The “Tokyo Cine-magic” project encourages people from inside and outside of the country to come and visit Tokyo by promoting the various charms of the city. With this theme, a short film is produced for a special screening in the “Cinematic Tokyo” competition.
The very best pitch is selected from talented directors who have won awards at SSFF & Asia. Aside from its screening at the festival, the short film will also be shown at other national and international film festivals, used for Tokyo tourism promotions and make use of various opportunities to display the appeal of Tokyo.
20:34 / 2018 / Japan
by Genevieve Clay-Smith
Gerard O'Dwyer,Shioli Kutsuna,JJ Sonny Chiba,Genevieve Clay-Smithand Patrick Brammall
An Australian Shakespeare fan with Down Syndrome, sets off on a solo adventure to discover Tokyo in order to get away from his over-bearing older brother. Along the way he uses his knowledge of the Bard, his sketchbook and his wits to win the hearts of the people he meets.
Born in Sydney, Australia, Gerard has appeared in numerous films and theater projects, including "Red Christmas" (15) , "Heartbreak & Beauty" (13) and "The Interviewer" (12) in which he received Best Actor nomination at the St Kilda Film Festival, Audience Award at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (Japan) and Best Actor at the ReelHeART Film Festival (Canada). In "Be My Brother" (09) Gerard won Best Male Actor as well as winning Best Film at Tropfest Film Festival.
An award-winning actor, Patrick will soon commence production on the second series of the US version of “No Activity” for CBS All Access; a remake of the award-winning Australian series which he co-created. He stars in the series and is also the executive producer and showrunner.
Patrick recently starred in the highly anticipated second season of the ABC/Netflix series “Glitch”. His other television credits include “Upper Middle Bogan”, “Offspring”, “The Let Down”, “New Girl”, “Life In Pieces”, “Hawke”, “The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide To Knife Fighting”, “A Moody Christmas”, “The Strange Calls”, “Canal Road”, “The Alice” and “Power Games”. Feature film credits include “Ruben Guthrie”, “The Little Death” & “Griff The Invisible”. Patrick also has notable stage credits with MTC, STC and Belvoir Theatre Companies.
Shioli Kutsuna was born in Australia and moved to Japan at 14 in order to pursue a career in acting. She won the special jury award at a major teen beauty contest.
Her first role came the following year when she was part of the cast of “3 Nen B Gumi Kinpachi Sensei 8”, which was a TBS TV school drama. She appeared in her first movie, “Guardian Angel”, in 2009. Her appearance in “My Back Page” garnered her the 85th Kinema Junpo Award for Best Actress in 2010. She has won several other awards including Newcomer Of The Year, which came in 2014 some five years after she began her career, at the 37th Japan Academy Prize.
She is an actress who receives offers from respected film directors around the world.
“The Outsider”, “Oh Lucy!” and “Dead Pool 2” all of which she appeared in, will be released on the big screen in 2018.
In 2015 Kutsuna’s first major international work “The Assassin” by Hou Hsiao-Hsien opened worldwide including Japan.
Kutsuna also stars with world-renowned Takeshi Kitano in Wayne Wang’s “While the Women Are Sleeping” released in February 2016 in Japan.
JJ Sonny Chiba is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director, and martial artist whose most active years in Japanese film spanned from the '60s to the end of the '80s. He has starred in more than 1,500 films.
Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience. His enduring onscreen career received tribute when he appeared in a key role in Quentin Tarantino's ""Kill Bill" in 2003.
Besides Tarantino, big Hollywood names such as Samuel L. Jackson and Keanu Reeves have also mentioned Chiba as one their influences.
In 1970, Chiba established the Japan Action Club, now Japan Action Enterprise (JAE), to develop and raise the level of martial arts techniques and sequences used in Japanese film and television.
Genevieve is Australia’s foremost, globally inclusive filmmaker. She is a writer, director and actress, who has won over fifty international awards for her films including the audience award at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2013 with “The Interviewer”. Her work has been screened at the United Nations and various Oscar Qualifying film festivals. She is an advocate and international speaker on the topic of inclusion in the film industry. Genevieve is CEO of Bus Stop Films, a pioneering not-for-profit, which has conducted over 280 accessible film studies workshops for people with disability. In 2015, she was named Young Australian of the Year in her state of NSW.
The Shibuya district is the origin of youth culture. You will find several famous restaurants, bars, night clubs and live music venues flourishing among rows of stylish department stores and shops with a constant vibrant and youthful atmosphere. Shibuya is definitely the place to go to if you want to get the latest kawaii (cute) trends published in magazines. In addition, you can also enjoy dining at fashionable cafés and affordable eateries.
Situated in front of Shibuya Station are some of the district’s landmarks such as the statue of Hachiko and the Shibuya Scramble Crossing. A short walk from the station would lead you to the lushly green Yoyogi Park, which has become an oasis for people and where various events are held during the weekends.
The Tokyo Sakura Tram(Toden Arakawa Line) is the only Toden tram line left in Tokyo, which runs from Minowabashi Station to Waseda Station (12.2 km / 30 stations). Why not make an excursion on a nostalgic streetcar? The "Tokyo Sakura Tram" is the new nickname for the tram line since 2017.
A type of Japanese pan-fried batter popular in the Kantō region. The finely chopped ingredients are mixed into a batter before frying. Monjayaki batter has ingredients similar to okonomiyaki, however, additional dashi or water is added to the mixture, making it runnier than okonomiyaki. The consistency of cooked monjayaki is comparable to melted cheese.
There are places of scenic and historical interest as well as amusement spots along the Sumidagawa River and bay area. Waterway traffic will add to your sightseeing enjoyment.
Japanese rickshaws called Jinrikisha are descendants of the Sedan chair. They are found in many popular tourist spots across Japan offering a short, leisurely journey with a different view of the area..
"Edo-period paradise connecting the sea and the land"
Take a step into this beautiful Edo-period (1603–1867) garden and discover a world separate from the city. Originally built to serve as a feudal lord's residence, the gardens are located on the edge of Tokyo Bay, separating sea from land and incorporating the changing tide into the garden's design.