KYOTO INTERNATIONAL FILM AND ART FESTIVAL 2020

The Shozo Makino Award is given in memory of the late Kyoto-based filmmaker Shozo Makino, known as the father of Japanese cinema, in recognition of his legacy and his contributions to the development of Japanese cinema.
Toshiro Mifune is one of Japan's greatest post-WWII stars. The Toshiro Mifune Award, established at the Kyoto International Film and Art Festival, honors an actor who has great potential for international success.
The Creator's Factory is an open call for proposals to discover the talent of the next generation. Creators in a wide range of fields from film and art are invited to participate in the festival, creating a place where they can express themselves, in order to discover and nurture talented creators, and to send them out into the world.
The winners of each of the 2020 awards will be announced and the award ceremony will be streamed live.

The film "Onnatachi" (The Women) will be released in the spring of 2021, and the cast and crew will talk about the film with behind-the-scenes stories and episodes.
Yukiko Shinohara, Kana Kurashina, Sahel Rosa, Kazuyoshi Okuyama (production), Maki Kitani (producer), To Hyo (makeup)
*Guests are subject to change without notice.

Former prisoner Shinji is trying hard to recover, while losing jobs and people that are important to him.
One day, Shinji goes to a job interview with his probation officer Kimura (Yuichi Kimura). Waiting for him was the employer Sata (Masaki Sata).
As Shinji is interviewed by Sata, Sata asks unexpected questions and Shinji answers honestly...

On the other hand, Yuka, who was in a reform school, has a little daughter and is very worried about the future. Female rehabilitation officer Natsuko (Natsuko Yokosawa) and BBS member Kiyoto provide her emotional support.
The two help Yuka on the way to going to college...

Sadao Nakajima, a director, and Shinichi Chiba, an actor, have been active at the forefront in the movie industry from Showa, Heisei, to Reiwa. Toshiyuki Teruya, who is from Okinawa, is a director of movies full of love toward Okinawa.
The three talk about their thoughts on and the beauty of Okinawa and movies.

The special talk between the two winners of the Japan Academy Awards: Toshio Sugawara, the winner of the 36th Special Award from the Association and Sadao Nakajima, the winner of the 43rd Special Award from the Chairman. The two prominent figures in the movie industry have been involved with creations of many movies at studios in Kyoto. Now they talk about inside stories of sword fights and historical plays.

Cooperation from: Japanese Movie Archives, TOEI Kyoto Studio Park

In July 2020, in the midst of the corona crisis, the filming of the movie "The Actresses", which had been repeatedly rumored to be cancelled, was forced to go ahead. There were problems such as an insufficient budget and the longest rainy season on record, but the leading actresses give a miraculous performance under the worst of conditions brought on about by some terrible luck. This film takes a look at how these amazing performances came about.

Tomoka Igari is playing the female main character, Hinata, who is a shut-in. She wanted to be a racing driver being influenced by her father but gave up her dream due to an unfortunate accident.Satomi Tezuka, who is well known in the TV series “Fuzoroi no Ringotachi” (Irregular Apples), is playing the role of Hinata’s mother who looks over her with kind eyes.Shugo Oshinari, who appeared in “Heaven’s Story,” plays the role of an auto mechanic named Chino who is a kind young man and supports Hinata by remodeling her car. Kenya Osumi is playing a legendary racing driver, Kamisu.Director Ko Honekawa, who directed “Meikyu Café” (A Cup of Life) portrays a heartwarming human drama of repairing a broken family relationship.

A Japanese restaurant in London is threatened by the Russian mafia.When this happens, the father who is the owner of the restaurant risks his life to protect his family and his business.

WILD GRASS is a story about two girls and a boy to get meaning from their lives. In their lives, disappointment and hope are often ups and downs. They never know each other, but their lives are intertwined and they become each other’s hope and savior. Three main characters first enter a booming society from small downtown to test their incredible destiny they experienced in the pursuit of a new life. In this world, they are hurt and humiliated, but stick to their dreams nevertheless.

Like tens of thousands of girls working hard in the big city, Moli, who hails from a small town, yearns for a modern lifestyle and has a strong desire to live glamorously, but the money she has worked so hard to save is taken away overnight by her father who suddenly appears.When she has no other choice but to move to the countryside, she experiences a series of events that force her to take over the shabby Jasmine Inn and pay off her father's debts.In the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges and through her involvement with various people, she develops friendships with her peers, repairs her relationship with her father, wins Ken's love, and gets the inn back on its feet. She shakes off the temptation of big city life and reclaims her existence, enjoying on the happiness of the simple people of her hometown.

During the period of the 'Provinces at war', many lives were lost. A castle architect discovers the possible role of a tea room as a place for warriors to regain humanity.

A crocodile named DINO and a child continue on their journey to find the lost crown.Right behind them is Baku, who is also after the treasure. The relationship between DINO and the child is slowly drifting apart.This puppet animation imitates the stop-motion animation as a special effect in adventure dramas which was widely used until the 1980s.

The gaki is a "biwa" player of the ogre, who plays the instrument well.When he starts to play it at the veranda, surroundings transform into the profound and remote world.Characters come out from the electric wire and then they start to dance to the melody on the line.The music turn into the wind and the wind calls the waves. The gaki integrates with the waves.

In 2017, this omnibus animation was created in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Japanese Animation, and in honor of the oldest surviving animation, “Namakura Gatana”

(Produced by G9+1: Azuru Isshiki, Fumio Oi, Kira Keizo, Tatsuo Shimamura, Shinichi Suzuki, Hiroshi Nishimura, Norio Hikone, Osamu Fukushima, Taku Furukawa + Toshikatsu Wada).

The self-proclaimed oldest animation group G9 + 1 created this omnibus animation in 2019 based on the theme of “waiting for something“

(Produced by G9+1: Azuru Isshiki, Fumio Oi, Kira Keizo, Tatsuo Shimamura, Shinichi Suzuki, Hiroshi Nishimura, Norio Hikone, Osamu Fukushima, Taku Furukawa + Toshikatsu Wada).

The family seems to be a normal, happy everyday run-of-the-mill family. However, the father, Kazuhiko (Yutaka Takenouchi), is a burglar, the mother, Satsuki (Yasuko Matsuyuki), is a marriage swindler, the eldest son, Jun (Kentaro Sakaguchi), is a counterfeiter, and the eldest daughter and the youngest son also know that the family makes a living out of crime. One day, Satsuki is kidnapped by a fellow marriage swindler putting the family in a crisis. What does the father decide to do to protect his family beyond the dueling attempts at restoring what once was his? Why does he continue to stay in the family and why should he risk it? When Kazuhiko's decision and the secrets behind this mysterious family are revealed, the feelings and bonds between them that transcend the imagination gently touch the audiences' hearts. This drama is a masterpiece starring Yutaka Takenouchi and featuring a splendid cast including Yasuko Matsuyuki and Kentaro Sakaguchi.

Director Sadao Nakajima has built up his film career in Kyoto spanning over half a century. As a filmmaker, Nakajima examines the chanbara (samurai fighting films) produced in Kyoto from their core.Nakajima talks to a wide range of film experts, including fighters, actors, film scholars, and critics about the fascination of chanbara films that cannot be seen by simply following the story including the background to the creation of period dramas and the Japanese view of life and death in chanbara films.The documentary part highlights Japan's pride in its art and culture, and the original chanbara fighting scenes featuring actors Shogo Kimura, Chihiro Yamamoto, performers from the Toei Tsurugikai troupe and others under the guidance of director Nakajima, along with the making of the scenes. The film follows how the chanbara fighting scenes are created, and ends with a completed scene.

