Exterior. Establishing: Film Independent HQ. Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. Prelap the sounds of passionate conversation and laughter. Cut To: Interior, Conference Room, Film Independent HQ. Seven new screenwriting Fellows are arrayed around a table, the Hollywood Sign visible on the distant hills outside the window. They’re here to develop six deeply personal and wholly original feature film projects under the steady guiding hand of Film Independent’s Screenwriting Lab. A fun, creative, safe space.
The End.
(Roll credits)
Sorry–we wish our story could’ve been longer but there wasn’t really any dramatic conflict at the Screenwriting Lab this year, just a lot of productive discussion and writing workshops with lead creative advisors Javier Fuentes-León, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Jessica Sharzer, Jeff Stockwell and Christopher Makoto Yogi. Additional guest speakers and advisors include Ruth Atkinson, Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Bridget Savage Cole, Lauren Craniotes, Ellie Foumbi, Priyanka Kapoor, Danielle Krudy,...
The End.
(Roll credits)
Sorry–we wish our story could’ve been longer but there wasn’t really any dramatic conflict at the Screenwriting Lab this year, just a lot of productive discussion and writing workshops with lead creative advisors Javier Fuentes-León, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Jessica Sharzer, Jeff Stockwell and Christopher Makoto Yogi. Additional guest speakers and advisors include Ruth Atkinson, Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Bridget Savage Cole, Lauren Craniotes, Ellie Foumbi, Priyanka Kapoor, Danielle Krudy,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: Film Independent has named Omer Ben Shachar, Mary Dauterman, Mg Evangelista, Naomi Iwamoto, Thomas Kivney, Juan Paulo Laserna and Jhanvi Motla as the screenwriters selected for the 26th edition of its Screenwriting Lab, an intensive program designed to provide individualized story and career development for screenwriters with fiction feature scripts.
Over the course of the program, Fellows will workshop their projects under the guidance of creative advisors Javier Fuentes-León, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Jessica Sharzer, Jeff Stockwell and Christopher Makoto Yogi. Additional guest speakers and advisors will include Ruth Atkinson, Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Bridget Savage Cole, Lauren Craniotes, Ellie Foumbi, Priyanka Kapoor, Danielle Krudy, Amanda Marshall, Josh Peters, Jon Schumacher, Ellen Shanman, Lauren Shelton and Caddy Vanasirikul.
“We are honored to provide the tools and support necessary for these exceptional filmmakers to propel their projects and careers forward,” said Dea Vazquez, Associate Director of Fiction Programs for Film Independent.
Over the course of the program, Fellows will workshop their projects under the guidance of creative advisors Javier Fuentes-León, Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Jessica Sharzer, Jeff Stockwell and Christopher Makoto Yogi. Additional guest speakers and advisors will include Ruth Atkinson, Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Bridget Savage Cole, Lauren Craniotes, Ellie Foumbi, Priyanka Kapoor, Danielle Krudy, Amanda Marshall, Josh Peters, Jon Schumacher, Ellen Shanman, Lauren Shelton and Caddy Vanasirikul.
“We are honored to provide the tools and support necessary for these exceptional filmmakers to propel their projects and careers forward,” said Dea Vazquez, Associate Director of Fiction Programs for Film Independent.
- 4/16/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Mari Yamamoto will star opposite Brendan Fraser in Hikari’s “Rental Family.” The film follows a down and out actor living in Tokyo, who is hired as the token American guy for a Japanese rental family company providing professional stand-in services. The Searchlight Pictures’ release will commence principal photography next week in Japan.
Yamamoto was most recently seen in the Apple TV+ series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” a sci-fi epic in which she appeared with Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell and Kiersey Clemmons. Prior to that series, she was seen in another Apple production, “Pachinko” opposite Youn Yuh-Jung and Jin Ha.
Fraser recently won an Oscar for his work in “The Whale.” His credits include “Gods and Monsters,” “The Mummy,” Crash” and “No Sudden Move.” He most recently appeared in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Hikari directed episodes of the Netflix series “Beef,” which won Emmys and Golden Globe Awards, as...
Yamamoto was most recently seen in the Apple TV+ series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” a sci-fi epic in which she appeared with Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell and Kiersey Clemmons. Prior to that series, she was seen in another Apple production, “Pachinko” opposite Youn Yuh-Jung and Jin Ha.
Fraser recently won an Oscar for his work in “The Whale.” His credits include “Gods and Monsters,” “The Mummy,” Crash” and “No Sudden Move.” He most recently appeared in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Hikari directed episodes of the Netflix series “Beef,” which won Emmys and Golden Globe Awards, as...
- 3/5/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Brendan Fraser is ready to continue his revival, landing his first leading role after winning the Academy Award for The Whale. Fraser will star in Hikari’s Rental Family, which comes from a script co-written by Hikari and Stephen Blahut.
As per Deadline, Rental Family “follows a down and out actor living in Tokyo, who is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental family company, leading him on an unexpected journey of self-discovery through the roles he plays in other people’s lives.” Filming will begin in spring 2024 in Japan. No other cast has been announced outside of Brendan Fraser at this time.
So far, Brendan Fraser has avoided the post-Oscar slump that the likes of Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire), Adrian Brody (The Pianist) and so many others have suffered. In fact, his first picture after his Best Actor win was for Martin Scorsese in Killers of the Flower Moon.
As per Deadline, Rental Family “follows a down and out actor living in Tokyo, who is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental family company, leading him on an unexpected journey of self-discovery through the roles he plays in other people’s lives.” Filming will begin in spring 2024 in Japan. No other cast has been announced outside of Brendan Fraser at this time.
