JAPAN Production listings - September 29 2003

BOKUNO CHIKYU WA AOKATTA
(Rumble Fish) Int'l sales: Rumble Fish. Human drama. A boy, whose brother mysteriously disappeared, goes on a search for his sibling and his own identity. Prod: Takenori Sento. Dir: Hitoshi Yazaki. Shooting in Japan in 2004.
Contact: Kumi Sato, Rumble Fish, (81) 3 5718 8760, gyu@rfish.co.jp

KANREKI ROOKIE
(Rumble Fish) Int'l sales: Rumble Fish. Heart warming human drama. A middle-aged man, devastated by the disastrous earthquake, makes his dream come true and becomes a professional golf player. Prod: Takenori Sento. Dir: Takashi Miike. Shooting in Japan in Spring 2004.
Contact: Kumi Sato, Rumble Fish, (81) 3 5718 8760, gyu@rfish.co.jp

MOETSUKITA RAKUEN
(Rumble Fish) Int'l sales: Rumble Fish. Set in the present Japan, an action human drama about criminal activities. Prod: Takenori Sento. Dir: Shinji Aoyama. Scr: Shinji Aoyama. Shooting in Japan in Spring 2004.
Contact: Kumi Sato, Rumble Fish, (81) 3 5718 8760, gyu@rfish.co.jp

SWITCH
(Rumble Fish) Int'l sales: Rumble Fish. Erotic drama. The adventures of a playgirl and a middle-aged man. Prod: Takenori Sento. Dir: Masashi Yamamoto. Shooting in Japan in 2004.
Contact: Kumi Sato, Rumble Fish, (81) 3 5718-8760, gyu@rfish.co.jp

TOKYO NOIR (Working Title)
(KSS) Backer: Gold View. Int'l sales: Gold View. Dist [Jap]: Gold View. Trio of short stories shot by two young up-and-coming directors. The lives of women who do secretarial work in the day and work as prostitutes in the evening. Dir/scr: Masato Ishioka, Naoto Kumazawa. Shooting in Japan from mid-October until later November.
Contact: Kiyo Joo, Gold View ((81) 3 5347 2501

UNTITLED
(Kaijyu Theatre) Backer: Kaijyu Theatre. Int'l sales: Gold View. Dist (Jap): There's Enterprise. Love story. A medical student, who loses his memory in a car accident, retrieves his memory by performing an autopsy on his lost girlfriend - but enters a surreal world. Prod/dir/scr/DoP/ed: Shinya Tsukamoto. Main cast: Tadanobu Asano. Shooting in Tokyo from October until late November.
Contact: Kiyo Joo, Gold View, (81) 3 5347 2501

AMEMASU NO KAWA
(Kindai Eiga Kyokai, Micott &Basara) Backers: Micott & Basara, Kindai Eiga Kyokai, Royce Cnfect. Int'l sales: Micott & Basara. Heart-warming love story. the lives of three school kids in a rural village in Japan. Exec prods: Sumiji Miyake, Jiro Shindo. Prods: Kiyoshi Mizokami, Naoko Watanabe. Dir: Itsumichi Isomura. Scr: Hirotoshi Kobayashi, Hiroyo Zento. DoP: Tokusho Kikumura. Main cast: Hiroshi Tamaki, Haruka Ayase, Miko Nakatani, Hiroshi Abe. Shooting in Japan until late December 2003.
Contact: Micott & Basara, (81) 3 5773 5811, intl@micott.jp

APPLESEED
(Micott &Basara, TBS, Toho, Pioneer LDC, Yamato, TYO, Digital Frontier) Backers: Micott &Basara, TBS, Toho, Pioneer LDC, Yamato, TYO, Digital Frontier. Int'l sales: Micott & Basara. Dist (Jap): Toho. 3-D animation based on a story by the creator of Ghost In The Shell. In 2131, a woman warrior survives the aftermath of the war which has devastated the world. Exec prod: Sumiji Miyake. Prod: Sori Fumihiko. Co-prod: Hidenori Ueki, Naoko Watanabe. Dir: Shinji Aramaki. Scr: Haruka Haneda, Tsutomu Kamishiro. Release date: spring 2004.
Contact: Micott & Basara, (81) 35573 5811, intl@micott.jp

HANOCHI
(Toei) Int'l sales: Toei. Dist (Jap): Toei. Thriller. A police officer kills his wife who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Prod: Sunao Sakagami. Dir: Kiyoshi Sasabe. Scr: Toshiyuki Tabe, Sasabe. Main cast: Akira Terao, Kyouhei Shibata, Mieko Harada, Mayu Tsuruta, Hidetaka Yoshioka. Release date: Jan 10, 2004.
Contact: Toei, (81) 33535 7621

HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
(Studio Ghibli) Backers: Tokuma Shoten Publishing, Nihon TV. Int'l sales: Studio Ghibli. Dist (Jap): Toho. Animation. Based on the British children's book written by Diana Wynne Jones about a love fantasy between a 18-year-old girl who has been turned into a 90-year-old - by a wizard, Howl. Prod: Toshio Suzuki. Dir/scr: Hayao Miyazaki.
Contact: Toho, (81) 33591 3511