The movie is set in the final days of the Tokugawa era. Tajuro Kiyokawa who lives in a poor house in Kyoto, spends his days in idleness, being assisted by Otoyo, the owner of a low class restaurant, who has some of her own problems. Tajuro used to be a prominent samurai in the province of Choshu, but he has become a wandering exile to escape the debt his parents left him. He doesn't know what to do with his great sword skill and spends his days idly without a cause or dream.Though he notices Otoyo's earnest demeanor, Tajuro tries to raemain alone. At the same time, a patrol squad under the influence of the Shinsengumi, tightens their crackdown to maintain their reputation. Due to a tip-off from a private detective, who has a grudge against Tajuro from a small quarrel, the patrol squad learns of Tajuro's existence. As a sense of disquiet hangs over Kyoto, his younger half-brother Kazuma who is loyal to the emperor arrives.Tajuro tries to convince his brother to return home while Kazuma blames his brother for his depravity. Then the patrol squad swoops in and injures Kazuma's eye. Tajuro leaves Kazuma with Otoyo and slashes and dices at the pursuing government officials while acting as a decoy while Kazuma and Otoyo escape from Kyoto. For Tajuro, the first and last battle has begun and he risks his own life.

After the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant on March 11, 2011, the town of Tomioka, located about 12 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, was designated as a difficult area to return to. The film begins with the lone presence of Naoto Matsumura, an animal rights activist who continues to protect cats, dogs, cows as well as ostriches and other animals that used to be raised in the area around the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The director, Gilles Laurent, was a sound engineer based in Belgium and working mainly in Europe. He came to Japan, his wife's native country, with his family in 2013. As he has always been interested in environmental issues, he came to know of Naoto Matsumura of Tomioka from being featured in overseas media while he was researching Fukushima, and he decided to advocate for Matsumura’s cause.Laurent chose "the strength of people who have close connections with the land" as his subject matter, and by getting to closely know three families, he was able to weave together their love for Fukushima and their hometown in their everyday lives. The film was shot on two separate occasions in Fukushima Prefecture between August and October 2015.In December, after the terrorist attacks in Paris, Gilles temporarily returned to his homeland of Brussels, Belgium, to edit the film. On March 22, 2016, when the editing process was all done and a preview screening was scheduled, he unexpectedly lost his life during the subway terrorist attacks in Belgium.

The novel of the same name by Akutagawa Prize-winning author Yuichi Takai was published in 1983 and won the Tanizaki Junichiro Prize. This is the first film in 18 years directed by Haruhiko Arai, one of Japan's leading scriptwriters, who carefully portrays the lives of the common people in Tokyo at the end of the war with exquisite sensitivity and elegant writing, delicately and boldly portraying the war era not as a battlefield, but as a story of the lives of the common people in a sensitive and realistic manner.In "Vibrator," "The Backwater", and many other works, he has masterfully expressed the eccentricity and romanticism of men and women. Fumi Nikaido plays the lead role of Satoko. In the midst of the extreme conditions of war, she exudes an overwhelming presence as she brilliantly embodies the conflict of heart that drives her to fall in a forbidden love with Ichige, a man with a wife and child at the same time making her decision while wondering if she will die without being able to marry.The role of Ichige is played by Hiroki Hasegawa. He passionately plays the role of a man who is attracted to and craves Satoko despite his wife and child. With a cast of talented actors including Yuki Kudo, Yasuko Tomita, Renji Ishibashi, and Eiji Okuda playing supporting roles, this is a heartfelt drama that painstakingly depicts people living in the midst of wartime bombing raids and the looming fear of starvation.

Japan and the U.S. worked together to make the movie "Cocktail Party" based on the first Okinawan novel to win the Akutagawa Prize by Okinawa-born and resident novelist Tatsuhiro Oshiro.The 19-year-old daughter of a company employee from Tokyo, who has been transferred to Chatan Town, Okinawa Prefecture, claims she was sexually assaulted by a U.S. soldier. But the U.S. soldier claimed it was a mutually consensual act.The film depicts the complex feelings of both Japan and the U.S. toward the U.S. military and base issues in Okinawa through the assault by U.S. soldiers along with subsequent trials and military investigations.

There is a shopping district in a town that looks like Hakata but isn't Hakata.
Today, another great tasting adventure is about to begin!
The slapstick daily life of food fairies is on showcase!

Tokunaga, a comedian who debuts as a member of the young duo Sparks, but has not grown at all, meets senior comedian Kamiya at a fireworks display in Atami, where he had a gig. Kamiya's duo, Ahondara, performed a manzai act that went beyond the bounds of the norm. Fascinated by his eccentric comedic style and human character, Tokunaga asks Kamiya to take him on as an apprentice. Kamiya agrees and asks him to make a biography of him in return.From that day on, Tokunaga writes down what Kamiya does in his daily life in his notebook. Two years later, Tokunaga reunites with Kamiya, who has moved his base of operations from Osaka to Tokyo. The two began to go out drinking every day, discussing their act and living a fulfilling life of almost no work while honing their talents. Kamiya's girlfriend who lives with him, Maki, watches over them tenderly. However, before long, a slight difference in consciousness begins to emerge between the two.This is a ten-year coming-of-age story of two people who are fascinated by comedy, hindered by reality, and struggling with their talents to live their dreams to the fullest.

A program born out of the specialty screenings of "Classic Silent Movies" at the Kyoto International Film and Art Festival. Challenge the live action screening with Katsudo Benshi narrator and commedians! Check out this new way of enjoying silent films, in this narrator battle for the best comedian. Screenings: "Kyoto News", "Kenka Yasube" and "Laurel and Hardy's Liberty".

Cooperation: Toy Movie Museum / Kigeki Eiga Kenkyukai

Part 2 of the reguar Yoshimoto Yurakucho Theater event "Katsuben de GO!". The film "Urban Woman", by master director of the world's first dracula movie "Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens", and the supreme melodrama "Sunrise" has never before been seen in Japan. While this is a silent film, enjoy the charms of the visual beauty of the genre, together with the live narration and music.　Cooperation: Gucchi's Free School　"Urban Woman" DVD with narration is also available for sale https://gucchis-free-school.com/event/classicvol2/

Shojiro Sawada, the founder of Shinkokugeki, was invited by Shozo Makino to play Kunisada Chuji written by Rifu Yukimoto. His realistic acting brought realism to sword fighting films in the era of change from Kabuki to film.
Since then, with the influence of Tsumasaburo Bando, sword fighting and samurai films reached their heyday, triggered by this monumental work.
The Shinkokugeki "Kunisada Chuji" is divided into four parts, "Mt. Akagi", "Yamakataya", "Amadera" and "Goyo", and was shot in just three days, in a similar style to a stage play.
With this screening you will be able to watch the longest existing version of the film. It appears that the title Kunisada Chuji was added when the film was re-edited for 16mm film for home use.

