Guest in Focus: Miwa YOSHIMINE

Miwa YOSHIMINE was born in 1967. Since 1991, she has worked as a freelancer for commercial broadcasting programs and NHK documentaries. THIS PLANET IS NOT MY PLANET (2019 / NC ’20) is her first feature-length documentary. We are very glad she took the time to answer our questions for our Guest in Focus series. When and how … Continue reading Guest in Focus: Miwa YOSHIMINE

Guest in Focus: Kaori ODA

Kaori ODA, director of TS’ONOT / CENOTE, was born in Osaka in 1987. From 2013, she lived in Sarajevo for three years, studying film under Béla Tarr. Her first two feature-length documentaries, ARAGANE (2015) and TOWARD A COMMON TENDERNESS (2017), were shown at numerous international film festivals. In 2020, she was the first recipient of … Continue reading Guest in Focus: Kaori ODA

Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (June 1st)

It's been an amazing festival so far with remarkably good weather, so let the good times keep on rolling over the weekend! Here are our special offers for today: Special Events: Laughter from Bamboo Country Experience traditional Japanese narratives in modern attire! Julia and Yusuke YAMASAKI share humorous stories, accompanied by infectious Japanese music, peppered … Continue reading Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (June 1st)

Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (May 31st)

For those of who who've been held back by work or school thus far, today is the day! It's Friday, which means there is still a full weekend's worth of Nippon to sink yourselves into. Here are some of the special programs we've got planned out for today. Special Events: Remembering Isao Takahata Last year, … Continue reading Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (May 31st)

Guest in Focus: Ian Thomas Ash

The Balance between Observation and Empathy while filming Death Ian Thomas Ash has been a regular guest of Nippon Connection for several years now and already won two prizes with his documentaries. In 2013, he received the NIPPON VISIONS AWARD for his Fukushima documentary A2-B-C as well as the NIPPON VISIONS AUDIENCE AWARD in 2015 for -1287. … Continue reading Guest in Focus: Ian Thomas Ash

Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (May 30th)

The first two days are merely a warm-up compared to Day Three, when Nippon Connection starts to get really busy, especially since today is a holiday. We have a lot of events, programs, and film premieres today, so let's get to it! Special Events: Lecture: Umami and Dashi "Umami," the fifth sense of taste, was … Continue reading Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (May 30th)

Guest in Focus: Yoshinori Sato

Outsiders and Outlaws: An interview with Yoshinori Sato Directo Yoshinori Sato, well-known for his feature films, including Bad Child and Her Mother, studied at the University of Southern California before he started to work for TV-productions. Shinjuku Tiger is his first documentary feature and will celebrate its international premiere at 19th Nippon Connection Film Festival. … Continue reading Guest in Focus: Yoshinori Sato

Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (May 29th)

Things start off a bit earlier today; our first film premiere is at 2 o'clock, and we keep rolling from there until late tonight. Here are some of the best events on offer during Day Two of this year's festival. Special Events: Workshop: Film Sound Recording Emmy-award-winning Foley artist Goro KOYAMA comes all the … Continue reading Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (May 29th)

Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (May 28th)

Finally, it's that time of year again! Nippon Connection is back! This year marks the 19th year of the festival that is the largest event for Japanese film in the world outside of Japan itself. We've got 6 days, over a hundred films, and dozens upon dozens of cultural and featured events to fill out … Continue reading Nippon Connection 2019- The Daily Highlights (May 28th)

Guest in Focus: Kosai Sekine

The Art of Anthropology - Kosai Sekine cinematically explores what truly moves people. Director Kosai Sekine studied Philosophy at the Sophia University in Tokyo. Always finding images that emotionally speak to the audience, Sekine directed not only short films but also commercials and music videos. He was awarded the Young Director Award Grand Prix at … Continue reading Guest in Focus: Kosai Sekine