The Singapore Japanese Film Festival 2018 lineup & schedule

The Singapore Japanese Film Festival is back this year after a hiatus of more than one year and it seems like the absence is well-justified probably because the organisers managed to assemble such an interesting line-up of films, some of them being as new as shown in Japan just last year. One major change this year is the removal of free screenings i.e. all screenings need tickets (SGD 13 each). In addition, there seems to be no discounts even for multiple ticket purchases. The venue for all screenings will be at the National Museum's Gallery Theatre which I quite like because of its central location and fine condition of the theatre. If you like Japanese movies and are in Singapore or happen to be here next month, do support this film festival so that it can continue to be held in future. Moreover, some of these films will probably never make it to a commercial release in our cinemas here so you definitely shouldn't miss the chance to catch them.

For more information on the films such as the storyline, you may wish to click on the tabs of the movies' titles at the bottom of this post as I had covered some of them before on this blog or the links to the titles in this post which will bring you to the film festival's site. All movies have English subtitles and are uncut but some of them have restricted ratings (NC16, M18 or R21) so unless indicated otherwise, the movie's rating is PG. Please check this before purchasing tickets especially if you happen to be underage.

Winners of the 26th Japan Movie Critics Award

Best Movie: Yu wo wakasu hodo atsui ai

Best Director: Nakano Ryota (Yu wo wakasu hodo atsui ai)

Best Leading Actor: Kobayashi Kaoru (Zoku Shinya Shokudou)

Best Leading Actress: Miyazawa Rie (Yu wo wakasu hodo atsui ai)

Best Supporting Actor: Higashide Masahiro (Satoshi no Seishun)

Best Supporting Actress: Sugisaki Hana (Yu wo wakasu hodo atsui ai)

Best Newcomer (Komori Kazuko Award): Takahata Mitsuki (Shokubutsu Zukan Unmei no Koi, Hiroimashita)

Best Newcomer (Minami Toshiko Award): Iwata Takanori (Shokubutsu Zukan Unmei no Koi, Hiroimashita)

Best New Director: Shoji Hiroshi (Ken to Kazu)

Golden Glory Award (Mizuno Haruo Award): Komatsu Masao & Naraoka Tomoko

Diamond Award (Yodogawa Nagaharu Award): Kiki Kirin

Best Editing: Hogaki Junnosuke (Chihayafuru)

Best Script: Nishikawa Miwa (Nagai Iiwake)

Best Movie Music: Kako Takashi (Everest Kamigami no Itadaki)

Best Cinematography: Kita Nobuyasu (Everest Kamigami no Itadaki)

Best Documentary: Hibi Yuichi (Ken-san)

Special Award: Sato Tadao - movie critic

Best Anime Movie: Koe no Katachi

Best Anime Film Director: Shinkai Makoto (Kimi no na wa)

Best Voice Actor: Nozawa Masako (Kaze no you ni)

Diamond Award for Anime Category: Matsumoto Reiji

Source: Japan Movie Critics Award

Winners at the prize-giving ceremony of the 40th Nippon Academy Awards

The prize-giving ceremony of the 40th Nippon Academy Awards was held at Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa Kokusaikan Pamiiru on 3 March with "Shin Godzilla" being the biggest winner with 7 titles. Here is the list of winners:

Best Movie: Shin Godzilla

Best Director: Anno Hideaki & Higuchi Shinji (Shin Godzilla)

Best Leading Actor: Sato Koichi (64 Rokuyon Zenpen)

Best Leading Actress: Miyazawa Rie (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Supporting Actor: Tsumabuki Satoshi (Ikari)

Best Supporting Actress: Sugisaki Hana (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Script: Shinkai Makoto (Kimi no na wa)

Best Photography: Yamada Kosuke (Shin Godzilla)

Best Lighting: Kawabe Takayuki (Shin Godzilla)

Best Art: Hayashida Yuji & Sakushima Eri (Shin Godzilla)

Best Sound: Nakamura Jun & Yamada Haru (Shin Godzilla)

Best Editing: Anno Hideaki & Sato Atsuki (Shin Godzilla)

Best Music: RADWIMPS (Kimi no na wa)

