JAPAN - January 17

PRE-PRODUCTION

TOUCH
(Toho)Dist (Jap): Toho. Based on a hit comic book, a feel-good love story of highschool students. Prod: Hideyuki Honma. Dir: Isshin Inudo. Main cast: MasamiNagasawa . Shooting starts in Japan in late March 2005.
Contact: Toho, (81) 33213 6821

YAMATO (OTOKOTACHI NO YAMATO)
(Toei)Dist (Jap): Toei. Drama. Based on the real tale of the crews on a supersubmarine Yamato in World War II. Exec prod: Haruki Kadokawa, Sunao Sakagami.Dir: Junya Sato. Shooting starts in Japan in Spring 2005.
Contact: Toei, (81) 33535 7621

YOKKA KAN NO KISEKI
(Toei)Backer:Toei. Int'l sales: Toei. Dist (Jap): Toei. Fantasy. Based on the best-sellernovel about a former pianist who lost his fingers in an accident and his adapteddaughter who suffers from a brain damage. Dir: Kiyoshi Sasabe. Main cast: YurikoIshida, Hidetaka Yoshioka. Shooting starts in Japan from late January 2005.
Contact: Toei, (81) 33535 7621

WARAU MICHAEL
(NiceDay) Backers: MIcott & Basara, Geneon Entertainment, Nice Day. Int'l sales:Geneon Entertainment. Dist (Jap): Albatoros Film. Hilarious tale of a group ofworking class girls happen to find themselves in an upper class private highschool. Exec prod: Sumiji Miyake. Prods: Dai Miyazaki, Issey Shibata. Dir: IsseiOda. Scr: Genki Yoshimura, Issei Oda. DoP: Hirofumi Okada. Main cast: Juri Ueno.Shooting in Japan from February to March 2005.
Contact: Micott & Basara, intl@micott.jp

IN PRODUCTION

ALWAYS~SANCHOME NO KISEKI
(NihonTV, Robot, Shogakukan, Vap, Toho, Dentsu, Yomiuri TV, Shirogumi, Imagica) Backers:Nihon TV, Robot, Shogakukan, Vap, Toho, Dentsu, Yomiuri TV, Shirogumi, Imagica.Dist (Jap): Toho. Drama. A heartwarming story about a family and theirneighbors living in an old town in Tokyo in the late1950s. Exec prods: HideshiAbe, Seiji Okuda. Prods: Motohiro Ando, Keiichiro Moriya, Nozomu Takahashi. Dir:Takashi Yamazaki. Scr: Takashi Yamazaki. Main cast: Shinichi Tsutsumi, HirokoYakushimaru, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Koyuki, Maki Horikita. Shooting in Japan untillate January 2005.
Contact: Toho, (81) 33213 6821

BIG RIVER
(BigRiver Inc.) Drama. Set in Arizona, USA, a friendship between a Pakistani manwho searches for his missing wife and daughter, a young Japanese backpacker whofalls in love with a beautiful American girl. Dir: Atsushi Funahashi. Scr:Atsushi Funahashi, Eric Van Den Brulle. DoP: Eric Van Den Brulle . Shooting inArizona, USA from early January to early February 2005.
Contact: Office Kitano, (81) 35572 7099

CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST (HACHIGATSU NOCHRISTMAS)
(Micott& Basara) Backers: Micott & Basara, Office Augusta, King Record, S.D.P.Int'l sales: Micott & Basara. Dist (Jap): Toshiba Entertainment. A remakeof a hit Korean film, Christmas In August. A love story between a youngbeautiful teacher and a small photo studio owner who has only six months tolive. Exec prod: Sumiji MIyake. Prods: Machiko Komatsu, Ryoji Chimuri. Dir: ShunichiNagasaki. Scr: Shunichi Nagasaki. Main cast: Masayoshi Yamazaki, Megumi Seki,Naomi Nishida. Release date: Spring 2005.
Contact: Karsten Kuestner / Machiko Komatsu, Micott&Basara, (81) 3 37174477, komatsu@micott.jp

DAITEIDEN NO YORUNI
(AsmikAce Entertainment) Backer: Asmik Ace Entertainment. Int'l sales: Asmik AceEntertainment. Dist (Jap): Asmik Ace Entertainment. Drama. What if the powerwent down in Tokyo on the Christmas Eve' A fantasy story about twelve miracleshappen to the people in Tokyo in the darkness. Prods: Miyako Arai. Dir: TakashiMinamoto. Scr: Carruades. Shooting in Japan until late January 2005.
Contact: Asmik Ace Entertainment, (81) 35413 4354

