Fine in 2008. That same year, the film was awarded the CAMERA JAPAN Audience Award.
Co-directors Guillaume Giovannetti and Çagla Zencirci (France/Turkey) make their films all over the world. Their first feature film Noor (2012) was made in Pakistan. They come over to Rotterdam to introduce their new, Japanese film Ningen (The Human) to the CAMERA JAPAN audience.
Esteban Uyarra is the editor of British-French documentary film Love Hotel. The film, directed by Phil Cox and HIKARU Toda, portrays in a frank and emotionally charming way guests of a Japanese short stay hotel that offers couples anonymous meeting opportunities for love, sex and intimacy.
The festival welcomes two writers/directors of short films: Pedro Collantes (Spain/The Netherlands) for his Serori, set in Japan and screening in combination with Zentai by HASHIGUCHI Ryosuke, and TAYAKA Kosuke (Japan) for his Buy Bling, Get One Free!, screening as part of the short film compilation programme New Directions in Japanese Cinema.
Dream Pop concert Cuushe and aus
Flau Records-founder aus performed on piano at the 2010 edition of CAMERA JAPAN; he returns for a Dream Pop performance in which he combines ambient music with common, everyday sounds. The double bill concert further presents singer and musician Cuushe, the rising star of the Flau Records label. Cuushe sings and plays dreamlike songs against a background of beautiful visuals. The concert starts Friday 3 October 21.30 hours at LantarenVenster. After the concert DJ KISHINO Yuichi plays Japanese hit songs from his huge collection in the foyer.
Performances: aikido, performance, percussion, Japanese fairytales
Friday 3 and Saturday 4 October, the LantarenVenster foyer will be the location for 'interventions' – short, free entrance surprise performances. On Friday female percussionist IMAI Ryoko, who played with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Japanse performer IWAOKA Tashi take the stage. On Saturday, aikido instructor ISHIKAWA Satomi demonstrates defense techniques in collaboration with Aikido Centrum Rotterdam. Also on Saturday, performance artist UMAMOTO Yurie and sound artist Douwe Smit show a spin-off study of their arts project CEEPORT.
Sunday 5 October, story teller Gerard Jellema tells Japanese fairytales and legends; in Dutch for children from 5 to 8 years at 14.00 and 16.00 hours and for adults in English at 18.30 hours.
CAMERA JAPAN is organised by fifteen enthusiastic voluntary staff members. During the festival, forty volunteers care for logistics, production and audience welcome. CAMERA JAPAN is supported by the City of Rotterdam, Netherlands Film Fund, Rotterdam Festivals, Fuji Film, FedEx and other business partners.
Trailer And the Mud Ship Sails Away
Trailer Ningen
Trailer Love Hotel
Website aus, Facebook page Cuushe
Twitter @camerajapan