Best Foreign Movie: Sully

Best Animation Film: Kono sekai no katasumi ni

Newcomer Awards: Sugisaki Hana, Takahata Mitsuki, Hashimoto Kanna, Iwata Takanori, Sakaguchi Kentaro, Sakumoto Takara, Chiba Yuudai & Mackenyu

Most Talked About Movie Award: Kimi no wa na

Most Talked About Actor Award: Iwata Takanori

Sources: Eiga.com / Oricon

Winners of the 90th Kinema Junpo Best Ten Awards (2016)

Best Japanese Movie: Kono sekai no katasumi ni

Best Foreign Movie: Sully

Best Cultural Movie: Futari no Tougenkyou

Best Leading Actor: Yagira Yuuya (Distraction Babies)

Best Leading Actress: Miyazawa Rie (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Supporting Actor: Takehara Pistol (Nagai Iiwake)

Best Supporting Actress: Sugisaki Hana (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Male Newcomer: Murakami Nijiro (Distraction Babies)

Best Female Newcomer: Komatsu Nana (Oboreru Knife / Distraction Babies)

Best Director: Katabuchi Sunao (Kono sekai no katasumi ni)

Best Script: Anno Hideaki (Shin Godzilla)

Best Foreign Movie Director: Clint Eastwood (Sully)

Best Japanese Movie Director as voted by readers: Katabuchi Sunao (Kono sekai no katasumi ni)

Best Foreign Movie Director as voted by readers: Clint Eastwood (Sully)

Kinema Junpo Readers Award: Kawamoto Saburo (Eiga wo mireba wakaru koto)

Source: Oricon

Winners of the 59th Blue Ribbon Awards (2016)

Best Movie: Shin Godzilla

Best Director: Katabuchi Sunao (Kono sekai no katasumi ni)

Best Leading Actor: Matsuyama Kenichi (Chinyuuki /  Satoshi no Seishun)

Best Leading Actress: Ootake Shinobu (Gosaigyou no Onna)

Best Supporting Actor: Lily Frankie (Onna ga nemuru toki / Umi yori mo mada fukaku / Nijuu Seikatsu / Himitsu THE TOP SECRET / SCOOP! / Otousan to Itou-san / Satoshi no Seishun)

Best Supporting Actress: Sugisaki Hana (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Newcomer: Okamura Izumi (Gymnopedies ni midareru)

Special Award: Kimi no na wa

Best Foreign Movie: Rogue One Star Wars Story

Top 10 Japanese movies (in alphabetical order)
Ikari
Kimi no na wa
Gosaigyou no Onna
Satoshi no Seishun
Shin Godzilla
SCOOP!
Nagai Iiwake
Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai
Rip van Winkle no Hanayome
64 - Rokuyon -

Top 10 Foreign movies (there are 11 listed here as two movies ranked at No.10 had the same score)
The Martian
Carol
Suicide Squad
Zootopia
Spotlight
Trumbo
Sully
Bridge of Spies
The Danish Girl
The Revenant
Rogue One Star Wars Story

Source: Cinema Today

Winners of the 26th Tokyo Sports Movie Awards (2016)

Best Movie: Kono sekai no katasumi ni

Best Director: Anno Hideaki & Higuchi Shinji (Shin Godzilla)

Best Leading Actor: Miura Tomokazu (Katsuragi Jiken)

Best Leading Actress: Miyazawa Rie (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Supporting Actor: Ayano Go (Ikari) / Suda Masaki (Distraction Babies etc.)

Best Supporting Actress: Hirose Suzu (Ikari)

Best Newcomer: Sugisaki Hana (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Foreign Film: Sully

Special Credit Award: the late Koyama Shigeru

Source: Cinefil

Excellence award winners for the 40th Nippon Academy Awards (2016)

Unlike other movie awards which tend to refer to those in the running as nominees, the Nippon Academy Awards gives them excellence awards instead and chooses the best among them which will be announced during the prize giving ceremony. Effectively, this means that every nominee actually gets to be presented with an excellence award although there is only one in each category to be crowned the best. In this list announced for the 40th Nippon Academy Awards, Ikari is the biggest "winner" with 12 awards in 11 categories (newcomer category not counted).

