Award-winning film [pictured] stars Japanese actress Makiko Watanabe as a divorced mother of two angst-ridden teenage sisters who she sends on a road trip to find their estranged father.

Fortissimo Films announced on the first day of TIFFCOM in Tokyo that it has picked up worldwide rights excluding Japan to award-winning film Capturing Dad.

The film stars Japanese actress Makiko Watanabe who is well-known for films such as Himizu, The Rebirth and Mother. She plays the divorced mother of two angst-ridden teenage sisters, played by Erisa Yanagi and Nanoka Matsubara, who she sends on a cross-country journey to obtain a photo of the estranged father whom they barely remember. The sisters find him to be remarried with a new family and dying of cancer.

The feature debut of award-winning shorts director Ryota Nakano, Capturing Dad premiered at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival, where it scooped up several prizes including Best Director, Best Japanese Feature Film and the Audience Choice Award.

Nakano wrote, directed and edited the film. Noriyasu Hirakata produced it for Pictures Network Co.

Fortissimo chairman Michael J. Werner negotiated the deal with Toshiyuki Hasegawa, Skip City fest head of programming on behalf of the producers.

“At heart Capturing Dad is a story about family. Ryota Nakano’s story-telling skills are fantastic; the film is at once subtle but universal, heart-wrenching yet funny, complex yet with themes and explorations of relationships and resolutions that are familiar to all of us. The performances he extracts from his cast are powerful and he is a directorial talent not to be missed,” said Werner.

Digital Skip Stations Inc. has the film slated for release in the first quarter of 2013. Fortissimo will introduce the film at the upcoming American Film Market (AFM) with a festival international premiere likely to come early next year.

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