The Japanese talent behind Berlinale Competition title A New Dawn appeared alongside three rising directors at an event in Berlin to showcase the next generation of Japanese filmmakers.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, Japan Arts Council and Unijapan hosted the event alongside Screen International at Ristorante Essenza on Berlin’s Potzdamer Platz on Tuesday (February 17).

International filmmakers, festival representatives and industry executives gathered to meet with the directors selected for Film Frontier, an initiative dedicated to developing and supporting upcoming filmmakers from Japan.

Special guests on the night were artist and writer Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, who makes his directorial debut with animated feature A New Dawn, alongside voice actors Miyu Irino and Riku Hagiwara.

“I have been working on this film for many years and actually worked [on it] until four days ago,” said director Shinomiya of the film, which premiered at the Berlinale on Wednesday (February 18). “All of a sudden, this reality has come down in front of me. I’m amazed this film is in Berlin and I can show it to you all.”

While it marks the first voice role for prolific actor Hagiwara, co-star Irino has a long career voicing animation and video games. Irino also has a strong connection with the festival, having voiced the character of Haku in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Way, which played in Competition at the Berlinale in 2002, winning the coveted Golden Bear before going on to win best animated feature at the Oscars.

They were followed by directors Emma Kawawada, who presented test footage from her upcoming second feature Life Is Yours; Mai Nakanishi with debut Child, Uninvited; and Kohki Hasei with Kutheran.

The “Kanpai Night” was introduced by Unijapan director Kaori Ikeda and Aki Nishikawa from the Japan Arts Council.

Check out a selection of pictures from the evening above.

Topics