The Japan America Media Association, presenter of the Japan Film Festival–Los Angeles, is proud to announce the line-up for this year’s Festival. The Japan Film Festival–Los Angeles 2009 will be held from Friday, April 10 – Sunday, April 19 in Santa Monica and Downtown Los Angeles and will feature both North American and Los Angeles Premieres. We will be showing 22 feature films in total.
Films
Opening: The Sky Crawlers LA Premiere Director: Mamoru Oshii
Starring: Rinko Kikuchi, Ryo Kase, Chiaki Kuriyama, Syosuke Tanihara
“Kildren” are ageless fighter pilots who live in adolescence until they die in battle. They were created to fight in an endless war to “entertain” the peacetime people.
Closing: Vacation Director: Hajime Kadoi
Starring: Kaoru Kobayashi, Hidetoshi NIshijima, Nene Otsuka, Ren Osugi, Syuji Kashiwabara Hirai, a veteran prison guard who is getting married to Mika, a single mother. Hoping to make time to be with his new family, he finds that the only way to be entitled to a week’s vacation is if he acts as the execution assistant during an execution.
Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 LA Premiere Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Starring: Hidetaka Yoshioka, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Koyuki, Maki Horikita, Hiroko Yakushimaru
The scene is set four months after the previous movie in the Tokyo Shitamachi area. The story continues with the human drama of the residents in Yuuhi machi 3 chome.
252: Signal of Life US Premiere Director: Nobuo Mizuta
Starring: Hideaki Ito, Masaaki Uchino, Takayuki Yamada, Yu Kashii, Yuichi Kimura
The biggest monster Typhoon ever to hit Japan, people try to survive while in a furious panic.
ICHI Director: Fumihiko Sori
Starring: Haruka Ayase, Shido Nakamura, Yosuke Kubozuka, Akira Emoto, Riki Takeuchi, Takao Osawa
New, female version of the famous sword hero “Zatoichi”.
The Gift From Beate Director: Tomoko Fujiwara
Starring: Beate Sirota Gordon
Ms. Beathe Shirota Gordon makes every effort to build “essential equality of the sexes” in the Constitution of Japan after WWⅡ. Supported by her efforts, Japanese women devote their energies to establishing a gender equal society.
Campaign Director: Soda Kazuhiro
Starring: Kazuhiko Yamauchi, Sayuri Yamauchi, Junichiro Koizumi, Junko Kawaguchi
Documentary film about “a political amateur” who is transformed into “a candidate running with the official support” of the big political party. Making full use of strategy and methodology while developing an electoral campaign.
Tribute for the prolific actor, Ken Ogata
A Long Walk Director: Eiji Okuda
Starring: Ken Ogata, Saki Takaoka, Kana Sugiura, Syota Matsuda, Eiji Okuda
A middle-aged man who suffers from remorse in his life meets a girl who has blocked out her emotions after being repeatedly abused by her mother. While being chased as a kidnapper, he decides to take off on a journey of redemption.
Vengeance is Mine Director: Syohei Imamura
Starring: Ken Ogata, Rentaro Mikuni, Chocho Miyako, Mitsuko Baisyo, Mayumi Ogawa
A story of a man who kills five people and runs away through Japan. His life is full of accumulated crimes from his upbringing, love affairs and antagonism from his own father.
For updated information, please visit www.jffla.org.
Date and Venue
April 10 (Fri) to 16 (Thu) Laemmle’s Monica 4-Plex (Santa Monica)
1332 2nd Street Santa Monica, 90401
April 17 (Fri) to 19 (Sun) Downtown Independent (Downtown Los Angeles)
251 S. Main Street Los Angeles, California 90012
April 25 (Sat) and 26 (Sun) Starplex Cinema (Irvine)
4626 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, CA 92604
Ticket Prices
General Admission $10
Students / Seniors (60+) / Matinee(before 4:30pm) $7 (ID is needed for students and seniors) *Advance ticket (3 tickets) $20
(*This ticket is valid for Santa Monica and Downtown LA only. It is not valid in Irvine. This is a voucher only and will need to be exchanged for the actual ticket at the ticket office.)