The prize giving ceremony will be held on 3 March and hosted by Nishida Toshiyuki who is the vice chairman of the organising committee and has done this for four years in a row and Ando Sakura who was the best leading actress last year.

Films must meet the following criteria in order to be considered for entry:
- Shown in commercial cinemas within the Tokyo area between 16 December 2015 and 15 December 2016 for a fee
- Screenings must be held more than thrice a day and shown for more than 2 weeks
- Films must be longer than 40 minutes

Here is the list of excellence award winners for each category:

Best Movie
Ikari
Kazoku wa tsurai yo
Shin Godzilla
Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai
64 Rokuyon Zenpen

Best Animation
Kimi no na wa
Koe no katachi
Kono sekai no katasumi ni
Rudolf to Ippai Attena
ONE PIECE FILM GOLD

Best Director
Anno Hideaki / Higuchi Shinji (Shin Godzilla)
Shinkai Makoto (Kimi no na wa)
Zeze Takahisa (64 Rokuyon Zenpen)
Nakano Ryota (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)
Lee Sang-il (Ikari)

Best Leading Actor
Ayano Go (Nihon de Ichiban Warui Yatsura)
Okada Junichi (Kaizoku to yobareta otoko)
Sato Koichi (64 Rokuyon Zenpen)
Hasegawa Hiroki (Shin Godzilla)
Matsuyama Kenichi (Satoshi no Seishun)

Best Leading Actress
Ootake Shinobu (Gosaigyou no Onna)
Kuroki Haru (Rip van Winkle no Hanayome)
Hirose Suzu (Chihayafuru - Kami no ku -)
Miyazaki Aoi (Ikari)
Miyazawa Rie (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Supporting Actor
Takehara Pistol (Nagai Iiwake)
Tsumabuki Satoshi (Ikari)
Higashide Masahiro (Satoshi no Seishun)
Moriyama Mirai (Ikari)
Lily Frankie (SCOOP!)

Best Supporting Actress
Ishihara Satomi (Shin Godzilla)
Ichikawa Mikako (Shin Godzilla)
Sugisaki Hana (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)
Hirose Suzu (Ikari)
Miyazaki Aoi (Birthday Card)

Newcomer Awards
Sugisaki Hana (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)
Takahata Mitsuki (Shokubutsu Zukan Unmei no Koi, hiroimashita)
Hashimoto Kanna (Sailorfuku to kikanjuu - Sotsugyou -)
Iwata Takanori (Shokubutsu Zukan Unmei no Koi, hiroimashita)
Sakaguchi Kentaro (64 Rokuyon Zenpen / 64 Rokuyon Gohen)
Sakumoto Takara (Ikari)
Chiba Yuudai (Dono, Risoku de gozaru!)
Mackenyuu (Chihayafuru - Kami no Ku - / Chihayafuku - Shimo no Ku -)

Source: Oricon

The 90th Kinema Junpo Best 10 Japanese movies of 2016 (Judges' choice)

1) Kono sekai no katasumi ni

2) Shin Godzilla

3) Fuchi ni tatsu

4) Distraction Babies

5) Nagai Iiwake

6) Rip van Winkle no Hanayome

7) Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai

8) Creepy Itsuwari no Rinjin

9) Over Fence

10) Ikari

Source: Kinema Junpo

Winners of the 29th Nikkansports Movie Award / Ishihara Yujiro Award (2016)

Here is the list of winners for the 29th Nikkansports Movie Award and Ishihara Yujiro Award. The award ceremony will be held at Hotel New Otani on 28 Decenber:

Best Movie: 64 Rokuyon

Best Director: Shinkai Makoto (Kimi no na wa)

Best Leading Actor: Sato Koichi (64 Rokuyon)

Best Leading Actress: Miyazawa Rie (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Supporting Actor: Tsumabuki Satoshi (Ikari / Museum)

Best Supporting Actress: Miyazaki Aoi (Ikari / Sekai kara neko ga kieta nara)

Best Newcomer: Arimura Kasumi (Nanimono / Natsumi no Hotaru)