So far, Brendan Fraser has avoided the post-Oscar slump that the likes of Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire), Adrian Brody (The Pianist) and so many others have suffered. In fact, his first picture after his Best Actor win was for Martin Scorsese in Killers of the Flower Moon.
- 11/21/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
After saying that he’d be very picky about his next role after winning an Oscar, Brendan Fraser has found it. He will star in “Rental Family” for Searchlight Pictures and from filmmaker Hikari, best known for her work on “Beef.”
Fraser in “Rental Family” will star as a down-and-out actor living in Tokyo who is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental family company providing professional stand-in services.
Hikari has been developing “Rental Family” since 2019, and she also co-wrote the film with Stephen Blahut. The film will begin principal photography this spring in Japan. No release date has been announced.
Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev of Sight Unseen, which produced this year’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “A Thousand and One,” are producing “Rental Family.” Hikari and Shin Yamaguchi, who produced her prior feature “37 Seconds” in 2019, will also produce. Blahut and Tomo Koizumi will executive produce.
Fraser in “Rental Family” will star as a down-and-out actor living in Tokyo who is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental family company providing professional stand-in services.
Hikari has been developing “Rental Family” since 2019, and she also co-wrote the film with Stephen Blahut. The film will begin principal photography this spring in Japan. No release date has been announced.
Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev of Sight Unseen, which produced this year’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “A Thousand and One,” are producing “Rental Family.” Hikari and Shin Yamaguchi, who produced her prior feature “37 Seconds” in 2019, will also produce. Blahut and Tomo Koizumi will executive produce.
- 11/21/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Brendan Fraser, a newly minted Academy Award winner, is set to star in the Searchlight Pictures comedic drama “Rental Family.”
Japanese filmmaker Mitsuyo Miyazaki, who goes by Hikari and worked on Netflix’s “Beef,” is directing and producing the film. She’s also co-writing the script with Stephen Blahut, whom she collaborated with on the docudrama “37 Seconds.” Principal photography will begin this spring in Japan, with release plans to be announced at a later date.
“Rental Family” follows a down-and-out actor living in Tokyo who is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental family company providing professional stand-in services. Fraser is the only person cast in the movie so far.
This project marks Fraser’s first major role since he took home the lead actor Oscar for Darren Aronofsky’s downbeat drama “The Whale.” The arthouse movie doubled as a career resurgence for Fraser, who spent...
Japanese filmmaker Mitsuyo Miyazaki, who goes by Hikari and worked on Netflix’s “Beef,” is directing and producing the film. She’s also co-writing the script with Stephen Blahut, whom she collaborated with on the docudrama “37 Seconds.” Principal photography will begin this spring in Japan, with release plans to be announced at a later date.
“Rental Family” follows a down-and-out actor living in Tokyo who is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental family company providing professional stand-in services. Fraser is the only person cast in the movie so far.
This project marks Fraser’s first major role since he took home the lead actor Oscar for Darren Aronofsky’s downbeat drama “The Whale.” The arthouse movie doubled as a career resurgence for Fraser, who spent...
- 11/21/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
If you are looking for a room in the coastal town of Onomichi, you better not check in at the Ohashi apartments. Except if you want your very own meet-and-greet with J-Pop Idol Shiori Kubo, who happens to play the ghost trapped inside room 101 in Natsuki Takahashi's “A Girl in My Room”.
A Girl in My Room is streaming as part of Jff+ Independent Cinema
Based on the popular manga by Chugaku Yamamoto, the story revolves around the heartbroken Yohei, who gets dumped by his girlfriend and is left behind in the former love nest. Out of nowhere, a curious girl ghost appears and wants to experience a feeling she never felt during her life as a human, love. Yohei is annoyed by her curiosity and even tries to exorcise her, but slowly realises that she is more human than he thought.
The fantasy romantic comedy was filmed on...
A Girl in My Room is streaming as part of Jff+ Independent Cinema
Based on the popular manga by Chugaku Yamamoto, the story revolves around the heartbroken Yohei, who gets dumped by his girlfriend and is left behind in the former love nest. Out of nowhere, a curious girl ghost appears and wants to experience a feeling she never felt during her life as a human, love. Yohei is annoyed by her curiosity and even tries to exorcise her, but slowly realises that she is more human than he thought.
The fantasy romantic comedy was filmed on...
- 8/23/2023
- by Alexander Knoth
- AsianMoviePulse
The Film Independent Screenwriting Lab is 25 years old. Can you believe it? It’s officially old enough to rent a car! And sure, hardshell clams and giant tortoises can live for centuries, but you don’t reach the quarter-century mark as a Hollywood talent incubator without substance, value and tangible success.
But more than that, this year’s cohort of freshly announced Screenwriting Lab Fellows are special. Why? Because! We’re in the midst of celebrating #AD30, aka the 30th anniversary of Film Independent’s Artist Development programs. And like its elder sibling Project Involve (which got the whole ball of wax rolling in ‘93), the Screenwriting Lab has been an essential industry resource, whether your looking to develop your own skills or tap new talent.
“We’re thrilled to support this exceptional group of filmmakers, who bring compassion, authenticity and curiosity to their work exploring unique communities and characters,” says Dea Vazquez,...
But more than that, this year’s cohort of freshly announced Screenwriting Lab Fellows are special. Why? Because! We’re in the midst of celebrating #AD30, aka the 30th anniversary of Film Independent’s Artist Development programs. And like its elder sibling Project Involve (which got the whole ball of wax rolling in ‘93), the Screenwriting Lab has been an essential industry resource, whether your looking to develop your own skills or tap new talent.