Sentaro Kurahashi, who launched Shinkokugeki together with Shojiro Sawada left the group due to illness, and the second Shinkokugeki was launched in Osaka. From this arose Denjiro Okouchi (at the time Isamu Masachika, who came to be known as Jiro Muromachi), who starred in the two roles of Jirocho Shimizu and Kira no Nikichi.
The director is Kichiro Tsuji. He competed at Nikkatsu Kyoto with Daisuke Ito in sword fighting films. He was great at sword action, aiming for leftist trendy films.
The story involves the fall of a bloodied Namerikawa no Hachigoro when the Shimizu family are drinking sake after returning from Ise worship. The cowardly Otogoro and Saheita Kajiwara are blamed, and the younger brother Tomoemon plans to avenge the death with Komasa Daimasa etc. by hitting the Otogoro family. However, fearing that a lieutenant has turned, he visits Kira no Nikichi and asks Jirocho to apologize. Then Chokichi comes from Kobe and he cries when the "Kojinyama" territory inherited from his parents is stolen by sibling Toku Ano. Nikichi's wife Okiku is the younger sister of Toku Ano.

The original title was "Family Life", but this was changed to the French title "Une Partie D'auto" for its Pathe-Baby (9.5mm) release.
The mischievous boy from the Bush family next door is always touching everything. One day, when his father is out, he releases the brake on the care and it suddenly starts rolling backwards. Fortunately a collision is avoided, but the rear is hit hard. Unable to get control of the car with the large Mrs Bush, the car keeps running through the town, bouncing around like a grasshopper, and nearly causes a catastrophe on the Hollywood hills.
In the usual way of comedy films, this is full of excitement and falling off cliffs without dying. No matter how many times you watch it, you can always laugh at Mrs Bush's skydiving scene.

The original title in 1921 was "High and Dry", but it appears that this was changed to "An Accidental Champion" for the Pathe-Baby release. The latter half was then changed to the current title "Ga! Ga! Marions-nous" (Let's get married).
The story involves Jimmy going to ask a father for his daughter's hand in marriage, only to find another rival for her love. At the same time, the housekeeper, who is in love with Jimmy, kidnaps the daughter and pretends to be her. The wedding day then approaches...
This is a short film, but it is full of laughs. The leading actor Jimmy Adams is a forgotten comedian, who can be enjoyed in this very rare work.

After winning a beauty contest in her teens, Clara Bow (1905-1965) who grew up poor entered the movie world. In 1927 she gained a big hit playing a department store girl with healthy sex appeal in the comedy "It", based on the novel by female British writer Elinor Glyn. This came to be known as the "It Girl" image of women in the 20s. Elinor Glyn herself went to Hollywood to find a suitable woman for "It" and chose Clara Bow and is said to have taught her the elegant behavior that made this pioneering role into the "It Girl".
In this film, Bow plays Prudence Severn, the daughter of a wealthy family. Her reckless behavior causes real headaches for her father. He tries hiring a detective to protect her, but it is no use. Then Donald Keith is hired to watch over her, but...

Aiming to acquire a new audience for 35mm slide film in the 1950s, the Puppet Theatre PUK worked with Mitsukage Slides to plan a series of 6 "World Masterpiece Stories" films. The first of these, "Korea - Chunhyangjeon" showed the respect for this folk tale from Japan's neighbor. Only Episode 2, Japan's "Nobara" and Episode 4, Italy's "Pinnochio" were actually produced. "Chunhyangjeon" appeals strongly to both the West and the East as a story of love between a young man and young woman that overcome many hardships, including their differencese in status. 41 slides were drawn by Yasushi Kawajiri, representing PUK, and only a few films have been found in Japan, each with different coloring. The Torokko Puppetry Library has digitized a film that was in good condition and together with the piano performed by Haruka Amamiya and narration by Kumiko Omori this film has been reproduced and distributed by the Toy Movie Museum in its original slide state.

"The Eccentric", an animated series from the Tresured Toy Film Box, will be shown from the Toy Movie Museum collection.
5 pieces have been selected, "Sunakemuri Takadanobaba", "Sho-chan no Dobutsu Jigoku", "Yukaina Renchu", "Otogi no Ojisan" and "Kasei Hiko". These animated films have a surreal and fantastic feel with the collaboration of light story telling and piano.

"The Folklore", an animated series from the Toy Film Tresured Box, will be shown from the Toy Movie Museum collection.
5 pieces have been selected, "Urashima Taro", "Issunboshi", "Manga Kobutori", "Umi no Momotaro" and "Momotaro Onigashima Taiji".
You can enjoy these old-fashioned cartoons, with a collaboration of light storing telling and piano.

Paul Parrott was the younger brother of American comedy actor Charley Chase, and was often mistaken for him. Later, he directed under the name James Parrott. He directed many masterpieces, including "The Music Box" by Laurel and Hardy, known in Japan as the "Gokuraku Combi (ultimate combo)".
With the skyscraper fad in the 1920s, like Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last", this film, "Take the Air" showed hilarious and dangerous gags and sketches on skyscrapers.

Harold Lloyd is one of the three kings of comedy, standing alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Many of his films feature the familiar boater hats and celluloid round eyeglasses (Lloyd's glasses).
The story involves Harold being late for an amateur drama performance, making Mildred furious. Prompted by a phone call, Harold rushes to the theater, but faces difficulties from the moment that his car leaves the garage. First he reverses and destroys the garden next door, then he has engine trouble and is chased by the police, before finally arriving at the theater when the play is already over.
During the encore, he hurries to change into the costume of a masked swordsman and stands on the stage...
This film by director Hal Roach is often found in Pathe-Baby versions re-edited for home use, along with many other Lloyd films.

A silent comedy by Harold Lloyd, one of the three great kings of comedy. It can be said to be a prototype with the same set up as "For Heaven's Sake" (1926), which would be made 7 years later.
The story is about a penniless man Harold, and a hungry girl, and a puppy that is picking up a wad of bills. Believing that he will finally be able to eat some delicious bread, the money turns out to be counterfeit, and Mildred saves him from being charged by the police. Harold falls in love at first site with Mildred.
At the same time, unscrupulous lawyers aim to get the girl's inheritance and use rogues from the city to kidnap Mildred. Harold gets caught up in this strategy, but will he be able to rescue the kidnapped Mildred?
Includes a piano performance by Haruka Amamiya.

One of Shakespeare's four great tragedies, "Othello" depicts human weakness and stupidity with racism at it's root, showing how easy it is to fall into suspicion and jealousy when looking at life with the prejudice of "looking through colored glasses".
The story is of General Othello of the Moors who loves his wife Desdemona, but is caused by adjutant Iago to gradually become suspicious that his wife is having an affair, making him envious.
This film was re-edited on special standard 9.5mm film, and is believed to be the oldest film version of Othello. It has been digitized and is being released for the first time.

A pre-war sports movie by director Tomu Uchida. This year marks 50 years from his death. Director Uchida took on epics such as "Miyamoto Musashi" and "Kiga Kaikyo" after the war, but before the war directed light comedy silent films.
This story is set at the Waseda-Keio regatta. This was shot at the banks of the Sumida River, where the regatta is still held today. The main stroke role of Mochizuki was played by young star Tsunemi Hirose. Mochizuki, who enrolled in A University that lost the previous year gains the trust of the President's niece Mitsuko (Shizue Natsukawa) but a spy from the other side uses this relationship to create a scandal. The regatta approaches, with Mochizuki not able to participate... The supporters and atmosphere of student sports at the time are well presented.

