CELLIN GLUCK: DIRECTOR, PERSONA NON GRATA
Born in Wakayama Prefecture in 1958, the eldest son of an American Jewish father and a Japanese American mother, Cellin began his career in motion pictures in 1980 on the crew of Terayama Shüji’s French-Japanese co-production Les Fruits de la Passion (上海異人娼館 ; Fruits of Passion , 1981).
He was assistant director/production manager for such Hollywood hits as Black Rain (1989), Last Action Hero (1993), Contact (1997), Remember the Titans (2001), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Godzilla (2014); was the US segment director for the Japanese film Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean ローレライ (2005) and co-wrote and co-directed Oba: The Last Samurai 太平洋の奇跡 –フォックスと呼ばれた男 (2011). He made his solo directorial debut with the Japanese motion picture Sideways, (aka Saidoweizu) サイドウェイズ (2009), based on the 2004 American film of the same name.
Persona Non Grata screens on Sunday June 12 at 7pm. Mr. Cluck will introduce the film and take audience questions afterwards.
Encore screening has been decided for Persona Non Grata which will screen on Wednesday June 29 at 7pm.
HARUHIKO ARAI: DIRECTOR / WRITER, WHEN I WAS MOST BEAUTIFUL
One of the most highly acclaimed screenwriters of Japanese cinema, Arai-san has worked with contemporary Japanese auteurs such as Tatsumi Kumashiro on Woman with Red Hair (1979), Junji Sakamoto on KT (2002) and Someday (2011), Hiroki Ryuichi on Vibrator (2003) and Kabukicho Love Hotel (2014), and Shinji Aoyama on Backwater (2013). He made is directorial debut with Body and Soul (1997). Arai-san was born in Tokyo in 1947. His film When I was Most Beautiful has won enormous critical praise and was called Best Film of the Year by the prestigious Eiga Geijutsu magazine.
When I was Most Beautiful screens on Tuesday June 21 at 7pm. Mr. Arai will introduce the film and take audience questions afterwards.
Director Arai will bring the Canadian Premiere of his LADY MAIKO
HIROAKI MATSUYAMA: DIRECTOR, NOBUNAGA CONCERTO
Matsuyama-san was born in Gifu Prefecture in 1973 and launched his directing career with the TV drama “Liar Game Seasons 1 and 2” in 2007 and 2009. His directorial feature film debut was “Liar Game: The Final Stage” in 2010. Other notable films include “Liar Game: Reborn” (’12), “Kagi no Kakatta Heya” (’12), “Shitsuren Chocolatier” (’14) and “Nobunaga Concerto” (’14). Matsuyama-san also directed the hit TV Nobunaga mini-series upon which his current film is based.
Director Matsuyama will be here to present the International Premiere of his new flm Nobunaga Concerto screening on Monday June 20 at 7pm.