ACF 156: NYTFGP Festival 2008

Death of Domomata

Directed by Shutaro Oku

Japan, 80 minutes

International Premiere

(Image copyright M6 Trance Picture Works)

This being New York, there always seems to be at least one Asian film festival going on. While the Film Society of Lincoln Center is having its In the Realm of Oshima retrospective as a side-bar to the New York Film Festival (see ACF 155), there's another interesting festival that began this past Sunday and will continue through October 16th.

I'm talking about the New York - Tokyo Film Grand Prix, the annual film festival presented by New York-Tokyo. I've seen several films they've presented over the past few years, and have always found them interesting, often terrific, and sometimes spectacular.

NYTFGP 2008 is set to include at least nine films. All are having their International, North American, U.S., or New York premieres. Death of Domomata, pictured above, will have its international premiere on Thursday, October 9th. It's a film about girls in a drug rehab center putting on the play of the same name, a play written by Takeo Arishima (1878-1923), one of Japan's foremost writers.

The scheduling of two films is still to be announced. One of these is Grave of the Fireflies, a new live action version directed by Taro Hyugaji of the incredible, classic 1988 anime by Isao Takahata. I'm very curious as to how this will come across with living actors.

I certainly hope to catch some of the NYTFGP films and to post reviews.

In the meanwhile, here's full info about the festival, films, venues and showtimes.