This is one of the best movies by Buster Keaton, “the king of silent comedy.” If you have never seen any classic films, this is the one you should see first. Free-wheeling creativity, outstanding gags, amazing acrobatic moves, and pure love drama are all woven into this movie. This is a cultural legacy in the movie industry. The director and star, Keaton was known as a comedian with extraordinary physical strength, but it is less known that he had a thorough knowledge of camera techniques, film processing, and camera mechanics. He made the most of his technical knowledge to create this masterpiece. The “nightmare” scene is the highlight that amuses even current CG creators. Eri Kozaki, a talented pianist, who studied in Paris will play the piano. Toshiya Arano, the representative of Kigeki Eiga Kenkyukai and Vintage Co.Ltd., will talk about the filming technique. Kick back, relax, and enjoy the movie.

In 1926, with the popularity of Tsumasaburo Bando, Ryosuke Tachibana, owner of Bando Tsumasaburo Productions announced a grand plan to distribute worldwide and formed a joint venture under contract with Production house Universal Films in the US. However, Tsumasaburo Bando had an exclusive contract with Shochiku Cinema, so movies that he starred in couldn't be exported. For a modern drama, there was no draw for a film without a star, and this led to the withdrawal of Universal and the cancelation of the contract, leaving 35 works and the failure of the dream to distribute Tsumasaburo Bando films worldwide in just 6 months.
Starring Naminosuke Horikawa and Haruko Izumi, the comedy "Tosei Shin Shotai" is the only work remaining from this partnership and will be screened for the first tim at this year's festival.

This film, starring comedian Larry Semon, was believed to be lost until a fragment of it was discovered this February in Tokyo and was distributed around the world. After hearing this in the news, it turned out that a 16mm version of the film was also found in the possession of the Toy Movie Museum, and this will be screened for the first time at the film festival this year.
The original title in 1926 was "Stop, Look and Listen", but it was titled "Dorubako Semon" for its Japan release in 1927, although the title on the box when donated to the Museum was "Moshin Larry", so this is the title under which it will be screened here.
Larry was at his peak in 1920, but used production costs for short films like hot water, including this work, and there were contract violations with shooting that was supposed to take a few days experiencing long delays, and he was finally sued by Vitagraph. Financial difficulties always followed Larry.
The story involves a robber entering the bank where Larry works, before he is then mistaken for the criminal and is chased by citizens. The robber running away, Larry being chased, and the police and citizens chasing after them...The action continues with cars, motocycles and trains, a railway bridge is destroyed, and there are a series of ups and downs and close calls.
A feature of the film will be the appearance by Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy as the robber.

"Kyoto News" was produced by the Kyoto City Public Relations Bureau from 1956 to 1994 and was shown in movie theaters in the city, and includes videos on topics such as citizen life, urban development and associated changing landscapes, festivals, welfare, international exchange and cultural activities, etc.
More than 60 years after production, this film is not only a history of Kyoto city administration, but is also now a valuable piece of cultural property.
Take the opportuniy during this year's online event to watch these newsreels of the "Kyoto Citizen's Film Festival", the roots of the current Kyoto International Film Festival, and one of Japan's three big festivals, the "Gion Matsuri".

While working as a filmmaker, Nobuhiko Obayashi also accomplished the great feat of directing approximately 2,000 television commercials during his life. His cinematic talent, developed from his days as an independent filmmaker, started to blossom in the early days of advertising agencies, and he continued to incorporate all kinds of artistic and visual experiments into his commercial works. In the 1970s, he became a leader in using so-called "foreign talent" in commercials, directing Catherine Deneuve, Sophia Loren, Michael Douglas, Ringo Starr and Charles Bronson. He has left behind a number of deeply narrative works that transcend the boundaries of commercials, that seem more like short films. Meanwhile, in Japan, Calpico, Glico's "Momoe x Tomokazu" series, and Japan National Railways' "Full Moon" were some of his most memorable hits. In fact, incorporating these commercials was the most difficult part of this program. However, each company gave permission in respect for Nobuhiko Obayashi and we were able to offer a special streaming service during the festival only. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their cooperation.
【Planned a produced by Hori (currently Visual Contents Division of Horipro】"Mandom 71: A Man's Place" by Mandom (1972), "Katsura la Fontaine: Spiritual Landscape" by Kaneka Corporation (1972), "Yeah Yeah, Monroe, Yeah Yeah" by Renown (1974) / Glico Almond Chocolate (1968 )

Obayashi spent a year making this independent 16mm film while directing TV commercials in the 1960s. The entire film is interspersed with homages to Obayashi's beloved western and vampire films, and in particular to Roger Vadim's "Blood and Roses". This film is the culmination of his career as an individual filmmaker, and can be seen as the starting point for Obayashi's subsequent films, with its unique cut-offs, stop-motion photography, bold use of subtitles, and more. Legend has it that at the time of its release, the film became an underground craze and was screened at 60% of college festivals across the country. The film continues to be screened at film festivals in Japan and abroad to this day.

This is a work of Nobuhiko Obayashi when he was around 30 years old. This semi-documentary from the perspective of a young designer visiting Japan from Northern Europe tells the story of the filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi and his friends who the young designer encounters in Japan. The strong will, dreams and hopes of director Obayashi and his friends based on the idea of "We make our own times!" seem to surge out of the film and capture the atmosphere of the times. In recent years, Obayashi's style has been described as "shooting a documentary and creating a narrative film," and it's clear that the prototype for this style was perfected half a century ago. This film shows that the director's philosophy of filmmaking has never wavered from his experimental film days to "Labyrinth of Cinema".

Poisson D'avril is the French word for April Fool. On this day, if you write a message on a fish-shaped chocolate and send it to the one you love, you'll be rewarded with a beautiful love!
Film director Shohei Nemoto (Yukihiro Takahashi) marries the leading actress Fujiko Kinugasa (Miyoko Akaza) in his first film which was highly acclaimed. But it didn't do well at the box office and he didn't make a single film after that.
One dull day, they receive word that a chieftain (Tetsuro Tamba) from a southern island who had visited for a commercial shoot is coming to Japan.
On the chieftain's island, it's customary to offer your wife for the night as a token of friendship, and Shohei tries to get the young actress (Kanoko Kyo) to be double for his wife.
This stylish and light-hearted romantic comedy stars, is produced by and is scored by former Y.M.O. member Yukihiro Takahashi. Although this is his first starring role in a movie, he has an outstanding sensibility and fashion sense, and on top of that, he gives us an amazing musical number.

This work takes a look at the making of "Casting Blossoms to the Sky" (2012), but it can't exactly be called a making of the film. Rather, it's a textbook of the film that goes beyond the confines of a simple making of the film. Chigumi, Obayashi's daughter, took footage as a part of the making-of-the-film team during filming of the actual movie, and the director himself re-assembled the footage and skillfully incorporated actual film footage, weaving together the truth and falsehoods of the film in a way that took half a year to create, giving birth to a new piece of work by Obayashi. This was an epic task that is almost three times as large as the actual film!
Director Nobuhiko Obayashi deliberately did not add an end mark to "Casting Blossoms to the Sky". This allows the story in the film to gradually seep into reality. The film includes a number of dramas that derive from the shooting the film on set, previews of the finished film, and trips to screenings around the country. This is a complete look at "Casting Blossoms to the Sky". This work is like taking a journey with Obayashi during the creation of the film.

This story that sneaks up on you was born out of Nobuhiko Obayashi, then 50 years of age, meeting 14 year old Kaori Sakagami for the first time. Set in Onomichi, which has been seen somewhere, someday in previous Obayashi movies, this music video features three characters, "Me, Shadow and I", by Kaori Sakagami. The recorded songs are the two songs Lace Cardigan and Privacy. The staff include Yoshitaka Sakamoto as cinematographer with Obayashi since his CM days, art director Kazuo Satsuya who had worked with Obayashi, and sound designer Shohei Hayashi, all veterans of Obayashi films. The location of Onomichi was carefully shot over 5 days. This is a short, but fine Obayashi film.

