Japan Cuts 2011

Summer is here, which means the return of JAPAN CUTS: The New York Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema to The Japan Society.  The festival runs  from July 7^th to July 22^nd with 32 titles and 33 screenings, including 10 co-presentations with New York Asian Film Festival. They will be presenting a wide selection of films from uplifting family fare to brooding dramas, blockbusters and thrillers. Special guests will include directors Masashi Yamamoto and Tak Sakaguchi, and actress Sora Aoi.  

The July 20^th screening of Haru’s Journey, which stars legendary actor Nakadai Tatsuya, will see 50% of the proceedings go to Japan Society’s Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

Other festival highlights include screenings of Sketches of Kaitan City (dir. Kazuyoshi Kumakiri), Into the White Night (dir. Yoshihiro Fukagawa), The Last Ronin (dir. Shigemichi Sugita), Ninja Kids!!! (dir. Takashi Miike), The Seaside Motel (dir. Kentaro Moriya), Heaven’s Story (dir. Takahisa Zeze), A Liar and a Broken Girl (dir. Natsuki Seta), Milocrorze: A Love Story (dir. Yoshimasa Ishibashi), A Night in Nude: Salvation (dir. Takashi Ishii), Toilet (dir. Naoko Ogigami), and Vengeance Can Wait (dir. Masanori Tominaga).  

I recommend seeing Mai Tominaga's  Rinco's Restaurant (食堂かたつむり, 2010), which I enjoyed at Nippon Connection this spring. 

Order from Cdjapan (no subs)

Here is the JAPAN CUTS line-up:

Thursday, July 7
Buddha 6:45 PM
Ringing in their Ears 9 PM

Friday, July 8
Love & Loathing & Lulu & Ayano 7 PM
Battle Royale  9:15 PM

Saturday, July 9
Gantz: The Movie, Part 1 12:30 PM
Gantz, Part II: Perfect Answer 3 PM
Ninja Kids!!! 6 PM
Yakuza Weapon 8:15 PM
+ After Party!

Sunday, July 10
Buddha 12:30 PM
Heaven’s Story 2:45 PM
Milocrorze: A Love Story 8 PM
+ Q&A with Yoshimasa Ishibashi  
Tuesday, July 12
Sword of Desperation 6:30 PM
The Last Ronin 9 PM

Wednesday, July 13
Rinco’s Restaurant 6:30 PM
Birthright (a.k.a. Umbilical Cord) 9 PM

Thursday, July 14
Rail Truck 6:30 PM
Yuki and Nina 9 PM

Friday, July 15
Toilet 6:15 PM
Three☆Points 8:30 PM*
+ Q&A with Masashi Yamamoto and Sora Aoi  
+ After Party!

Saturday, July 16
Love Addiction 2:30 PM
The Seaside Motel 4:30 PM
+ Q&A with Kentaro Moriya 
A Liar and a Broken Girl 7:15 PM
+ Q&A with Natsuki Seta  
Love and Treachery 10:30 PM

Sunday, July 17
The Knot 2 PM
Torso 4 PM
Strangers in the City 6:15 PM
A Night in Nude: Salvation 9 PM

Tuesday, July 19
Sketches of Kaitan City 6:30 PM
Control Tower 9:30 PM

Wednesday, July 20
Haru’s Journey 7 PM
+ Q&A with Masahiro Kobayashi and Reception

Thursday, July 21
Vengeance Can Wait 7 PM
Wandering Home 9 PM

Friday, July 22
Into the White Night 7 PM
+ Closing Party