ACF 632: JAPAN CUTS screenings for July 15th and 16th, 2010

Today, Thursday, July 15th,, is the next-to-last day of Japan Society's JAPAN CUTS: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema. The two films that will be shown this evening are:

Memories of Matsuko © 2006 Amuse Soft Entertainment / Kiraware Matsuko no Isshô Seisaku Iinkai / Tokyo Broadcasting Systems, Inc. (TBS) / Toho Co., Ltd. / I-On New Media / Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting / Third Window Films. All Rights Reserved.

6:15 PM Memories of Matsuko, 130 minutes

- Memories of Matsuko won the Audience Award, as determined by audience ballots, at the 2007 New York Asian Film Festival

- This screening represents another opportunity to view this outstanding film

Zero Focus © 2009 DENTSU / Toho Co., Ltd. / TV ASAHI CORPORATION / KINOSHITA CO., LTD. / The Asahi Shimbun / NIPPON SHUPPAN HANBAI / Yahoo Japan / TOKYO FM Broadcasting / Asahi Broadcasting / AGOYA BROADCASTING NETWORK / IMJ Entertainment / TSUTAYA Group / FLaMme / Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting / Hokkaido Television Broadcasting / HOKURIKU ASAHI BROADCASTING / Hiroshima Home Television / ehime asahi television. All Rights Reserved.

9:00 PM Zero Focus, 130 minutes

Tomorrow night, Friday, July 16th, is the final night of the festival and will feature:

6:15 About Her Brother, 126 minutes
- North American Premiere

ACF Comments on "About Her Brother":

Venerable director Yoji Yamada, who has long ago secured himself a place in the pantheon of great Japanese directors, has outdone himself with this remarkable film. About Her Brother is a touching, heartwrenching family drama that features a terrific screenplay (co-written by Emiko Hirmatsu and Yamada himself) and an outstanding cast (starring Sayuri Yoshinaga, Tsurube Shofukutei, and Aoi Yu, who is one of, if not the best young Japanese actressses around).

The film is about family, compassion, and forgiveness, and you're forewarned to have tissues or a handkerchief ready near the film's end. If your eyes are dry, you have some kind of serious medical condition, namely you either have no heart or no feelings.

ACF rating: 4 out of 4 stars - highest recommendation. This is don't miss cinema for grown up people.

8:30 Sweet Little Lies, 117 minutes
- U.S. Premiere

For info about all the films shown in the JAPAN CUTS 2010 festival, click here.

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues, New York City.