QUILL
(Quill Production committee) Budget: Yen300m. Backers: Quill Production Committee. Int'l sales: Shochiku. Dist (Jap): Shochiku. Heart-warming drama. The story of a guide dog, Quill, and his blind master. Dir: Yoichi Sai. Shooting in Japan until later October.
Contact: Kiwamu Sato, Shochiku, (81) 35550 1623

STEAM BOY
(Bandai Visual, Bandai, Toho, Dentsu, IMAGICA, Sunrise.) Backers: Bandai Visual, Bandai, Toho, Dentsu, IMAGICA, Sunrise. Dist (Jap): Toho. Animated action adventure set in 19th-century London from the director of Akira. Prod: Shinji Komori. Dir: Katsuhiro Otomo. Scr: Otomo, Sadayuki Murai.
Contact: Bandai Visual, (81) 35828 3061

AKAI TSUKI
(Toho Eiga) Backers: Toho, Nihon TV, Dentsu, Yomiuri TV, Yomiuri Shinbun, Nihon Shuppan Hanbai, Stardust Promotion. Dist (Jap): Toho. Real life tale of a Japanese woman who survives hardships in Manchuria during World War II. Prod: Shogo Tomiyama. Dir: Yasuo Furuhata. Scr: Furuhata, Yumiko Inoue. Main cast: Takako Tokiwa, Yusuke Iseya, Teruo Kagawa. Release date: Feb 7, 2004
Contact: Toho, (81) 33591 3511

CASSHERN
(Casshern Production Committee) Backers: Casshern Production Committee. Int'l sales: Shochiku. Dist [Jap]: Shochiku. Sci-fi live action feature. Based on the hit 1970s TV animation, a super-hero robot fights against evil androids. Prods: Hideshi Miyajima, Toshiharu Ozawa, Toshiaki Wakabayashi. Dir: Kazuaki Kiriya. Scr: Kiriya, Shotaro Suga, Dai Sato. DoP: Shozo Morishita. Main cast: Yusuke Iseya, Kumiko Aso, Akira Terao, Kanako Higuchi, Toshiaki Karasawa.
Contact: Kiwamu Sato, Shochiku, (81) 35550 1623

CUTIE HONEY
(Twani, Warner Bros Japan, Toshiba, Nihon TV) Backers: Twani, Warner Brothers Japan, Toshiba, Nihon TV. Dist (Jap): Warner Bros Japan. Live action feature based on the hit TV animation series. Superwoman Cutie Honey, fights evil to save the world. Dir: Hideaki Anno. Scr: Rumi Takahashi. Main cast: Eriko Sato, Mikako Ichikawa, Jun Murakami. Release date: May 2004.
Contact: Warner Bros Japan, (81) 35251 6435

FUON (Working Title)
(Siglo,Ltd) Budget: Y100m. Backer: Siglo, Ltd. Int'l sales: Siglo. Dist [Jap]: Siglo. Feelgood story about the lives of people who live in a rural village in Okinawa, the front line of World War II. Exec prod: Tetsujiro Yamagami. Dir: Yoichi Higashi. Scr: Shun Medoruma. DoP: Takahiro Tsutai. Main cast: Haruko Kato, Miho Tsumiki, Takahito Hosoyamada.
Contact: Siglo, (81) 35343 3101

GAME
(Toho, Fuji TV, Dentsu, Pony Canyon) Backers: Toho, Fuji TV, Dentsu, Pony Canyon. Dist (Jap): Toho. Thriller. A young elite plans to kidnap a daughter of his boss who ruined his career and finds himself in a tricky crime game. Prods: Hiroyoshi Koiwai, Hisao Masuda, Minako Mita. Dir: Satoshi Isaka. Main cast: Yukie Nakama, Naohito Fujiki, Ryo Ishibashi, Ryudo Uzaki.
Contact: Toho, (81) 33591 3511

KAFEI SHI GUANG
(Shochiku, Imagica, Eisei Gekijo, Sumitomo Corporation, TV Tokyo, Asahi Shinbun) Budget: Y200m. Backers: Shochiku, Imagica, Eisei Gekijo, Sumitomo Corporation, TV Tokyo, Asahi Shinbun. Int'l sales: Shochiku. Dist (Jap): Shochiku. Heart-warming love story. The romance between a freelance writer and a second-hand bookshop owner who secretly loves her. Prod: Hideshi Miyajima, Liao Ching-Sung, Fumiko Osaka. Dir: Hou Hsiao Hsien. Scr: Hou Hsiao Hsien. DoP:Lee Ping-Bing. Main cast: Tadanobu Asano, Hitoto Yo, Masato Hagiwara, Kimiko Yo, Nenji Kobayashi.
Contact: Kiwamu Sato, Shochiku, (81) 35550 1623