IT'S ONLY TALK
(StudioThree) Budget: US$1m. Backers: CinaQuanon, Happinet Pictures, Eisei Gekijo.Int'l sales:Gold View. Dist (Jap):CineQuanon. Drama. A heartwarming drama abouta woman in her mid-thirties who experiences the loss of her parents and herboyfriend, though continues living positively. Prod: Akira Morishige. Dir:RyuichiHiroki. Scr:Haruhiko Arai. DoP:Kazuhiro Suzuki. Main cast: Shinobu Terashima,Etsushi Toyokawa, Tomoroo Tahuchi.
Contact: Kiyo Joo, Gold View, (81) 35347 2501, kiyo@goldview.co.jp

POST-PRODUCTION

ASHURAJO NO HITOMI
(Shochiku)Budget: $8m. Int'l sales: Shochiku. Dist (Jap): Shochiku. Samurai action drama.A samurai battles with monsters that haunt ancient capital Edo. Prod: HideshiMiyajima. Dir: Yojiro Takita. Scr: Haru Kawaguchi. DoP: Katsumi Yanagishima.Main cast: Somegoro Ichikawa, Rie Miyazawa, Atsuro Watanabe, Kanako Higuchi.Release date: Spring 2005.
Contact: Kiwamu Sato, Shochiku, (81) 35550 1623

FEMALE
(Amuse) Backers:Sega, Amuse, Micott & Basara, Japan Digital Contents, Mobcast. Int'l sales:Micott & Basara. Dist (Jap): Toshiba Entertainment. Drama. The latest installmentof a hit omnibus short film series, Jam Films. Japan's five leading directors portraydramatic stories of women. Exec prods:Shinya Kawai, Munehiro Umemura, Sumiji Miyake, Kazuhide Hamada, Koki Yabu. Prod:Shusaku Matsuoka. Dir: Tetsuo Shinohara, Shinya Tsukamoto, Miwa Nishikawa, RyuichiHiroki, Suzuki Matsuo. Scr: Bum Brothers, Shinya Tsukamoto, Miwa Nishikawa, ShotaroOikawa, Suzuki Matsuo. DoP: Syogo Ueno, Shinya Tsukamoto, Yutaka Yamazaki,Kazuhiro Suzuki, Toshiyasu Yamanaka. Main cast: Kyoko Hasegawa, Eri Ishida,Nene Ohtsuka, Chihiro Otsuka, Saki Takaoka. Release date: Summer 2005.
Contact: Karsten Kuestner / Machiko Komatsu, Micott&Basara, (81) 3 37174477, komatsu@micott.jp

THE GREAT GOBLIN WAR (YOKAIDAISENSO)
(KadokawaPictures) Budget: Y1.3b. Int'l sales: Kadokawa Pictures. Dist (Jap): Shochiku.Sci-Fi fantasy. Harry Potter like Sci-Fi fantasy about a young boy who fights againstgoblins to save Japan with a magical sword. Exec prod: Tsuguhiko Kadokawa.Prods: Fumio Inoue, Shun Shimizu. Dir: Takashi Miike. Scr: Takashi Miike,Mitsuhiko Sawamura, Takehiko Itakura. DoP: Hideo Yamamoto. Main cast: RyunosukeKamiki, Kaho Minami, Bunta Sugawara, Chiaki Kuriyama, Hiroyuki Miyawako.
Contact: Nobuhiko Kurosu, KadokawaPictures, (81) 35229 2075, kurosu@kadokawa-pictures.com

HAKASE NO AISHITA SUSHIKI
(AsmikAce Entertainment) Backers: Asmik Ace Entertainment. Int'l sales: Asmik AceEntertainment. Dist (Jap): Asmik Ace Entertainment. Drama. A heartwarming storyabout a retired mathematician who suffers from a memory loss and his young housemaidand her son. Prods: Miyako Arai. Dir: Takashi Koizumi. Scr: Yoko Ogawa. Maincast: Akira Terao, Eri Fukatsu, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Ruriko Asaoka.
Contact: Asmik Ace Entertainment, (81) 35413 4354

LITTLE RANDY AND SHINING BOY(Working Title)
(CineBazaar) Budget: Y550m. Backers: Fuji TV, Toho, S.D.P. Int'l sales: Fuji TV.Dist (Jap): Toho. Drama. A story about a young boy who goes on a program inThailand to be a professional elephant trainer. Exec prod: Chihiro Kameyama.Prods: Hiroyoshi Koiwai, Kazutoshi Wadakura. Dir: Shunsaku Kawake. Scr: SumioOmori. DoP: Hiroshi Takase. Main cast: Yuuya Yagira.
Contact: Mina Mita, Fuji Television Network, (81) 35500 8294, minako.mita@fujitv.co.jp

MAISON DE HIMIKO
(AsmikAce Entertainment, IMJ Entertainment) Backers: Asmik Ace Entertainment, IMJEntertainment, Nihon TV, S.D.P, Cultural Publishers. Int'l sales: Asmik AceEntertainment. Dist (Jap): Asmik Ace Entertainment. Drama. A story about ayoung girl who hates her father for being gay. With the help of the father'sboyfriend, the daughter comes closer to her father who suffers from a terminalillness. Prods: Osamu Kubota, Shinji Ogawa. Dir: Isshin Inudo. Scr: AyaWatanabe. DoP: Takahiro Tsutai. Main cast: Joe Odagiri, Kou Shibazaki, MinTanaka, Torauemon Utazawa, Kira Aoyama.
Contact: Asmik Ace Entertainment, (81) 35413 4354