On the train to his hometown Onomichi, film director Mario Baba (Tomokazu Miura) meets a mysterious gentleman (Kei Tani) with a derby hat and Dallas mustache, as he begins to retrace his childhood memories. He reminisces about a beautiful young girl Chiyoko (Raimi Arisaka) who is with a man donning a carp tattoo as well as a foreign director (Nobuhiko Obayashi!) carrying a big camera who comes from Hiroshima which was devastated by the atomic bomb, to shoot the beautiful scenery of Onomichi. He also has memories of his father (Riki Takeuchi) who is a military doctor who returned from the war, as well as his kind mother (Yoko Minamino), his grandfather (Tetsuro Tamba) and his grandmother (Wakaba Irie).
And then he remembers the anime Manuke Sensei that he made when he was a child. Nobuhiko Obayashi directed, wrote the original story, and wrote the screenplay for this fantasy in which Manuke Sensei, a character he created in his childhood, teaches us about heart, a quality which modern people have lost. Some of the scenes of Takuro Atsugi , who played the role of Mario Baba as a child, are also used in his latest film, "Labyrinth of Cinema". This is an autobiographical work depicting the childhood of Nobuhiko Obayashi.

CANCION was a unit made up of Satoshi Furuya and Minoru Shigemoto which was active from 2004 to 2006. Nobuhiko Obayashi himself wrote the srcipt for the promotional video of their second single Liar, and this film, Liar. The Movie was shot on location at Obayashi's old village Onomichi with cutting edge staff like the shooting of a film.
The images of Director Obayashi add to the lyrics that spell out the frustration of a young man and woman who can't move on fro ma "less than" relationship to take the next step. It shows the sadness peculiar to adolescence.
The charm of CANCION was their twin acoustic guitars and vocals. The soft and natural sound of Satoshi Furuya and Minoru Shigemoto flow well over the scenery of Onomichi.
*Please note that the image quality is poor due to the materials that the video for delivery was created from.

The summer of 2011, after March 11. Reiko Endo (Yasuko Matsuyuki), a newspaper reporter from Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, visits Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, like she was being led there. The reason for this was to take a look at Nagaoka, which was one of the first cities to accept victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, from a reporter's perspective. Her heart is captured by a letter from a former lover, Kenichi Katayama (Masahiro Takashima), who lives in Yamakoshi. Above all, she experiences the prayers and wishes in the Nagaoka fireworks. Reiko, who is tasked with the job of reporting, meets a legendary fireworks artist and wandering painter Kiyoshi Yamashita, along with a mysterious girl on a unicycle, and she has a series of strange experiences that, when she realizes are intertwined with the history of Nagaoka, lead to the start of a miraculous festival in Nagaoka!

This work takes a look at the making of "Casting Blossoms to the Sky" (2012), but it can't exactly be called a making of the film. Rather, it's a textbook of the film that goes beyond the confines of a simple making of the film. Chigumi, Obayashi's daughter, took footage as a part of the making-of-the-film team during filming of the actual movie, and the director himself re-assembled the footage and skillfully incorporated actual film footage, weaving together the truth and falsehoods of the film in a way that took half a year to create, giving birth to a new piece of work by Obayashi. This was an epic task that is almost three times as large as the actual film!
Director Nobuhiko Obayashi deliberately did not add an end mark to "Casting Blossoms to the Sky". This allows the story in the film to gradually seep into reality. The film includes a number of dramas that derive from the shooting the film on set, previews of the finished film, and trips to screenings around the country. This is a complete look at "Casting Blossoms to the Sky". This work is like taking a journey with Obayashi during the creation of the film.

Editing: Nobuhiko Obayashi, Hisaki Sanbongi

Ashibetsu in Hokkaido is an old northern town that once flourished as a coal mining town. The story unfolds in this beautiful land filled with stars on a clear night. Mitsuo Suzuki (Toru Shinagawa) was born in this town and has been working as a general practitioner for a long time. After closing his clinic, he and his granddaughter, Kanna (Saki Terashima), a nurse, start an antique shop named Hoshifuru Bunkado (Starry Night Culture Hall). One day, when Kanna comes home from the hospital where she works, she finds Mitsuo passed out in his studio at the back of the house. Kanna rushes to call an ambulance, but is told that Mitsuo has only a short time to live. Taking this opportunity, Mitsuo's relatives (Takehiro Murata, Yutaka Matsushige, Hirona Yamazaki, Tokie Hidari), who normally live apart, return one by one to Ashibetsu with their own family affairs. Just as Mitsuo is about to draw his last breath, a mysterious woman, Nobuko (Takako Tokiwa), appears in his hospital room. Her arrival leads the story to the spectacular events of Mitsuo's unknown past as he wanders between past and present. In the midst of the war in Sakhalin, which continued to cast a shadow over Hokkaido's history even after August 15, immediately after the war, Mitsuo's best friend Ono (Takao Ito) and the woman he has feelings for, Ayano (Yumi Adachi), are involved in a secret affair. A certain poem by Chuya Nakahara connects Mitsuo and Nobuko. This epic fantasy unfolds while considering what family is and what it means to live in the backdrop of Ashibetsu with its ever-changing breath-taking seasons.
Due to the events of March 11, 2011, director Nobuhiko Obayashi decided to take the opportunity to make this film as a filmmaker with the responsibility and commitment to the future, giving it his all.

This making of "Seven Weeks" was newly made for limited release during the Kyoto International Film & Art Festival 2020 where it will be released in Japan for the first time. Cinematography was carried out by Chigumi, daughter of director Obayashi. From the daughter's point of view, this film closely follows the process from June 2013 at the start of filming to July when filming finished and then returns to Ashibetsu with the completed film in director Obayashi's possession. The film shows Nobuhiko Obayashi's true feelings, which no one else can capture, as well as his energetic performance as he runs all around the set. In addition, about 200 hours of footage shot in Ashibetsu, Hokkaido, was used to compare the making of the film with the actual film, and the film was composed in such a way that it clearly shows the secrets of Obayashi films and how they are made. There are no future screenings scheduled after this one, so don't miss it!

Filming, coverage, planning: Chigumi Obayashi
Editing cooperation: Hisaki Sanbongi
Editing: Star Gate
Production: Shinya Yamamoto
Production: Chigumi Obayashi, Naofumi Nakamura

Since his debut as a commercial film director in 1977, Nobuhiko Obayashi has made more than 40 films, including the Onomichi Trilogy, and remains one of Japan's leading filmmakers. Obayashi was married to Kyoko Obayashi, who supported him in his private and public life for 60 years and also worked as a producer on his films. Using footage from the past, testimonies of his friends, and other footage, we take a look back on Obayashi's youth when he started making independent films and the days he spent with his wife Kyoko, delving into the unique bond the two had together.

This is a rare company promotion movie, which was only screened for the visitors to Kirin beer factories in 1970. The first half of the movie contains quotes about beer, the newly-opened Yokohama factory, and photo collages of contemporary lifestyles. In the latter half, a girl playing a “beer fairy” introduces the process of beer making in a factory by dancing and singing “Bubbly, bubbly, Syuwa.” It is tailored with a pop and chic musical style. In the ending scene, Kyoko, the wife of Nobuhiko Obayashi, and Chigumi, the daughter of Nobuhiko Obayashi are toasting with beer other actors of Obayashi movies back then. It is filmed by Shigeichi Nagano, a cinematographer of the Obayashi movies “Peking’s Watermelon” and “The Two.” This valuable piece was so epoch-making, as a promotion video back then, that it has become legendary. Through the courtesy of Kirin Holdings Company, this is now available to the public. Do not miss the chance to see this wonderful piece.