“We’re thrilled to support this exceptional group of filmmakers, who bring compassion, authenticity and curiosity to their work exploring unique communities and characters,” says Dea Vazquez,...
- 4/26/2023
- by Matt Warren
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: Film Independent on Wednesday named the eight screenwriters set for the 25th edition of their Screenwriting Lab. The latest cohort of the intensive program, designed to provide individualized story and career development for screenwriters with fiction feature screenplays, includes Bri Brooks, Karina Dandashi, Thais Drassinower, Chloé Hung, Adam Meeks, Nat Moonhill, Veronica Moonhill and Richard Van.
Film Independent also today named Dandashi as the recipient of their latest Mpac Hollywood Bureau Writing Fellowship Grant, who will receive $10,000 in recognition of her script, Out of Water.
Over the course of the Lab, Fellows will workshop their projects under the guidance of creative advisors Andrew Ahn, Javier Fuentes-León, Jeff Stockwell and Robin Swicord. Additional guest speakers and advisors will include Ruth Atkinson, Angela Cheng Caplan, Kd Dávila, Greta Fuentes, Jordan Hart, Eliza Hittman, Ana Leocha, Ilyse McKimmie, Lauren Mann, Kiva Reardon, Pamela Ribon and Ellen Shanman.
“In our 30th year of...
Film Independent also today named Dandashi as the recipient of their latest Mpac Hollywood Bureau Writing Fellowship Grant, who will receive $10,000 in recognition of her script, Out of Water.
Over the course of the Lab, Fellows will workshop their projects under the guidance of creative advisors Andrew Ahn, Javier Fuentes-León, Jeff Stockwell and Robin Swicord. Additional guest speakers and advisors will include Ruth Atkinson, Angela Cheng Caplan, Kd Dávila, Greta Fuentes, Jordan Hart, Eliza Hittman, Ana Leocha, Ilyse McKimmie, Lauren Mann, Kiva Reardon, Pamela Ribon and Ellen Shanman.
“In our 30th year of...
- 4/26/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Beef” is rocketing up our Emmy predictions charts as the positive reviews continue to pile in for this Steven Yeun and Ali Wong vehicle. This limited series on Netflix was created Lee Sung Jin, who has a smattering of TV credits as a writer and a producer including “Dave,” “Silicon Valley,” “2 Broke Girls,” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Jin helms the series finale while Hikari and Jake Schreier split the rest of the directing duties between them.
“Beef” follows the after-effects of a road-rage incident that consumes two people — Yeun’s Danny and Wong’s Amy. Danny is a down-on-his-luck contractor trying to piece together a living while literally living out of a motel with his brother (Young Mazino), who he is constantly at odds with. Amy, meanwhile, is a successful business owner trying to navigate the sale of her business to a larger company while stuck with...
“Beef” follows the after-effects of a road-rage incident that consumes two people — Yeun’s Danny and Wong’s Amy. Danny is a down-on-his-luck contractor trying to piece together a living while literally living out of a motel with his brother (Young Mazino), who he is constantly at odds with. Amy, meanwhile, is a successful business owner trying to navigate the sale of her business to a larger company while stuck with...
- 4/24/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Given the explosion of nostalgia-driven sequels, spinoffs, and remakes inspired by the streaming gold rush, it would be understandable to assume that “Tokyo Vice“ is an HBO Max companion piece to the Michael Mann-produced TV series “Miami Vice,” which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989. That show somehow hasn’t yet been revived beyond a single Mann-directed 2006 feature film, and now “Tokyo Vice” even boasts Mann as both its executive producer and its pilot-episode director. But this new series is far more “prestige TV” than Mann’s prior show — for better and worse.
“Tokyo Vice” is based on journalist Jake Adelstein’s 2009 memoir and follows a fictionalized version of Adelstein, an American attempting to make it as a newspaper reporter in Japan around the most recent turn of the century. Despite some fluency in the language and culture, Jake clashes with a very different set of journalistic expectations as he investigates entwined yakuza-related stories,...
“Tokyo Vice” is based on journalist Jake Adelstein’s 2009 memoir and follows a fictionalized version of Adelstein, an American attempting to make it as a newspaper reporter in Japan around the most recent turn of the century. Despite some fluency in the language and culture, Jake clashes with a very different set of journalistic expectations as he investigates entwined yakuza-related stories,...
- 4/4/2022
- by Jesse Hassenger
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Japanese director Hikari is to helm Netflix’s dramedy Beef.
Hikari, whose debut feature 37 Seconds premiered at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, received the Panorama Audience Award and was subsequently picked up by Netflix, will helm the pilot episode of the Steven Yeun and Ali Wong-fronted series as well as multiple episodes across the series.
The news comes after Deadline revealed the cast of the Lee Sung Jin-created series, which features 10 half-hour episodes.
Yeun and Wong play two people who let a road rage incident burrow into their minds and slowly consume their every thought and action.
David Choe, Patti Yasutake, Young Mazino and Joseph Lee have been added as series regulars with Mario Bello and Ashley Park set as recurring guest stars alongside Justin H. Min, Andrew Santino, Rekstizzy, Mia Serafino and Remy Holt.
Paper Towns director Jake Schreier, who is an exec producer on the series,...
Hikari, whose debut feature 37 Seconds premiered at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, received the Panorama Audience Award and was subsequently picked up by Netflix, will helm the pilot episode of the Steven Yeun and Ali Wong-fronted series as well as multiple episodes across the series.
The news comes after Deadline revealed the cast of the Lee Sung Jin-created series, which features 10 half-hour episodes.
Yeun and Wong play two people who let a road rage incident burrow into their minds and slowly consume their every thought and action.
