ACF 126: JAPAN CUTS starts Wednesday in NY

United Red Army
Directed by Koji Wakamatsu
Japan, 2007, 190 min
North American Premiere

JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film starts this Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 and runs through Sunday, June 13th. Films from July 3-6 are co-presentations with the New York Asian Film Festival 2008.

The Long Cuts series consists of 18 U.S. and/or NY premieres of recent Japanese feature films, as well as a sidebar tribute to the late, great filmmaker Kon Ichikawa.

The Short Cuts series will screen over 60 short films from Japan's independent filmmakers and video artists. It will also include a special highlight on Naomi Kawase.


One of the films that will be featured is United Red Army (Jitsuroku rengo sekigun: Asama sanso e no michi) Koji Wakamatsu's epic depiction of 1960s Japanese leftist militants. Mr Wakamatsu, who got his start making "pink films" with titles such as Go, Go Second Time Virgin, was himself an active member of the radical left. This may have something to do with his not being able to obtain a United States visa.

Although unable to appear in person, he will be available from Tokyo for a real time Q&A with the audience following the July 6th screening, this via Keio University's high-speed, high-def video network specially installed at Japan Society.

There will be two screenings of United Red Army, both at Japan Society:
- Sunday, July 6th, 2008 @ 4:00 PM
- Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 @ 7:30 PM.

Masayuki Kakegawa, who wrote the novel upon which the film is based and co-wrote the screenplay with the director, will speak in person about the political and social context of the story before both screenings: at 3:00 PM on July 6th and at 6:30 PM on July 8th.

For further info about the screenings of United Red Army or to buy tickets, click here.

For info about the entire JAPAN CUTS film series, click here.