This special program will feature a commentary of "Nobuhiko Obayashi's Treasure Chest: A Wonderland Imaginary Movie Theater" and a special talk program of the secrets behind its production, the filmmaking methods of Director Nobuhiko Obayashi and the essence ofhis films, speaking to his wife and producer of Obayashi's films, Kyoko Obayashi, his daughter, Chigumi Obayashi, and the muse-like actress of his later works, actress Takako Tokiwa.

The second part of the work of promising young film director Hana Matsumoto. This is a teen movie from Haruna Hori of "Kara no Aji" and "Seventeen, Hokuto Natsu", co-starring Kai Inowaki, the popular star of films such as "Teiichi no Kuni" and "Life and Death on the Shore", and NHK Period Drama "Onna Joushu Naotora", etc.
High school girl Natsuko lives in a country town, and every night in bed worries about the events of the day and leaves voice memos on her mobile phone about people that she cares about. Natsuko goes through each day without being able to find her own dreams or goals, and one day, after skipping an important exam, she goes to Tokyo with classmate Masaya to see a one-night-only performance by a favorite band.

Living a lie.
Aya is 15 years old. This is the year where she should be in her first year of high school. But she has had a history of sometimes going to school and sometimes not going to school, lives in a home that is full to the ceiling with garbage, has no father, and can't remember when she last ate. Her mother never does anything, and her younger brother, Uncle Koji, comes around to play. This is the story of Aya and friends, in the season where outside, the cicadas have stopped making noise. Bang!

In a sunny broadcasting room at a school somewhere, "A" (played by Tsubasa Honda) starts speaking the words of a certain high school girl Hikaru Horie. Caught up in the words "I have no friends", "A" follows the high school life of Hikaru Horie. As the daily lives of other students gradually intersect, the feelings of being bullied during one's youth that can never be repeated become clear.

Nao is looking for a man with a clue about the letter from her late mother. On the journey, she falls in front of a temple, when a Buddhist monk at the temple, Semimaru, helps her. While Nao stays at the temple, she witnesses magical power Semimaru has and mysterious routines Kakuichi, the father of Semimaru, does. Semimaru can hear the voices of the dead and Kakuichi takes dictation in letter form. While she stays with the two, Nao has a time thinking back about her late mother, and finding the truth.

Nago Furuta (Hino Mimura), who lives in a tranquil fishing town in Imizu City in Toyama Prefecture, hopes to move to Tokyo after graduating from high school and have a job in the music industry she has dreamed about. Her desire to move to Tokyo is getting stronger and stronger day by day. The chorus club Nago belongs to is facing the possibility of club disbandment because of the decreasing numbers of club members. Akari Ota (Rika Nakai), the club advisor, as an alumna, wanted to keep the club going, but there is nothing she can do to stop the inevitable, because a chorus club doesn’t fit into the present age. At her third semester of high school year 3, Nago meets Sora Otomo (Aoi Furutate), a transfer student from Tokyo. The cantata sung by the two, Nago and Sora, echoes.
At the sight of Uchikawa Houjyoudu, known as Japanese Venice, Nago, a high school girl who dreams to be a singer meets Sora, a transfer student, who feels uncertain in continuing to play the piano. What will they face and what kind of life will they lead?

At Nakadori Shopping Street in Tsurumi, posters about the Okinawa Sumo Competition, which will be held soon, are put up all over the place. Ryuji, working at a shop selling Okinawa goods centrally located on the street, is about to go for a delivery as usual, when a woman enters the shop. Ryuji looks at her. With products in her hand, she notices the poster and mutters “…register for Okinawa Sumo Competition.” Ryuji responds spontaneously, “Why don’t you join?” She turned around with a smile. This is a story of Okinawa Sumo, love and companionship in a town in Tsurumi, where the cultures of Okinawa and South America meet.

The movie features an elementary student, Sho-chan, whose parents have just got divorced, and a dodgy-looking man, Swan Pops, who has been around a lake nearby for a very long time.
One day, Sho-chan uncovers a past of Swan Pops. Sho-chan then takes action to make Swan Pops confront the past.
A short movie with laughter and tears from Tomakomai, a wonderful city where Mother Nature coexists with industry.

The six of them meet to pay a visit to the grave of their friend. The death was caused by the earthquake. Five are friends from high school and one is a younger colleague from the deceased’s company. They start talking freely at their favorite place, and start walking forward for one’s own sake, and for their friend’s sake.

[Comedy] Tamae Urano (18), a high-school student living in Saitama City, aspires to become a horror film director some day. She unexpectedly receives an offer to direct a promotional video for Saitama City. She plans to make a video in the form of a horror film and begins production, but faces a tough time because of disputes between the Urawa, Omiya and Iwatsuki districts of the city. Will Saitama unite as one team?

Onsen Ryokan "Emiya" is experiencing stagnant business. The reason is because of the landlady cracking too many jokes. The unwanted laughter that she invites has poorly affected the reputation of the Onsen Ryokan. At the same time, entertainer Ono, who causes a violent incident, ends up having to work at "Emiya" before leaving. Other employees attempt to use the laughs generated by the entertainer to spread word about the Ryokan. This leads them to learn about true "omotenashi" hospitality.

Born and raised on Awajishima. Regular office worker Tsuyoshi Yamamoto has never been off the island in this film which depicts half of his life up to marrying off his only daughter.
Just like in the words of the song "Jidai Okure",
"The man in the corner of the bar laments into his drink without complaining to his children or showing tears to his wife"
This clumsy, but loving man is played by Kanpei Hazama and Shintaro Hazama.
This story shows the charms of the islanders, through the life of this man.

A young couple live on an island in Ehime Prefecture. The husband works as a crew on board a domestic vessel. He works for three months on the ship and spends the next month resting on land.
Based on this cycle, he only comes back home three times a year. The wife Akari's life is a repetition of "three months without husband and a month with husband". While her husband is away, she spends her days alone eating the potatos that wives in the neigborhood give her, and going to buy coffee beans from a shop along the coast for her cofee she enjoys every morning. Married for two years now, life with her husband is gradually becoming something special to Akari.
Like always, the husband returns home. Life as a married couple for the first time in three months. Some things are the same, but some change. This is a story about the "special" time spent by the two.

"I'm a princess from a far-off star. Tonight I need to return to my star, so please look for where the sky is most visible" Aoto is swayed by these words from junior high school classmate Suzune.
20 years later. The hidden truth in her words becomes clear.

Set in Ushimado in Okayama Prefecture, against the backdrop of the beautiful Seto Inland Sea is this gentle story of first love.

Emotionally scarred from his life in Tokyo, Makoto Mikami had returned to his hometown Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto Prefecture, leading a dissolute life there. One day, he walks into his old high school while wandering around aimlessly and sees Kenji, his high school buddy who was supposed to have died in an accident. Inspired by his encounter with Kenji, Makoto gathers his former club friends from his high school broadcasting club to resume shooting a film they had been making. The team includes Hachi, a natural airhead, and Mariko who has always been the reliable one, both also living with their own troubles and pain. As Makoto and company continue making their movie to regain their glorious high school days, gradually they win back their lives, but the dream-like time nears its end. This story depicts the pain of living, through a ghost and youth that has come too late.