David Choe, Patti Yasutake, Young Mazino and Joseph Lee have been added as series regulars with Mario Bello and Ashley Park set as recurring guest stars alongside Justin H. Min, Andrew Santino, Rekstizzy, Mia Serafino and Remy Holt.
Paper Towns director Jake Schreier, who is an exec producer on the series,...
- 3/10/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Moving Bangladesh wins $20,000 Sloan Fast Track Grant.
Projects from the UK, Bangladesh, Greece and Trinidad & Tobago were among 15 selected for Film Independent’s 19th Fast Track Film Finance Market that took place online from November 15-18, the organisation said on Friday.
The four-day programme connected participating filmmakers with financiers, production companies, agents, managers and other film industry professionals from, among others, A24, Decal, Maven Screen Media, Searchlight Pictures, Venice Film Festival, and Hollywood agencies.
Recent Fast Track projects completed include Bing Liu’s 2019 Oscar-nominated documentary Minding The Gap; Hikari’s 2019 Berlinale jury prize and audience award-winning debut 37 Seconds; Kirill Mikhanovsky...
Projects from the UK, Bangladesh, Greece and Trinidad & Tobago were among 15 selected for Film Independent’s 19th Fast Track Film Finance Market that took place online from November 15-18, the organisation said on Friday.
The four-day programme connected participating filmmakers with financiers, production companies, agents, managers and other film industry professionals from, among others, A24, Decal, Maven Screen Media, Searchlight Pictures, Venice Film Festival, and Hollywood agencies.
Recent Fast Track projects completed include Bing Liu’s 2019 Oscar-nominated documentary Minding The Gap; Hikari’s 2019 Berlinale jury prize and audience award-winning debut 37 Seconds; Kirill Mikhanovsky...
- 11/19/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Gift of Fire,” a fact-based drama film about Japan’s secret nuclear bomb program, will play in U.S. cinemas from November this year. Produced in 8K digital, it opened in Japanese theaters last week, distributed by Aeon and scored a top ten ranking.
Yagira Yuya, the Japanese actor who won the acting prize in Cannes for his role in Koreeda Hirokazu’s “Nobody Knows,” heads the cast. He plays a nuclear scientist who struggles with his conscience while working Japan’s own nuclear weapon effort, a secret program that remained largely unknown until a decade ago.
The film is directed by Kurosaki Hiroshi, whose past work includes multi award-winning “Goldfish” (aka “Hi No Sakana”) and 2011’s “Second Virgin.” It was produced in partnership between Japanese public broadcaster Nhk and Los Angeles-based Eleven Arts
Eleven Arts will now handle the U.S. release and has set a launch date of Nov.
Yagira Yuya, the Japanese actor who won the acting prize in Cannes for his role in Koreeda Hirokazu’s “Nobody Knows,” heads the cast. He plays a nuclear scientist who struggles with his conscience while working Japan’s own nuclear weapon effort, a secret program that remained largely unknown until a decade ago.
The film is directed by Kurosaki Hiroshi, whose past work includes multi award-winning “Goldfish” (aka “Hi No Sakana”) and 2011’s “Second Virgin.” It was produced in partnership between Japanese public broadcaster Nhk and Los Angeles-based Eleven Arts
Eleven Arts will now handle the U.S. release and has set a launch date of Nov.
- 8/13/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: On Thursday, Film Independent and The Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television announced the launch of a new screenwriter mentorship program, on which they’ve teamed up.
The Loyola Marymount University/Film Independent Story Development Residency is bringing together a select group of Lmu alumni to develop either a feature-length, narrative screenplay or an episodic series over the course of eight months, with guidance from professional screenwriters. During their time with the program, Residents will be advised on best practices for pitching and developing stories from a producing perspective. They will also take away practical working knowledge of the film industry and market, in a 2021 post-pandemic environment.
Screenwriter/producers speaking at, or serving as mentors for the program this year include NAACP Image Award winner Shernold Edwards (A Day Late and a Dollar Short), Jennifer Glickman, Emmy winner Mike Makowsky...
The Loyola Marymount University/Film Independent Story Development Residency is bringing together a select group of Lmu alumni to develop either a feature-length, narrative screenplay or an episodic series over the course of eight months, with guidance from professional screenwriters. During their time with the program, Residents will be advised on best practices for pitching and developing stories from a producing perspective. They will also take away practical working knowledge of the film industry and market, in a 2021 post-pandemic environment.
Screenwriter/producers speaking at, or serving as mentors for the program this year include NAACP Image Award winner Shernold Edwards (A Day Late and a Dollar Short), Jennifer Glickman, Emmy winner Mike Makowsky...
- 5/27/2021
- by Patrick Hipes and Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Wang Xiaoshuai took the best director prize for So Long, My Son.
Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite took best film at the 14th Asian Film Awards (Afa) today (October 28). The Palme d’Or and multiple Oscars winner also took best screenplay, editing and production design.
Due to Covid-19, the awards show was broadcast on the Afaa’s website and Youtube channel as well as on Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm) website with pre-recorded messages from organizers, presenters and winners, all in different locales.
Presenting the best film award, last year’s winner Kore-eda Hirokazu said: “In March last year,...
Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite took best film at the 14th Asian Film Awards (Afa) today (October 28). The Palme d’Or and multiple Oscars winner also took best screenplay, editing and production design.
Due to Covid-19, the awards show was broadcast on the Afaa’s website and Youtube channel as well as on Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm) website with pre-recorded messages from organizers, presenters and winners, all in different locales.
Presenting the best film award, last year’s winner Kore-eda Hirokazu said: “In March last year,...