NEGOTIATOR (Working Title)
(Robot)Budget: Y500m. Backers: Negotiator Production Committee. Int'l sales: Fuji TV.Dist (Jap): Toho. Action thriller. Spin-off of the mega hit title, BaysideShakedown 2. The story about a negotiator who faces a subway hijack in Tokyo.Exec prod: Chihiro Kameyama. Prod: Hirotsugu Usui. Dir: Katsuyuki Motohiro.Scr: Seiji Sogo. DoP: Akira Sakou. Main cast: Yusuke Santa Maria, Miki Mizuno.Release date: May 2005.
Contact: Mina Mita, Fuji Television Network, (81) 35500 8294, minako.mita@fujitv.co.jp

NIRAI KANAI KARA NO TEGAMI
(Welco)Backers: Ergo Brains, Visual Art Kenkyujyo, IMJ Entertainment. Dist (Jap): IMJEntertainment, Xanadeux. Drama. Heartwarming story about a daughter who goes insearch for the mother with whom she has been keep in touch only by letters. Execprod: Masahiro Izutsu. Prods: Takashi Takenouchi, Yoshinori Wakisaka, HiroakiMiki. Dir: Naoto Kumazawa. Scr: Naoto Kumazawa. DoP: Masayuki Fujii. Main cast:You Aoi, Susumu Taira, Kaho Minami, Yuta Kanai, Hitomi Kawai. Release date: Spring2005.
Contact: Xanadeux, (81) 33288 3300

SEMISHIGURE
(TohoDentsu, Sedic International, K-7, Juneon Entertainment) Budget: Backers: TohoDentsu, Sedic International, K-7, Jeneon Entertainment. Dist (Jap): Toho. LoveStory. A young samurai warrior struggles to make his life in the battles withinrural powers. Dir: Mitsuo Kurotsuchi. DoP: Junichi Tozawa. Main cast: SomegoroIchikawa, Yoshino Kimura, Ryo Fukawa, Koji Imada, Mieko Harada.
Contact: Toho, (81) 33213 6821

SHINOBI
(Shochiku)Int'l sales: Shochiku. Dist (Jap): Shochiku. Ninja action. Set in the early17th century in Japan, a tragic love story of a young couple from the twodifferent ninja families fighting over to rule the country. Dir: Ten Shimoyama.Main cast: Yukie Nakama, Joe Odagiri, Teppei Shiina, Yuka Kurotani. Releasedate: Autumn 2005 .
Contact: Kiwamu Sato, Shochiku, (81) 35550 1623

STARFISH HOTEL
(100meterfilms)Budget: US$1.1m. Backers: 100meterfilms, Kadokawa Trust of Fund forPublishing-Business Promotion. Int'l sales: Onoma  (France). Dist(Jap): Angel Cinema. Thriller. A story of a man whose wife mysterious goesmissing forcing he himself to step into Tokyo's underground sex industry andsolve a murder case. Exec prod: Martin Rycroft. Prods: Rob Maillard, TsuyoshiToyama. Dir:John Williams. Scr: John Williams. DoP: Benito Strangio.
Contact: Rod Maillard, 100meterfilms, (81)33358 3411, info@100meterfilms.com

RAMPO JIGOKU
(Micott& Basara) Int'l sales: Kadokawa Pictures. Thriller. Four short features basedon the stories written by Japan痴 biggest mystery writer of the 20th century, RampoEdogawa. Exec prod: Sumiji Miyake. Prod: Dai Miyazaki. Dir: Suguru Takeuchi,Akio Jissoji, Hisayasu Sato, Atsuhi Kaneko. Scr: Suguru Takeuchi, AkioSatsukawa, Sirou Yumeno, Atsushi Kaneko. Main cast: Tadanobu Asano. Releasedate: Spring 2006.
Contact: Nobuhiko Kurosu, KadokawaPictures, (81) 35229 2075, kurosu@kadokawa-pictures.com

WOOL 100%
(PyramidFilm) Budget:Y100m. Backers: Klockworx, Pyramid Film, Sojitz Corporation. Int'lsales: Klockworx. Dist (Jap):Klockworx. Drama. Old sisters living together in arun-down house with full of garbage, happen to find a ball of mysterious redwool. Prods: Kazuhiko Yusa, MasahiroHarada. Dir: Mai Tominaga. Scr: Mai Tominaga. DoP: Satoshi Seno. Main cast: AiKitaura, Kyoko Kishida, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Toshiro Miyata, Tiara. Release date: Spring2005.
Contact: Kanako Koido, Klockworx, (81) 35720 7791, kana@klockworx.com