AFM 2023: the hot projects from Japan

11 Rebels

Dir Kazuya Shiraishi
Set in the mid-19th century, this period action film centres on 11 prisoners who are ordered to defend a fortress from the government’s army so their past crimes will be forgiven. It is based on a script by the late Kazuo Kasahara, known for writing 1970s yakuza films such as Battles Without Honor And Humanity. Director Shiraishi is known for action thrillers The Blood Of Wolves and its sequel as well as Lesson In Murder. The film is in post-production and lined up for release in 2024.
Contact Shiori Takata, Toei

All The Long Nights

Dir Sho Miyake
Based on Maiko Seo’s novel of the same name, the story centres on a young man and woman who suffer from debilitating medical disorders and form a bond to help each other. Director Miyake has previously been selected for the Berlinale with And Your Bird Can Sing and Small, Slow But Steady, and is also known for Ju-On Origins, Netflix’s first Japanese original horror series. The cast is led by Hokuto Matsumura (Suzume) and Mone Kamishiraishi (Your Name). Produced by HoriPro, the drama will be released by Bandai Namco Filmworks in Japan on February 9, 2024.
Contact Bandai Namco Filmworks (world except Asia); Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures (Asia, inflight)

Buzzy Noise

Dir Hiroki Kazama
Based on a manga series of the same name by Jun Mutsuki, Buzzy Noise follows a young musician who goes viral online after his admiring neighbour posts a video of him. But after finding success in the music world, he begins to lose himself, prompting a former bandmate and his old neighbour to try to save him. The cast is led by Takumi Kawanishi of boy band JO1 and Hiyori Sakurada of recent romance feature Our Secret Diary and TV drama series Silent. Director Kazama’s credits include Cheer Boys!! and the Cherry Magic! franchise as well as TV’s Silent. A local release is planned for 2024.
Contact Keiko Yoshida, Gaga Corporation

The Serpent’s Path

Dir Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Kurosawa, who won best director at Venice in 2020 with Wife Of A Spy, has adapted his own 1998 feature of the same name as a French-language thriller. It follows a man who enlists the help of a mysterious woman to exact revenge on his daughter’s murderer. The cast is led by Damien Bonnard (Asteroid City) and Ko Shibasaki (Silent Parade). Produced by Japan’s Kadokawa and France’s Cinefrance Studios, the film’s release is set for summer 2024.
Contact Shoko Yoneda, Kadokawa

Shadow Of Fire

Dir Shinya Tsukamoto
Japanese cult director Tsukamoto explores the struggles of people living in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, shown from the perspective of a child. The cast includes Shuri, Mirai Moriyama (Rage), Ouga Tsukao and Hiroki Kono (J005311). Shadow Of Fire premiered at Venice in the Horizons strand, where it won the Netpac award, and went on to screen at the Toronto and Tokyo film festivals. Tsukamoto is a Venice regular, having been in Competition three times including previous film Killing in 2018; he also won the Horizons prize with Kotoko in 2011.
Contact Nikkatsu

Till We Meet Again On The Lily Hill

Dir Yoichi Narita
This romantic drama follows a high-school girl who falls asleep in an old bomb shelter and wakes up in 1945. Stuck in the past, she takes a job at a local restaurant used by volunteer soldiers and falls for a young recruit whose mission date is approaching. Taking the central roles are Haruka Fukuhara, known for My Girlfriend Is A Serial Killer, and Koshi Mizukami from And So The Baton Is Passed and Lesson In Murder. It marks the second feature of director Narita, whose debut Follow The Light premiered at Fantasia in 2021. A local release is planned on December 8.
Contact Hitomi Hosoda, Shochiku 

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