- 10/28/2020
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
South Korean Oscar sensation Parasite was the big winner at this year’s Asian Film Awards, which were held today in an online format due to continued pandemic challenges.
The movie won Best Film, Best Screenplay for co-writers Han Jin Won and director Bong Joon Ho, Best Production Design and Best Editing. Bong Joon Ho was pipped to the Best Director award, however, by Wang Xiaoshuai, who took the prize for Chinese feature So Long, My Son.
The 13th Asian Film Awards were organized by the Afa Academy with the collaboration of the Busan, Tokyo, and Hong Kong film festivals. The ceremony was broadcast online by the Afaa and Busan festival’s official websites and Youtube channels.
Further awards included Hikari winning Best New Director for 37 Seconds, Lee Byung-hun winning Best Actor for The Man Standing Next, which is South Korea’s Oscar entry this year, and Zhou Dongyu...
The movie won Best Film, Best Screenplay for co-writers Han Jin Won and director Bong Joon Ho, Best Production Design and Best Editing. Bong Joon Ho was pipped to the Best Director award, however, by Wang Xiaoshuai, who took the prize for Chinese feature So Long, My Son.
The 13th Asian Film Awards were organized by the Afa Academy with the collaboration of the Busan, Tokyo, and Hong Kong film festivals. The ceremony was broadcast online by the Afaa and Busan festival’s official websites and Youtube channels.
Further awards included Hikari winning Best New Director for 37 Seconds, Lee Byung-hun winning Best Actor for The Man Standing Next, which is South Korea’s Oscar entry this year, and Zhou Dongyu...
- 10/28/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” predictably dominated the Asian Film Awards. The dark comedy, which won Cannes 2019 and four Oscars, added four further prizes on Wednesday, including best film and best screenplay.
The Afa event this year shifted from its previous base in Hong Kong and Macau to Busan. And it moved its dates from March to October to coincide with the Busan International Film Festival. But the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing travel restrictions meant that the 14th Afa ceremony was an online one.
“Parasite” also claimed prizes for Yang Yinmo’s editing and for Lee Ha-jun’s production design.
“Every member of ‘Parasite,’ no matter how big or small the role is, deserves to make a speech here with me because we made it together. I strongly believe that we will meet in person next year at the Asian Film Awards, shake hands, and enjoy talking with one another without masks.
The Afa event this year shifted from its previous base in Hong Kong and Macau to Busan. And it moved its dates from March to October to coincide with the Busan International Film Festival. But the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing travel restrictions meant that the 14th Afa ceremony was an online one.
“Parasite” also claimed prizes for Yang Yinmo’s editing and for Lee Ha-jun’s production design.
“Every member of ‘Parasite,’ no matter how big or small the role is, deserves to make a speech here with me because we made it together. I strongly believe that we will meet in person next year at the Asian Film Awards, shake hands, and enjoy talking with one another without masks.
- 10/28/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Crazy Rich Asians” screenwriter Adele Lim and Japanese director Hikari have come abroad the romantic dramedy “Lost for Words” for Working Title.
“Lost for Words” is based on an original idea from Oscar-winning screenwriter Richard Curtis, who wrote the previous draft and will be staying on the project as a producer. The project centers on a world-famous actor who becomes romantically entangled with his translator, and the translator’s boss who is also an actress.
Lim teamed with Peter Chiarelli on the script for 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians,” which grossed $338 million worldwide. She exited the planned sequels due to a dispute over pay disparity. Lim co-wrote the script with Qui Nguyen for Disney Animation’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” slated for a March, 2021 release. The film features the voices of Kelly Marie Tran as the titular Raya and Awkwafina as Sisu, the last dragon.
Hikari is a producer-writer-director known...
“Lost for Words” is based on an original idea from Oscar-winning screenwriter Richard Curtis, who wrote the previous draft and will be staying on the project as a producer. The project centers on a world-famous actor who becomes romantically entangled with his translator, and the translator’s boss who is also an actress.
Lim teamed with Peter Chiarelli on the script for 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians,” which grossed $338 million worldwide. She exited the planned sequels due to a dispute over pay disparity. Lim co-wrote the script with Qui Nguyen for Disney Animation’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” slated for a March, 2021 release. The film features the voices of Kelly Marie Tran as the titular Raya and Awkwafina as Sisu, the last dragon.
Hikari is a producer-writer-director known...
- 10/27/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Grandview has promoted Merideth Bajana, Zac Frognowski and Josh Glick to partner at the management company.
The trio join co-founders Matt Rosen and Jeff Silver as well as Jeremy Platt and Benjamin Rowe, working with writers, filmmakers, showrunners and actors across a range of backgrounds.
Among their clients are actors Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal), Diego Boneta (Luis Miguel), Noah Jupe (Honey Boy), Rupert Friend (Death of Stalin), Common (Selma); filmmakers Hikari (37 Seconds), Jonathan Entwhistle (The End of the Fucking World), Miles Joris-Peyrafitte (Dreamland), Lucy Tcherniak (Angelyne); and writers and creators Molly Smith Metzler (Maids), Dara Resnik (Home Before ...
The trio join co-founders Matt Rosen and Jeff Silver as well as Jeremy Platt and Benjamin Rowe, working with writers, filmmakers, showrunners and actors across a range of backgrounds.
Among their clients are actors Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal), Diego Boneta (Luis Miguel), Noah Jupe (Honey Boy), Rupert Friend (Death of Stalin), Common (Selma); filmmakers Hikari (37 Seconds), Jonathan Entwhistle (The End of the Fucking World), Miles Joris-Peyrafitte (Dreamland), Lucy Tcherniak (Angelyne); and writers and creators Molly Smith Metzler (Maids), Dara Resnik (Home Before ...