Ishihara Yujiro Award: Saraba Abunai Deka

Best Foreign Movie: Spotlight

Source: Nikkansports

Individual winners of the 38th Yokohama Film Festival's Japanese Movie Awards

Best Movie: Kono sekai no katasumi ni

Best Director: Nakano Ryota (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Morita Yoshimitsu Memorial Best New Director: Mariko Tetsuya (Distraction Babies) / Sugiyama Yasukazu (No Youna mono No youna mono)

Best Script: Nakano Ryota (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Photography: Sasaki Yasuyuki (Distraction Babies)

Best Leading Actor: Miura Tomokazu (Katsuragi Jiken) / Yagira Yuuya (Distraction Babies)

Best Leading Actress: Tsutsui Mariko (Fuchi ni tatsu)

Best Supporting Actor: Suda Masaki (Distraction Babies)

Best Supporting Actress: Sugisaki  Hana (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Newcomer: Taiga (Fuchi ni tatsu) / Komatsu Nana (Distraction Babies) / Murakami Nijiro (Distraction Babies)

Judges Special Award: Non (Kono sekai no katasumi ni)

Special Award: Anno Hideaki (Shin Godzilla)

Source: Yokohama Film Festival

Top 10 best movies of 2016 as selected by Yokohama Film Festival

1) Kono sekai no katasumi ni

2) Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai

3) Distraction Babies

4) Shin Godzilla

5) Nagai Iiwake

6) Fuchi ni tatsu

7) Ikari

8) Satoshi no Seishun

9) Katsuragi Jiken

10) Kimi no na wa

Source: Yokohama Film Festival

Winners of the 41st Hochi Movie Awards (2016)

Best Movie: Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai

Best Director: Lee Sang-il (Ikari)

Best Leading Actor: Miura Tomokazu (Katsuragi Jiken)

Best Leading Actress: Miyazawa Rie (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Supporting Actor: Ayano Go (64 Rokuyon / Ikari / Rip van Winkle no Hanayome)

Best Supporting Actress: Sugisaki Hana (Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai)

Best Newcomer: Iwata Takanori - Shokubutsu Zukan / Nakano Ryota (director) - Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai

Best Foreign Movie: Creed

Special Award: Kimi no na wa (director Shinkai Makoto)

Source: Yomiuri Hochi

Actress-singer Lily passes away due to lung cancer

Actress-singer Lily passed away in the morning of 11 November due to lung cancer as announced by her agency. She was 64 years old. Her funeral will be attended by family members and close acquaintances only in accordance to her wishes.

Lily whose real name was Kamata Saeko, made her debut as a singer in 1972 with the album "Tamanegi" and had released hit singles such as 1974's "Watashi wa naiteimasu" and 1976's Orenji mura kara haru e". As an actress, she had appeared in movies such as "Natsu no Imouto" in 1972 and "Shoukei Yuugi" in 1979. She took a break from 1983 to 1995 due to marriage and childbirth. Lily's latest appearance in a movie was in "Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai" starring Miyazawa Rie which is currently showing in cinemas. Her son JUON is the vocalist of band FUZZY CONTROL and the husband of DREAMS COME TRUE's Yoshida Miwa. Prior to her death, Lily was resting due to her lung cancer condition.

JUON wrote on his Twitter page that his mother passed away at a ROCK time of 6.09am today (the digits 6 and 9 rhyme with rock in Japanese) and referred to her as the person who taught him what it means to love. From now on, his mother will continue living in his heart and he will work hard to make music which can reach out to everyone's hearts. He also thanked Lily for giving him his name Juon (means the sound of trees in Japanese Kanji).

Sources: Oricon 1 / Oricon 2 / Oricon 3

First-day-screening event of new movie "Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai"

The first-day-screening event of new movie "Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai" was held at Shinjuku Wald 9 on 29 October which was attended by the director Nakano Ryota and cast members Miyazawa Rie, Odagiri Jo, Sugisaki Hana, Matsuzaka Toori and Ito Aoi. The movie which is the director's first commercial film, features Miyazawa in the lead role of Futaba who is diagnosed with terminal cancer and told that she only has two months left to live. Instead of wallowing in self pity, Futaba springs into action to prepare her daughter Azumi (Sugisaki) for the inevitable and make her become more independent. In addition, she gets her missing husband Kazuhiro (Odagiri) back after he disappeared mysteriously one year ago and they try to resurrect their family business i.e. a public bathhouse "Sachi no Yu" which had been closed all this while.

