There will be screenings of 30 graduation works from students at the Department of Film and New Media at Osaka University of Arts from February 11 to February 18. Then, at Abeno Apollo Cinema on the weekend of March 02/03, six films will be screened and director Shusuke Kaneko (Heisei-era Gamera trilogy, Death Note 1 & 2) will conduct a talk with students at the cinema on March 02nd.
Obviously, check in with official sources to get more accurate information. Also… Forgive the messiness, but this will be done over a series of tweets. First up, the screening schedule:
For the university screenings, each film has been sorted into various categories like Dramatic Film Course, Expressive Imaging Course, Advertising Video Course, and Art Animation Course. This post will contain trailers for what is available from the Twitter feed but I urge you to check it out for more updates and images from other films.
Here’s a taste of what is on offer.
AUXIN
Director: Shogo Sawada
Synopsis: The search for true love, as taken by a character wearing a sailor suit, as she walks through a forest.
Sakamichi
坂道 「Sakamichi」
Director: Namihei Yokoyama
Synopsis: Gen Nakai’s family broke up when he was young after his mother cheated on his father. Gen’s father raised him and, upon his death, Gen goes searching for his mother. He expects there to be some emotional connection with the women but when he discovers that she has her own family, plus a son ten years younger than him, he kidnaps the son.
Our Occultic Summer
私たちのオカルティックサマー 「Watashitachi no Okarutikku Sama-」
Director: Shoichi Higuchi
Synopsis: Natsuki’s sister is missing, Maeda is the head of the occult research group, and Chihiro is a shrine maiden. These three characters find themselves touched by strange goings on as they investigate the rumour of a ghost haunting a pool.
Unknown.memory
Director: Daiki Makimoto
Synopsis: This is a 3D animation work that looks like the story of an astronaut and a robot carrying a plant at night after a star goes out of control and begins a cycle where it scorches EVERYTHING during the day, slowly turning things on the surface of the planet into sand. The human is a platoon leader while the robot can communicate with satellites and their goal is to get to some underground bunkers with the plant to pass on hope to humanity.
Watashi no te ga, Sora made Todoku Yume o Mita
わたしの手が、空まで届く夢を見た。 「Watashi no te ga, Sora made Todoku Yume o Mita」
Director: Kaoru Oi
Synopsis: This is a two-part animation with the theme of “going to the sky” and it is done in 2D and what looks like claymation.
Futaridake no Hanashi
二人だけの話 「Futaridake no Hanashi」
Director: Kin Yugen
Synopsis: This is a film dedicated to a story and time in the lives of just the two characters. Something connected to being like a film.
Jinsei Saikou no Hi
人生最高の日 「Jinsei Saikou no Hi」
Director: Haruki Kinemura
This looks like the same Haruki Kinemura and team who directed Cafune, which was at Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023.
Synopsis: Sumire, Haruka, and Shiori make up the underground idol group “Love Triange” but their days together might be ending when Sumire is reunited with her childhood love and her love is reignited. She is an idol, so can she fall in love and will ardent fans accept it? Can love destroy…?
CAVE
Director: Kohei Yamada
Synopsis: This is a mockumentary where people who live in cars are interviewed. Some of the scenes were filmed by the director himself while he stayed overnight in his car. The blurring between reality and fiction is to keep a viewer guessing.
Natsu, Saku, Sakura
夏、咲く、サクラ。 「Natsu, Saku, Sakura」
Director: Shingo Miyagawa
Synopsis: Something about searching for new scenery? Guess you’ll have to watch it to find out!
Anyway, to find out more information, such as a full list of works and the full addresses for screening locations, go here and visit the Twitter account I quoted! @v20eizou
Osaka University of the Arts has produced a number of influential directors over the years. Their names includes, Hideaki Anno (Evangelion, Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman), Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Hole in the Sky), Nobuhiro Yamashita (The Drudgery Train) and his writing partner Kosuke Mukai, Yuya Ishii (The Great Passage, The Tokyo Night Sky), to newer talents like Taishi Oishi who is at Osaka Asian Film Festival 2024 with his film, Ask for the Moon, so it’s worth keeping track of what is developed.
If you do end up going, you can get a hold of a 52-page booklet connected to the event.