Kunigamison is located in the northernmost of Okinawa. In the Yanbaru forest, elementary school student Manabu takes his friends Yuna and Hana, and his grandfather Mayor Masahide Ojii who hit his head only to lose his memory except when he was a 5 year old to protect the Okinawa rail. The mayoral inauguration day approaches for Deputy Mayor Maeda who wants to demolish the Okinawa rail facilities to build a resort hotel. The problems continue to pile up as the TV news reports that poachers are in the area... without even a clue as how to proceed, Manabu and his friends face a difficult challenge. Then one day, magazine writer Matsuda and photographer Yano learn of the activities of Manabu and his friends,　come from Tokyo to interview them.
Gori's third film as director of a Local Origination Project film is a suspense comedy of "family love" set in Kunigamison. Will Manabu and his friends be able to save the Okinawa rail? And will the memory of Ojii return?

"IN", directed by Naoki Okada, a current student of the Department of Film Production at Kyoto University of the Arts, and "Sukiyaki Baba Dancing Time", directed by Nagiko Tsuji, a graduate of Kyoto University of the Arts will be screened from the Gion Tenmaku Film Festival, which takes place on the evening of the Gion Festival in the evening of July 15th every year on Shijo Street. There will be a commentary on the Tenmaku Film Festival by current students before the screening of the films. After the screening of the films, there will be some words from directors Okada and Tsuji about watching each other's films.

A self-portrait from the medical field. This is said to be the era in which it is normal to live to be 100 years old, but this film asks if living a long life makes you happy. The writer is 70 years old, and has been working as a nurse for 47 years. The hospital where she works is exclusively for elderly people. It doesn't accept walk in patients. The camera is pointed at patients extending their lives with tubes, and the nurses that provide end-of-life care. This is a film that makes you think about your latter years.

When bears come into residential areas the media makes a fuss, but in Hokkaido there are really big brown bears. The brown bear incident occurred about 100 years ago. A single brown bear attacked several private homes in Tamamae-cho in western Hokkaido, killing 7 pioneers. This only ended when a team was organized to get the bear and shot it dead. This buried case was uncovered through an interview with Moritake Kimura who worked at the forestry office. The creator of this film investigated through him what happened and why.

"Kyoto Machinaka TV - Cinema no Don-tsuki" is a program that introduces films that are thought to be interesting by Toshitaka Watanabe and musician Hiroshi Ban as Kyoto Machinaka Film staff. Please also enjoy the talk between the pair as they discuss interesting points and inside stories about the film!! Don't miss these episodes involving the Chairman of the Film Festival Executive Committee, Hiroshi Ban!

"Bakuretsu! Catastrophic Kyoto Travel Information - Jizo Baka ni Surubekarazu" is a film produced from the voice acting, drawings, art, screenplays, lighting and performances of participants with the two directors from the "Kyoto Machinaka Film Festival 2019 - DIrector Ujicha and Director Takashi Iizuka Workshop" held on December 1, 2019 at the Seiganji Auditorium.

There are many ways to convey the truth of an event to the next generation, and one of those is through singing what is written.
This was the path chosen by the Dialita Choir in uttering the truth of the events they experienced in 1965. Although the lyrics revolve around the beauty of nature, parents, friends and love for the motherland, the Dialita Choir tries to give another perspective in reading the dark history of the event. Besides trying to tell the truth, singing is one way to cure the wounds of stigma and discrimination they have experienced for 53 years.

Owning a piece of land of more than 1000 square meters in An Phu Ward, Thu Thiem, New Urban Project of Ho Chi Minh City, Mrs. Hong, age 74 was lucky enough to have her land lot spared from being razed, while her five children were not. Her only wish now is to be able to keep the land for herself and the children.

This story is about a young disabled Karen ethnic woman named ‘Potato’. In 2014, she was raped by her neighbor, a married man who was later accused over said case. The rape case nonetheless was presented as a seduction suit: one of having unlawful
sexual relations through persuasion. This documentary focuses on a strong-willed Karen ethnic woman and her family who are eager to share this with the female community and who have long suffered in silence to rise up and fight for truth and fair
justice where no-one is above the law.

“That Night” follows the lives of two survivors of the Roxas night market bombing in Davao City, the Philippines on September 2, 2016. It centers on a vendor at the market who was severely injured, and a truck driver whose wife and son died while getting a massage. The film documents the two survivors a year after the tragedy.

“The southern border of Thailand is dangerous, scary, you shouldn’t live there, it’s full of violence.” That how it’s mostly presented in the media. But what is the Southern border really like? This documentary will guide you to another perspective through the eyes of a female-female couple.

Kyoto, 20 years after the disappearance of the movie theater from the "Bokura no Mirai Eigakan" town. Meet a boy from the past who loves movie theaters and feel the enjoyment of going to the movies.

Akiko is a girl who has a modest and shy personality, but wants to be loved by everyone.
At first she tries to become an idol, but she isn't popular and gets frustrated. Then Akiko, who has turned 30, looks for another outlet for approval and gets the courage to apply for a job as a virtual YouTuber.
This is a youth movie set in the world of modern self-realization of "Vtubers".
The heroine Akiko sways between her own potential and evaluating others, with a reciprocal relationship and desire for approval while supporting and being supported by others.

The video was posted on Twitter.
The video captured the moment a person vanished.
In order to capture this phenomenon on camera, the director Hayashi and his cameraman Yoshikawa, of Gossip Video Topics
Company visit the vanishing man, Toru Urao.
Toru Urao had recently lost his job due to the effects of the coronavirus, and is struggling to survive on unemployment insurance and
benefits.
Director Hayashi offers to pay Toru Urao a large sum of money to allow them to shoot the moment he vanishes.
Toru Urao agreed to let them film his hardships and challenges to make ends meet.

An affair between popular young girl's manga artist Shizuku Makino and voice actor Tomotaro Kawamoto is discovered and spread by photographs posted on social media.
The perpetrators of the slander are called by attorneys at the request of Shizuku Makino.
They make various arguments such as quibbling, becoming defiant, and so on. The attorneys have kept something from Makino. As the truth gradually becomes clear, the faces of the perpetrators are revealed...
The director and actor discuss a single theme and create the characters and stories for the program "Movie Creator's Workshop". Shot under conditions of low budget and in a single day. This was a pilot version which was shot in mid-March, and after this a similar social media slander occurred, making this a strangely timely subject. Planning and production on the next episode are in progress

The main character Nozomi Harada has no friends other than the goldfish Kin-chan. One day, she meets a model named Mei who lives in the same apartment complex, but she is rude and doesn't leave Nozomi with a good impression. On the other hand, she begins to think about her colleague Yamazaki when helped at work. One day, Nozomi is on a platform at the station on the way home from work, and is hoping to invite Yamazaki to the summer festival, but then she finds Mei who has fallen down drunk on the platform. Life brings not only people who you get along with, but also many people that you don't. However, because there are so many different people unexpected events can happen, and people that you didn't think you would get along with can make you feel something. This film is about that hope.

Kotomi has withdrawn and is unemployed, living in her parent's living room, when her sister Ikumi makes her participate in "Miss Kiryu", the local beauty pageant.
This also becomes her last chance to beat her sister.