- 10/19/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Grandview has promoted Merideth Bajana, Zac Frognowski and Josh Glick to partner at the management company.
The trio join co-founders Matt Rosen and Jeff Silver as well as Jeremy Platt and Benjamin Rowe, working with writers, filmmakers, showrunners and actors across a range of backgrounds.
Among their clients are actors Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal), Diego Boneta (Luis Miguel), Noah Jupe (Honey Boy), Rupert Friend (Death of Stalin), Common (Selma); filmmakers Hikari (37 Seconds), Jonathan Entwhistle (The End of the Fucking World), Miles Joris-Peyrafitte (Dreamland), Lucy Tcherniak (Angelyne); and writers and creators Molly Smith Metzler (Maids), Dara Resnik (Home Before ...
The trio join co-founders Matt Rosen and Jeff Silver as well as Jeremy Platt and Benjamin Rowe, working with writers, filmmakers, showrunners and actors across a range of backgrounds.
Among their clients are actors Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal), Diego Boneta (Luis Miguel), Noah Jupe (Honey Boy), Rupert Friend (Death of Stalin), Common (Selma); filmmakers Hikari (37 Seconds), Jonathan Entwhistle (The End of the Fucking World), Miles Joris-Peyrafitte (Dreamland), Lucy Tcherniak (Angelyne); and writers and creators Molly Smith Metzler (Maids), Dara Resnik (Home Before ...
- 10/19/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Come And Go”, the latest film from Japan-based Malaysian director Lim Kah Wai, is set for a world premiere at the 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), which will take place from 31 October – 9 November. The film will be presented in Tokyo Premiere 2020, vying for the audience award. “Come And Go” is the eighth film of Lim and his most ambitious so far. With an epic running time of 158 minutes, the drama crosscuts eight stories with 14 principal characters as they struggle to find solace in contemporary Osaka. Some characters cross paths in the sometimes interlinked stories, while other characters remain unconnected, but they all share the same dream for a better future.The pan-Asian ensemble cast come from nine countries and speak seven different languages in the film.
They include:
Taiwan – Lee Kang-sheng (Tsai Ming-liang’s “Days”) as a porn addict | Vietnam – Lien Binh Phat (“Song Lang”) as a migrant worker...
They include:
Taiwan – Lee Kang-sheng (Tsai Ming-liang’s “Days”) as a porn addict | Vietnam – Lien Binh Phat (“Song Lang”) as a migrant worker...
- 10/16/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
The Asian Film Awards Academy has decided to announce the winners online on October 14.
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite leads the nominations for this year’s Asian Film Awards (Afa) – hosted by Busan International Film Festival and the first to be held outside of Hong Kong and Macau – with ten nominations including best film and best director.
The Asian Film Awards Academy (Afaa), comprising the Hong Kong, Tokyo and Busan international film festivals, announced during last year’s Busan that the 14th Afa ceremony would be held in the South Korean city this year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers...
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite leads the nominations for this year’s Asian Film Awards (Afa) – hosted by Busan International Film Festival and the first to be held outside of Hong Kong and Macau – with ten nominations including best film and best director.
The Asian Film Awards Academy (Afaa), comprising the Hong Kong, Tokyo and Busan international film festivals, announced during last year’s Busan that the 14th Afa ceremony would be held in the South Korean city this year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers...
- 9/9/2020
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
In today’s film news roundup, Universal is moving ahead on a supernatural romance, the Napa Valley Film Festival delays the event for a year and the Frameline unveils a variety of offerings after postponing its festival to the fall.
Project Launched
Universal Pictures is developing supernatural romance “Dan and Sam,” based on the 2015 graphic novel of the same name, with “37 Seconds” director Hikari on board.
“Dan and Sam,” written by Mark Watson and Oliver Harud, centers on a happily married couple who own a popular London restaurant. When Sam dies in Dan’s arms after an accident, Dan is granted a reprieve in which Sam can return to him for one night of the year, every year, until he falls in love again.
Hikari directed, wrote and produced “37 Seconds,” which won the Audience Award in the Panorama section at last year’s Berlin Film Festival. Molly Smith Metzler...
Project Launched
Universal Pictures is developing supernatural romance “Dan and Sam,” based on the 2015 graphic novel of the same name, with “37 Seconds” director Hikari on board.
“Dan and Sam,” written by Mark Watson and Oliver Harud, centers on a happily married couple who own a popular London restaurant. When Sam dies in Dan’s arms after an accident, Dan is granted a reprieve in which Sam can return to him for one night of the year, every year, until he falls in love again.
Hikari directed, wrote and produced “37 Seconds,” which won the Audience Award in the Panorama section at last year’s Berlin Film Festival. Molly Smith Metzler...
- 4/18/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
For the better part of a decade, observers of Japan’s conservative film industry have predicted that its repeatedly utilized formula would begin to fail. That is to say, audiences would tire of the continued churn of films adapted from legacy content, such as manga and television programs.
It hasn’t happened. Not only that, one could argue that things have never been better with ticket sales setting a box office record in 2019, jumping 17% over the year before to $2.4 billion.
That does not mean that the industry lacks intrigue. In recent times, it has overcome tragedy and even showed signs that some change could be afoot.
A check of the box office top 10 for 2019 reveals predictable results: Anime productions distributed by Toho dominated, with Makoto Shinkai’s “Weathering With You” topping the list with a gross of $129 million.
“In the past, the stars were actors and actresses. But nowadays the stars are anime characters,...
It hasn’t happened. Not only that, one could argue that things have never been better with ticket sales setting a box office record in 2019, jumping 17% over the year before to $2.4 billion.
