“Sword of Desperation” video

Here's a video of the screening presentation and press conference of the Japanese movie Sword of Desperation at the Montreal World Film Festival 2010 (filmed by clodjee on August 27th, 31:21 min.):

Sword of Desperation from clodjee on Vimeo.

Revue de Presse / Press Review (2010/08/27)

Personal update: I've been feeling unwell for the last two weeks (first some disgestion problems and then some sort of cold), so I have not done much lately besides slaving for the libraries. I always feel completely exhausted after work. I guess I am worrying too much about my next working schedule and moving out of the apartment. The bright side is that if I don't get much work this fall it will leave me time to rest and to shop for a new house. But now with the Montreal World Film Festival I should be again quite busy (and tired) for a couple of weeks. I can't wait to have some real time off... Anyway, the world is still turning and there's always news to talk about:

Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture

• Ichiban: Japon en chinois
• 'Gamma World' Returns
• Award-Winning Anime Director Satoshi Kon Passes Away

Apple & iPad news

• Apple's iPhone 4 is all pros, no cons...
• Apple: des annonces le 7 septembre
• Apple expected to update iPod line at September event

Economy, Environment & International Politics

• Ray Bradbury appelle les États-Unis à «la révolution»
• Un vaste «nuage» de polluants s'échappe de la marée noire
• Weather shifts behind disasters need 'urgent' probe: UN

Film Festival

• Pete Smalls is Dead will have its World Premiere at the MWFF [en Français]
• Le FFM champion incontestable de la Francophonie
• Zingaro Revisited will have its international Premiere at the MWWFF [en Français]
• Louis Bélanger ne veut pas se mêler des guerres de festivals
• MWFF List of Press Conference [en Français]
• FFM 2010: Dossier de “La Presse”
• FFM: aperçu de quelques films (La Presse)
• FFM: un film de samouraïs à l'eau de rose (La Presse)

Health, home & garden

• Forte augmentation de perte auditive chez les adolescents américains
• Housing's up, but not for much longer

Media, Culture & Society

• Watch This: F%&k Me, Ray Bradbury! [NSFW!!]
• L'Effet Twitter remis en cause par Hollywood
• Animal advocates fight against cats' negative image
• Wired youth forget how to write in China and Japan

Montreal & Local/National Politics

• Strike looms in Quebec construction industry
• Can an electric car handle a Montreal winter?

Sciences & History

• La Lune rétrécit comme une vieille pomme
• Astronomers bag biggest ever find of exoplanets
• Archaeologists uncover 3,500-year-old Egypt city

Technology, Gadgets & Internet

• Le secteur de la vidéo sur internet en pleine ébullition
• Technology Leads More Park Visitors Into Trouble
• La télé de plus en plus regardée sur Internet
• Le web est mort, dit Wired
• Gmail s'attaque à Skype
• Google to allow phone calls from Gmail
• Le service de téléphonie par Internet de Google déjà populaire

See also the “Suggested Links (Shared Items)” in the column on the right side

“Sword of Desperation” press conference

Those who follow my World Film Festival coverage might be interested to know that the press conference for the Japanese movie Sword of Desperation (Hisshiken Torisashi) will be held tomorrow, friday August 27th, at 2 pm (14:00) in the Complexe Desjardins' Grande-Place. The movie, which is in competition, will be screened tomorrow at the Cinema Imperial at 9:00 and at the Maisonneuve Theatre at 21:30. The director Hideyuki Hirayama and screenwriter Hideri Ito will attend the press conference, which will be open to the public.

A video of the screening presentation and press conference is available.

A list of the upcoming press conferences can be found on the festival web site.

I will regularly update my list of Japanese films with new information as they are available. I'll make a separate note for all major new information. Enjoy the festival!

Revue de Presse / Press Review (2010/08/17)

Personal update: I've been incredibly busy lately and I'm sure it will only get worse (unless I don't manage to get a full schedule for the libraries fall time-block—the time of sleepless worrying over scheduling is back again). I've spent all week-end at Otakuthon: It was a good convention (at least for me in the dealers' room) but quite exhausting. With all the stress and exhaustion, I've not been feeling well lately (headache and disgestion problems). I couldn't manage to write much, but I did spot of few noteworthy newsbits:

Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture

• The Most Popular Manga in the World
• 'Cathy' Newspaper Strip Ending
• Florida Library Makes Teen Area After Manga Complaints
• Turning Japanese: A Starter Guide to (Shoujo) Manga
• FUNimation Sales Decline 29%

