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A few years ago, ScreenAnarchy posted about Fonotune: An Electric Fairytale and their crowdfunding campaign. Well, the world premiere happened to great success as Sitges festival last week. In another time and place, an impending apocalypse is in the air. People escape from reality through music, with the joyous soundtrack of their destruction provided by Radio (Yusuke Yamasaki), the nihilistic DJ at radio station Fonotune. Meanwhile, a lone drifter named Mono (Fint) embarks on an odyssey into the endless desert of the Big White Nothing to experience the nal cosmic performance of a mysterious rock star named Blitz (Guitar Wolf Seiji). Along the way, Mono crosses paths with teen hooker Stereo (Yuho Yamashita), lo- cowboy Analog (Kazushi Watanabe), and the sassy Bubblegum (Kiki Sukezane). Their...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

“Visitor Q” was filmed as the sixth and final part of the Love Cinema series, consisting of six straight-to-video releases by independent filmmakers via a brief but exclusive run at the minuscule Shimokitazawa cinema in Tokyo. The six films were conceived as low budget exercises to explore the benefits afforded by the low-cost Digital Video medium, such as the increased mobility of film and the low-lighting conditions available to the filmmakers.

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The script revolves around the Yamazakis, a family of four, all of who are quite disturbed individuals. Kiyoshi, the father, is a former reporter trying to shoot a documentary on violence and sex among youths. Therefore, he spends his time recording Takuya, his son, on camera, while his classmates bully him; he also occasionally has sex with his prostitute-daughter, Miki.

Takuya, frustrated by the constant bullying, takes out his fury on his mother, Keiko, beating her over any insignificant excuse,...

-Michael Arias is a patient man. He fought a very long time for a chance to prove his worth as a director, grabbing it with both hands when it finally came along. And with success, as the world took notice. And yet, for his second feature film interest seems rather limited. Completely unjustified in my opinion, as it's easily one of the best films of 2009 (so far).

With only two feature films to his name, Arias' career is already worth a bunch of studies and books. He was the first American ever to direct a film at Studio 4°C and almost beat them at their own game. Tekon Kinkreet is one of the greatest animes to have come along in the last couple of years, displaying a sense of style and energy not often seen beyond the Japanese borders.

Perhaps fans of Tekon are still awaiting Arias' next animation project,...

Just like promised the day before yesterday, the full program with (so far?) 38 titles for the 10. Japanese Film Festival Hamburg is now available online. The Jffh will take place from May 27 to May 31.

Cafe Isobe by Keisuke Yoshida (Eröffnungsfilm) Appassionata by Sadao Nakajima Arbol del Tule by Takeya Sekiguchi Balloon Forest by Takashi Miura Takuya Bluebird by Shu Asakawa Captain Tokyo by Kazushi Watanabe Crazed Beast by Sadao Nakajima Cyborg She by Kwak Jae Yong Das Leben von meinem Vater Yoshiari by Mitsuwaha Yusaku Der Buddha, der den Fuchs berührt by Yosuke Kaneko Der Engel im blauen Himmel Der Rote Punkt by Marie Miyayama Detroit Metal City by Toshio Lee Dream of the City by Shunichi Takagi Empty Blue by Kou Hanekawa Escape from Hiroshima Prison by Sadao Nakajima Gelatin Silver Love by Kazumi Kurigami Genius Party by Studio 4°C Genius Party Beyond by Studio 4°C Grotesque by Koji Shiraishi...