That does not mean that the industry lacks intrigue. In recent times, it has overcome tragedy and even showed signs that some change could be afoot.
A check of the box office top 10 for 2019 reveals predictable results: Anime productions distributed by Toho dominated, with Makoto Shinkai’s “Weathering With You” topping the list with a gross of $129 million.
“In the past, the stars were actors and actresses. But nowadays the stars are anime characters,...
- 2/22/2020
- by Brett Bull
- Variety Film + TV
The Japanese film “37 Seconds” is deceptively delicate and quietly tough. Not unlike its protagonist. We first glimpse Yuma as she rides a crowded commuter train in Tokyo. From the camera’s angle, you might think she’s a kid. Her face is tentative, youthful. She’s shorter than the people around her because she’s in a wheelchair. She has cerebral palsy — as does Mae Kayama, the actress who portrays her — and she has been the sole concern of her mother since her father left, shortly after her birth.
Writer-director Hikari’s first feature won two prizes in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival last February, followed by an international festival run. Americans can find it on Netflix. Well-paced, artfully shot and edited, “37 Seconds” mixes anime and illustration with live-action to tell the story of the 23-year-old aspiring artist seeking liberation. Yuma ghost writes friend Sayaka’s manga comics.
Writer-director Hikari’s first feature won two prizes in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival last February, followed by an international festival run. Americans can find it on Netflix. Well-paced, artfully shot and edited, “37 Seconds” mixes anime and illustration with live-action to tell the story of the 23-year-old aspiring artist seeking liberation. Yuma ghost writes friend Sayaka’s manga comics.
- 1/31/2020
- by Lisa Kennedy
- Variety Film + TV
Hikari – is an award-winning writer, director and producer. Her directorial debut feature “37 Seconds” (2019) premiered at the 69th Berlinale, where it won the Audience Award in the Panorama section. It also won the Cicae Art Cinema Award and was nominated for Best First Feature. Her other credits include “Tsuyako” (2011), “A Better Tomorrow” (2013) and dance short “Where We Begin” (2015).
’37 Seconds’ – seeking to escape her oppressive home life, Yuma, an artist with cerebral palsy, tries her hand at illustrating erotic manga. Despite praising her artistic talent, an editor rejects her work as unconvincing, telling her to come back once she has gained some sexual experience. After a disastrous encounter at a love hotel, she befriends Mai and Toshiya, leading her on an unexpected journey.
First and foremost, congratulations on your work and the international premiere at Berlinale. The moment I saw the very first poster of the movie, I expected it, however,...
’37 Seconds’ – seeking to escape her oppressive home life, Yuma, an artist with cerebral palsy, tries her hand at illustrating erotic manga. Despite praising her artistic talent, an editor rejects her work as unconvincing, telling her to come back once she has gained some sexual experience. After a disastrous encounter at a love hotel, she befriends Mai and Toshiya, leading her on an unexpected journey.
First and foremost, congratulations on your work and the international premiere at Berlinale. The moment I saw the very first poster of the movie, I expected it, however,...
- 1/24/2020
- by Nikodem Karolak
- AsianMoviePulse
Gravitas Ventures has landed worldwide rights to A.J. Edwards’s crime drama Age Out (formerly known as Friday’s Child), which premiered at 2018 SXSW Film Festival. The pic, which will be released in limited theaters and on demand November 22, stars Tye Sheridan, Imogen Poots (Green Room), Jeffrey Wright, Brett Butler (The Walking Dead), and Caleb Landry Jones. The plot follows Richie (Sheridan), a fresh out of foster care 18-year-old who is forced to navigate a stark life on his own since his emancipation. Richie must survive despite a glaring environment of poverty, addiction and run-ins with the law. Tony Piantedosi, Vice President of Acquisitions at Gravitas, negotiated the deal with Alan Elias at OnBuzz.
Film Independent has revealed that Bull, the drama directed by Annie Silverstein, will serve as the opening night feature for The New Wave,...
Film Independent has revealed that Bull, the drama directed by Annie Silverstein, will serve as the opening night feature for The New Wave,...
- 10/8/2019
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
37 Seconds, the feature debut of out-of-the-box short filmmaker Hikari, is not your conventional story about a disabled person facing and overcoming society’s prejudice. The most touching thing about its 23-year-old heroine, sweetly played in a wisp of a voice by newcomer Mei Kayama, is not that she has a disability, but that she is a beautiful soul. The fact that cerebral palsy has put her in a wheelchair is a sad fact of life that she has come to accept. In a moving moment late in the film, she compares her life to that of a normally able girl ...
- 9/17/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Madrid — Berlin-based Films Boutique has acquired international sales rights to Maryam Touzani’s Cannes Un Certain Regard women’s drama “Adam,” the feature debut of the Moroccan screenwriter-director who co-wrote Nabil Ayouch’s 2017 hit “Razzia,” in which she also starred.
In early distribution deals on “Adam,” Ad Vitam has acquired French distribution rights and Cinéart those to Benelux.
A women’s tale of friendship, rebirth and oppression, “Adam,” which world premieres at the Cannes Festival. It turns on the chance but life changing and enhancing encounter in Casablanca’s Medina between Samia, a heavily pregnant, single young woman down from the countryside to have her soon-to-be-born child adopted, and Abla, a widow with a vivacious eight-year-old daughter who has set up a bakery in her home to make ends meet.
Abla takes Samia in; Samia introduces Abla to some secrets of traditional Moroccan pastries, taught to her by her grandmother,...
In early distribution deals on “Adam,” Ad Vitam has acquired French distribution rights and Cinéart those to Benelux.
