Presenters had ten minutes to explain their company track record, the talent involved, project outline and current status, and what they are looking for at Pusan.
Gaga Films producer Hiromi Honoki outlined Run! Run! Run!, a tale of an ambitious marathon runner with a backdrop of genetic doping in sports, based on a novel by Nozomi Katsura (Star Reformers). Yukinari Hanawa (First Love) is slated to direct.
With a proposed budget of approximately $1.5-2m, Gaga is looking for 50% of the budget from outside investment, via co-production partners, equity investors and pre-sales, possibly from China or Taiwan as the central character may be written as half-Chinese.
Previous Gaga Films titles include First Love and The Letter. Gaga is selling Isao Yukisada's Into The Faraway Sky at the market.
King's Game is produced by Shunsuke Kamimura of Japanese adult video giant Soft On Demand's feature subsidiary, Cinema On Demand, and Satoru Ogura of Ogura Jimusho. The virtual reality thriller pits a psychological battle between five men and five women of different nationalities and ages. Director and manga artist Tatsuya Egawa is set to direct in April 2008.
Now in development, 50% of the film's $3.33m (Y400m) budget is in place and the partners are looking for investors, co-production partners and pre-sales to boost production and name values, but will go into production with or without.
Tundra Blue Ice , also at the development stage, is based on a manga by famed artist Moyoko Anno (Sakuran) and follows two children living an idyllic, snowbound existence in the second coldest place in the world. Film is set to go before cameras in July 2008 under commercial and music video helmer Yumiko Ito, with winter scenes shot on location in Iceland later next year.
Booster Project Inc's Chikako Nakabayashi and King Records CEO Toshimichi Ootsuki will produce, with 60% of the $2m budget already secured. They are looking for co-production and financing partners, as well as location and production services. The Ootsuki-produced Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone is the closing film at this year's PIFF and currently a hit in Japan, staying in the top ten for five weeks and earning over $13m.
Two additional Japanese projects are participating in PPP, including Sion Sono (Exte) project Room Of Dreams and Satoki Kenmochi's On Next Sunday.
Established two years ago J-Pitch conducts sessions in Berlin, Hong Kong, Cannes, Toronto, Pusan and Tokyo. J-Pitch is funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) this April and is jointly administered by METI and UniJapan.
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