Miyazawa commented that she was rather emotional when filming this movie as her own mother had also died of cancer so she felt as if she was being put through a test by having to play Futaba. Despite the fact that this role required her to use more energy than usual, she was happy to be surrounded by her wonderful co-stars and spent a wonderful time with them. As such, she is thankful for the fact that she managed to act in this movie and hopes that those who watch it will begin to see their world in a more positive light.

Miyazawa also revealed that the staff had high expectations of them and would try to encourage the cast every morning before filming started which made them try their best to do well every day. Even though acting itself is living in a fictional world, the cast were fully immersed in their roles so the story felt real to them as time went by. Sugisaki also chipped in to say that she hardly felt like she was acting and was just reacting as the story developed so she is very honoured to be a part of this production.

Director Nakano revealed that he's a rather laidback person and it took him 19 years and 7 months since he came to Tokyo before he made his first commercial film. However, he didn't think that the time he spent was in vain as this period was precisely what made it possible for him to produce this movie now. He also praised his cast for delivering a performance better than he expected and expressed his joy as a director to have met them.

Upon hearing all these comments, Odagiri joked that he wasn't sure what he should say and simply commented that he was filled with so many thoughts in his heart and couldn't say anything. This made Miyazawa "scold" him that he should perform better since this was their first-day-screening event after all. Odagiri then followed up by saying that he was very sure that the movie is a good one and praised Miyazawa's acting which he saw on the set. In response, Miyazawa said that he shouldn't have been watching her since they were acting together anyway.

Miyazawa who was recently reported to be dating V6's Morita Go in the 27th October issue of "Shuukan Shincho", did not respond to questions about this from the media as she left the cinema theatre. Miyazawa and Morita worked together in the stage play "Biniiru no Shiro" in August this year and were caught on a date in Daikanyama before returning to her house for the time. Their agencies both commented that they will leave things to the two of them since this is a private matter.

Sources: Oricon / Nikkansports / Sponichi / Eiga.com

Completion screening event of new movie "Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ai"

The completion screening event of new movie "Yu wo wakasu hodo no atsui ni" (A love that's hot enough to make water boil) was held on 20 September which was attended by the director Nakano Ryota and cast members Miyazawa Rie, Matsuzawa Toori, Sugisaki Hana, Shinohara Yukiko, Suruga Taro and Ito Aoi. Odagiri Jo was absent from the event as he was overseas for filming.

The movie which is Nakano's first commercial film, features Miyazawa as a mother who is told by the doctor that she is critically ill with terminal cancer and only has two more months to live. Instead of wallowing in self pity, she decides to take action in helping her family prepare for the aftermath of her impending departure by searching for her husband Kazuhiro (Odagiri) who had been missing for a year, resurrecting the family business of a public bath named Sachi no Yu and helping her only daughter (Sugisaki) to stand up against those people who bully her at school.

Miyazawa commented when she read the script, she was impressed with how good it is and that she would regret it if she didn't take on the role. As a result of the hard work from everyone from the cast to the staff, they were finally able to present the result to everyone so she was touched and felt like crying. As Miyazawa is of the same age as Nakano, she felt that she was even more obligated to support him as an actress and praised him for his debut work. Nakano revealed that Miyazawa had told him before that since the script and cast lineup are so good, there was no way that the movie would be boring. However, if Nakano did not do a good job, Miyazawa "threatened" to set him on fire. As such, Nakano called upon the audience to tell Miyazawa if they found the movie to be good. Miyazawa also said that the movie emphasizes that life and health are not to be taken for granted and hopes that the audience will probably see each day differently in a more positive light after watching the film.

As for Sugisaki who plays Miyazawa's daughter in the movie, she revealed that she was honoured yet very nervous to be working with the latter. Thankfully, Miyazawa gave Sugisaki the confidence and assurance that she needed by talking to her so Sugisaki was very grateful for what she did and hoped to be able to call her Mother again.

The movie will be screened in cinemas from 29 October.

Sources: Nikkansports / Oricon / Eiga.com