KONOYONO SOTOE KURABU SHINCHUGUN
(Shochiku, Eisei Gekijo, Kadokawa-Daiei, ABC, FCB Worldwide, Sedic International, KNHO) Budget: Y300m. Backers: Shochiku, Eisei Gekijo, Kadokawa-Daiei, ABC, FCB Worldwide, Sedic International, KNHO. Int'l sales: Shochiku. Dist (Jap): Shochiku. Drama. A Japanese jazz band plays at an American base camp in Tokyo in 1947. Prod: Yukiko Shii. Dir: Junji Sakamoto. Scr: Junji Sakamoto. Main cast: Masato Hagiwara, Joe Odagiri, Peter Mullan, Shea Whigham.
Contact: Kiwamu Sato, Shochiku, (81) 35550 1623

LAKESIDE MURDER CASE
(Rumble Fish) Backer: Fuji TV. Int'l sales: Rumble Fish. Dist (Jap): Shochiku. Murder mystery in a quiet lakeside cottage. A wife kills her husband's lover and the husband dumps her body in a lake. Prod: Takenori Sento. Dir: Shinji Aoyama. Scr: Aoyama, Masaki Fukasawa. DoP: Masaki Tamura. Main cast: Kouji Yakusho, Hiroko Yakushimaru, Etsushi Toyokawa, Akira Emoto. Release date: 2004.
Contact: Kumi Sato, Rumble Fish, (81) 3 5718-8760, gyu@rfish.co.jp

LOVED GUN
(Film-makers) Budget: Y120m. Backers: Little More, Eisei Gekijo, Pony Canyon, Film-makers. Int'l sales: Little More. Dist (Jap): Little More. Action thriller. A man tries to avenge the murder of his parents. Exec prod: Sun Chiapang. Prod: Miyoshi Kikuchi. Dir/scr: Kensaku Watanabe. DoP: Kei Yasuda. Main cast: Masatoshi Nagase, Aoi Miyazaki, Ittoku Kishibe, Fumihiro Arai. Release date: Spring 2004.
Contact: Little More, info0littlemore.co.jp

NO ONE KNOWS (DAREMO SHIRANAI)
(TV Man Union Inc.) Budget: US$1m. Backers: TV Man Union, Bandai Visual, Engine Film, C-Style. Dist (Jap): Cinequanon. Drama. Four brothers, by different fathers, are left by their mother to make their way in the world. Exec prods: Satoshi Kohno, Masahiro Yasuda, Yutaka Shigenobu. Prod: Kore-eda Hirokazu. Dir/scr: Kore-eda Hirokazu. DoP: Yutaka Yamazaki. Main cast: Yuya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura, Momoko Shimizu.
Contact: TV Man Union, Asako Nishikawa, (81) 35478 (81) 38 nishikawa@tvu.co.jp

PINK RIBBON (Working Title)
(Uplink) Budget: Y20m. Backer: Uplink. Dist (Jap): Uplink. Documentary about Japanese porn films. Prod: Takashi Asai. Dir/scr/DoP: Kenjiro Fujii. Main cast: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Koji Wakamatsu, Mitsuru Meike, Yutaka Ikejima, Yoshiyuki Hayashida.
Contact: Uplink, (81) 35489 0755, uplink@uplink.co.jp

69 sixty nine
(Toei) Int'l sales: Toei. Dist (Jap): Toei. Feelgood story about a high school student who enjoys his school life under the student activists movement in 1969. Prods: Kei Ijichi, Masatake Kondo, Yuji Saito. Dir: Li San-ile. Scr: Kantaro Kudo. Main cast: Masanobu Ando, Yuta Kamei, Rina Oota, Kyohei Shibata. Release date: May 2004.
Contact: Onuma, Toei, (81) 33535 7621

SKYHIGH: THE MOVIE
(Amuse, Toei) Backers: Amuse, Toei, TV Asahi. Dist (Jap): Toei. Based on a hit TV thriller. Dead people are sent to Purgatory. Prod: Shinya Kawai. Dir: Ryuhei Kitamura. Main cast: Yumiko Syaku, Takao Oosawa, Shosuke Tanihara. Release date: November 8, 2003.
Contact: Amuse, Himeda, (81) 35457 3332

TENGOKU NO HONYA KOIBI
(Tengku No Honya Production Committee) Budget: Y300m. Backers: Tengku No Honya Production Committee. Int'l sales: Shochiku. Dist (Jap): Shochiku. Romantic fantasy about bookshop assistants in heaven. Prods: Hideshi Miyajima, Nozomu Enoki, Nobuyuki Tohya. Dir: Tetsuo Shinohara. Scr: Kyoko Inukai, Tetsuo Shinohara. DoP: Shogo Ueno. Main cast: Yuko Takeuchi, Tetsuji Tamayama, Teruyuki Kagawa, Yoshio Harada. Release date: Summer 2004.
Contact: Kiwamu Sato, Shochiku, (81) 35550 1623