A women’s tale of friendship, rebirth and oppression, “Adam,” which world premieres at the Cannes Festival. It turns on the chance but life changing and enhancing encounter in Casablanca’s Medina between Samia, a heavily pregnant, single young woman down from the countryside to have her soon-to-be-born child adopted, and Abla, a widow with a vivacious eight-year-old daughter who has set up a bakery in her home to make ends meet.
Abla takes Samia in; Samia introduces Abla to some secrets of traditional Moroccan pastries, taught to her by her grandmother,...
- 5/8/2019
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Who doesn’t feel like an alien in this world sometimes? Yuma Tanaka is 23 years old and wants to become a professional manga artist. She lives with her mom and is having a hard time to find somebody to love.
Sounds like a normal coming-of-age plotline to you? But wait, here comes the twist. Yuma has Cerebral Palsy and is sitting in a wheelchair. The debut film of Japanese director Hikari features the unusual story of a special girl who has to deal with the everyday hurdles, plus a little more.
Yuma takes part in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and is portrayed as a person with cultural interest and empathy. In doing so, the camera levels with her perspective, using shots often from an Ozu-like ground position.
“37 Seconds” portrays Yuma’s struggle to break free from her overprotective mother and trying to establish herself as a Manga-ka. In...
Sounds like a normal coming-of-age plotline to you? But wait, here comes the twist. Yuma has Cerebral Palsy and is sitting in a wheelchair. The debut film of Japanese director Hikari features the unusual story of a special girl who has to deal with the everyday hurdles, plus a little more.
Yuma takes part in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and is portrayed as a person with cultural interest and empathy. In doing so, the camera levels with her perspective, using shots often from an Ozu-like ground position.
“37 Seconds” portrays Yuma’s struggle to break free from her overprotective mother and trying to establish herself as a Manga-ka. In...
- 2/12/2019
- by Alexander Knoth
- AsianMoviePulse
Recipient of $20,000 Alfred P. Sloan Fast Track Grant named.
Film Independent has announced the 10 projects and 24 filmmakers selected for the 14th annual Fast Track film finance market.
The programme, held during the imminent Los Angeles Film Festival (June 14-22), helps producer-director teams advance their projects through meetings with industry executives, financiers, agents and managers, distributors, production companies, and granting organisations.
Participants will spend three days attending meetings with the aim of building relationships and gaining exposure for their projects.
2017 Fast Track Projects and Fellows are:
Blow The Man Down Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy (co-writers,co-directors), Drew Houpt (producer)
Cantering Hikari (writer,director,producer) Peter Maestrey (producer)
Farewell Tour Sean Hackett (writer,director), Frederick Thornton (producer)
Followers Tim Marshall (writer,director), Christina Radburn (producer)
Maybe Tomorrow Eliza Lee (writer,director), Michelle Sy (producer), Sophia Chang (executive producer)
Radiant Annika Glac (writer,director), Robyn Kershaw (producer)
Son Of A Very Important Man Najwa Najjar (writer,director), Hani...
Film Independent has announced the 10 projects and 24 filmmakers selected for the 14th annual Fast Track film finance market.
The programme, held during the imminent Los Angeles Film Festival (June 14-22), helps producer-director teams advance their projects through meetings with industry executives, financiers, agents and managers, distributors, production companies, and granting organisations.
Participants will spend three days attending meetings with the aim of building relationships and gaining exposure for their projects.
2017 Fast Track Projects and Fellows are:
Blow The Man Down Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy (co-writers,co-directors), Drew Houpt (producer)
Cantering Hikari (writer,director,producer) Peter Maestrey (producer)
Farewell Tour Sean Hackett (writer,director), Frederick Thornton (producer)
Followers Tim Marshall (writer,director), Christina Radburn (producer)
Maybe Tomorrow Eliza Lee (writer,director), Michelle Sy (producer), Sophia Chang (executive producer)
Radiant Annika Glac (writer,director), Robyn Kershaw (producer)
Son Of A Very Important Man Najwa Najjar (writer,director), Hani...
- 6/6/2017
- ScreenDaily
Film Independent has announced the producers selected for its 16th annual Producing Lab. Participating with a project they’re in the process of producing, the four-week program is designed to help the filmmakers develop their skills as independent producers.
Seven projects and a total of nine producers will participate, and through the Lab will develop a strategy and action plan to bring their project to life, as well as meet professionals who can advise them on their craft and the business of independent producing.
Read More: San Francisco Film Society Announces Fall 2016 Narrative Filmmaking Grant Finalists
This year’s Creative Advisors are Karin Chien (“Circumstance”), Heather Rae (“Tallulah”) and Daniel Wagner (“Miles Ahead”). Guest speakers include Charles Howard, Tri-Star Pictures President Hannah Minghella CAA Agents Maren Olson and Tristen Tuckfield, and Jason Berman (“The Birth of a Nation,” “Mediterranea”).
“We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic group of producers to the Lab.
Seven projects and a total of nine producers will participate, and through the Lab will develop a strategy and action plan to bring their project to life, as well as meet professionals who can advise them on their craft and the business of independent producing.
Read More: San Francisco Film Society Announces Fall 2016 Narrative Filmmaking Grant Finalists
This year’s Creative Advisors are Karin Chien (“Circumstance”), Heather Rae (“Tallulah”) and Daniel Wagner (“Miles Ahead”). Guest speakers include Charles Howard, Tri-Star Pictures President Hannah Minghella CAA Agents Maren Olson and Tristen Tuckfield, and Jason Berman (“The Birth of a Nation,” “Mediterranea”).
“We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic group of producers to the Lab.
- 10/25/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
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