One day, when cleaning the front entrance, an elderly lady can't take her eyes off a passing young man. She mistakenly believes that he is her son…

Akari is waiting at the bus stop on the way home from school as usual, and meets Makiko.
There, Makiko tells her that she wants to tell a boy before graduation that she likes him. She learns that they both like the same boy. Unable to express herself in stuttering words to Makiko she ends up listening to and supporting her desire to confess her love. As she gradually stutters, she doesn't know how to give advice to Makiko. Akari ends up telling Makiko her true feelings, creating distance between the two.

A zombie survival entertainment film that uses the premise of rotten oranges causing the surrounding oranges to rot, with the theme of food waste that occurs before shipping.
By subjectively advancing the story with the main character as an orange, the film aims to transfer emotions to each foodstuff.
It is a little harsh, but it is hoped that by wrapping this story in the sugar-coating of oranges one will be able to feel the message.

Newly hired editor Onoda, at the instructions of one of his seniors at work, has the opportunity to visit the home of a man named Hoshi, a novelist whom Onoda holds in great esteem. As it turns out, however, Hoshi is no longer engaged in the creation of novels. This short comedy film explores the fate of someone at the mercy of the changing times, who despite being long past his peak refuses to give up on his love of writing.
This is a joint production between the members of the Kenshin (Dedication) Theatrical Company, which saw its performances cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Director Yuki Takashima. The undertaking was prompted by “Cheer for Art,” an artistic and cultural activity support project promoted by the Tokyo Metropolitan government. The film portrays the stance of creators unable to pursue their dreams as envisioned, and how they endure such hardship in refusing to forgo those artistic objectives. True to the “Cheer for Art” theme, the story incorporates calls of encouragement to creators like the one portrayed and others in the same field.

The main character Hanae Yarimizu, who lives in Hachioji, Tokyo, goes to the "Hachi-One Marriage Agency", the No. 1 rated agency in Hachioji, to find her ideal partner. However, Hanae isn't good at talking to men and has a lot of weird requirements, and can't decide from photos... So she isn't able to find a match. Seeing this, her counselor suggests a "Peeping date". This is the illegal method of one-sided peeing, watching the private life of the other party. While initially confused, Hanae decides to start "Peeping dating". So will she find her perfect match?

This story is based on a Kabuki’s prologue, "Uirouri". "Uirouri" is famous for its length and the difficulty of saying it quickly, so it’s hard to remember the words. The woman who is the heroine of this story talks too fast and talks too long.
Her boyfriend is fed up with her. He can’t understand what she is talking about, because she talks too fast and that makes no sense, just like "Uirouri".And one day, it sounds like that...
The story progresses through the "eyes" of the boyfriend who is pushed around by her.
This is a strange work that trying to express feelings by using "Uirouri".As you watch, you feel like you might be a “Uirouri” too.

Based on the rakugo story "Aona (Green vegetables)", this work explores what a historical drama is, using modern places and people and minimal props and art.
(Synopsis) The husband of the mansion calls his wife, with the thought of treating the gardener Hattsuan to a meal. The wife then says to the husband, "Ushiwakamaru is here from Kurama, and his name is Kurou Hougan". The husband responds "say that its Yoshitsune". Seeing the meaningful interaction, and worrying about Hattsuan, the husband doesn't have any vegetables and thinking that it's rude says that he is speaking in "hidden words". Hattsuan is impressed and wants to imitate this. He goes home and tells his wife...

Fashion school student Sora has poor chemistry with Eddie, one of her instructors. She can’t seem to get his comments out of her head, and ends up skipping his classes. Hiroto Ando, a teaching assistant who also acts as Eddie’s interpreter, is concerned about Sora’s state of mind. Male classmate Itsuki Narumi is jealous over his perceived sense of intimacy between Sora and Ando, and continues to express his crush on Sora in roundabout means. One day on campus, Eddie harshly criticizes Sora for lack of progress in her school work. Shocked by his words, she falls in a state of hyperventilation, and subsequently shuns attending school altogether. She begins to ponder the question of what creation is, and her own existence. Striving to focus in on single points, she begins to superimpose images of those around her with her own. The resulting task of making comparisons serves only to magnify her pain.

Yuka, a third year college student spends her days drinking with friends and going to see her boyfriend's concerts. Then she meets a young man, Oda, who is a cleaner at the college, and plans to get to know Oda, who is interested in class, but learns a certain fact. This film depicts the issue of harassment and the conflict of college students at the crossroads of life.

Toru works in the underworld to cover the medical expenses of his mother. One day his boss gives him a job. That is to get rid of his senior who has made a mistake. The boss's command is absolute. If he doesn't get rid of his senior he will be killed. But it isn't easy for him to get rid of his senior, who had took him under the his wing since Toru was a newcomer. He is faced with no choice. So what does Toru decide to do...

It is midnight.
This is a story of "regret", and the sadness of what happens at a station on the outskirts of Tokyo.
At a certain station at midnight, the main character Sasaki is reunited with his lover, Ayaka, who he had broken up with a few years earlier.
Despite being confused, the two enjoy a moment in the visions and memories of the past.
Will he be able to tell her "what he couldn't honestly tell her at the time"...
The main character Sasaki is played by Suguru, a freelance actor. Together with Rin Aonami in her first film appearance as the costar Ayaka, his lover, the two spin a wonderful story. For the music, singer-songwriter Ryo Takahashi crafted the theme song, which lightly yet painfully enfolds the drama of the story. This is the first film directed and written by Masashi Sogawa.

A musical actress who has lost her song meets the source of her own strength when she visits a seaside town.
Makiko suffers from sudden hearing loss, and the strong tinnitus takes over so that she cannot sing.
Learning that he auditory cells will all die in about 10 days, Makiko departs for a seaside town where there is a clinic with Dr. Ryo, who performs daring thalassotherapy. Makiko had loved to dance since she was a young child. But in her girlhood, she began to suppress her love of singing, wanting her father to praise her dancing. Recalling the past, she arrives at the seaside town holding on to a hope for healing, but Ryo isn't performing the treatment anymore. He is deaf in both ears.

Portrayal of a boy and girl who are school classmates. The pair chat during their time at the swimming pool, with memories of that exchange constantly emerging in the boy’s mind. A tender story of cherished and unforgettable youthful moments.

Ami is a student at an art university who lives at her grandfather’s home free of room and board. In contrast to Ami, who is steadily blooming into adulthood, her grandfather is growing increasingly senile and regressing into a childlike state. In time, the sensitivities of the pair come to overlap.

After the war, the spread of the virus led to the isolation of infected people and carriers.
They were placed in the ZOB district.
People from the outside world come to the ZOB area where a unique own culture has been developed.
And we learn that their ethics on human death are unique.

Two sisters live together in an apartment. One afternoon, struggling actress Yoko gets help from elder sister Michiko to read over a script. As the practice gets heated and Yoko suggests an improvisation, two sisters find themselves getting lost between the reality and acting.

Taktato Nogami is a 14-year-old boy locked in a desperate struggle based on his understanding that only he is capable of protecting his mother from the unrelenting domestic violence of his father Hisayuki. One morning, Takato awakes to find his father dead right before his eyes. An investigating police detective informs him that his mother Kayo has been arrested as a suspect in the death. Although Takato is in total denial of this accusation, he is informed that his mother has already confessed and is waiting to be officially charged. With Kayo refusing his visits, Takato is unable to ask her any questions. With that, he launches a frantic effort to prove his mother’s innocence. As the investigation unfolds, the truth steadily comes to light. Within these emerging facts is a message from his mother that Takato could not possibly have known. A story of tragedy and love befalling a certain family.