Apple & iPad news

• Chinese firm develops 'Apple Peel' to convert iPod Touch into mobile phone

Books, Digital Edition & Library

• Bookstores in Turmoil
• Proxy Fight at Barnes & Noble

Economy, Environment & International Politics

• Ray Bradbury appelle les États-Unis à «la révolution»
• Pékin déloge Tokyo comme 2e économie mondiale
• China Passes Japan to Become No. 2 Economy
• For Lean Budgets, a Plug-and-Play Solar Array

Film Festival

• Le FFM dévoile sa programmation
• Dossiers: Festival des films du monde 2010
• Montreal World Film Fest unspools new lineup
• Rivalry rekindled between Montreal, Toronto film fests
• International Critics' Jury at the 34th MWFF [en français]

Health, home & garden

• Le secret de la grippe A (H1N1) élucidé
• H1N1 outbreak strained health system, led to public loss of confidence
• Prices of resale homes in Canada rising faster than new homes
• Canada sees 'dramatic' housing slowdown, global report says
• Nouveau recul des ventes résidentielles au Canada
• Moose Offer Trail of Clues on Arthritis

Media, Culture & Society

• Quand les citoyens captent la nouvelle
• Les Cyniques: la dure école du show-business
• Les Cyniques: l'université de l'humour
• The Book in the Renaissance

Montreal & Local/National Politics

• Conciliation travail-famille: Une douanière gagne sa cause
• Côte-Saint-Luc fait la chasse aux chats
• 36 Hours in Montreal

Sciences & History

• L'Homme doit coloniser l'espace pour survivre, selon Stephen Hawking

Technology, Gadgets & Internet

• La drogue numérique ou le «trip» par les oreilles

See also the “Suggested Links (Shared Items)” in the column on the right side

Otakuthon reminder

Just a quick note to remind you that I'll be a guest all week-end (August 13-15) at Otakuthon (Palais des Congrès de Montréal: 201, Viger Avenue West, near Métro Place d'Armes). Check the Otakuthon website for details.

Come see us and discuss at our tables (#516 & 517) in the Exhibition Hall. We'll have LOTS of anime & manga goodies to sell at VERY good price.

Our friends from Dream Pod 9 will also be there (#510, 511 & 520).

I'll also be kicking off my Super Virtual Summer Garage Sale. Don't miss it!

Montreal World Film Festival 2010

In a press conference today, the Montreal World Film Festival announced the programming of its 34th edition, which will be held from August 26 to September 6. During the twelve days of its duration, the festival will present 430 films from 80 countries, including 277 feature-length movies, 15 medium-length and 188 short films. 113 of those features will be world or international premieres!

“True to its mandate, which is to encourage cultural diversity, to stimulate quality cinema, to discover and promote new talent, the Montreal World Film Festival presents a program that is more diverse and inclusive than ever, with pride of place to discovery even when offering a showcase to established artists. (...) The Festival team worked hard to find films off the beaten track, especially to offer young filmmakers an opportunity to show their talent.“

This year the festival is offering us twelve Japanese movies: nine features, two documentaries and one “rerun.” Of the twenty features from twenty-four countries that make up the World Competition section, three are Japanese. That's a much bigger Japanese selection than last year.

The World Competition [list]

• Akunin (Villain), 139 min., directed by Sang-Il LEE, Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Eri Fukatsu, Masaki Okada, Hikari Mitsushima, Kirin Kiki, Akira Emoto. A young insurance saleswoman is found strangled at Mitsuse Pass. Her family and friends are shocked. The pass — which tunnels through a mountainous region of southern Japan — has an eerie history... Schedule: 9/5, 21:30, TM.05.2; 9/5, 9:00, CI.05.1; 9/6, 16:30, CI.06.3.
  
• Box — Hakamada Jiken — Inochi Towa (Box: The Hakamada Case), 117 min., directed by TAKAHASHI Banmei, Cast: Masato Hagiwara, Hirofumi Arai, Riona Hazuki, Takeoni Murano, Naoki Hosaka, Ryo Ishibashi. Based on a criminal case in Japan in mid 1960s, the story centres on two men who was born in the same year; one is sentenced to death for murder and the other is the judge who believes his innocence.
  Schedule: 9/2, 21:30, TM.02.1; 9/2, 9:00, CI.02.1; 9/3, 16:30, CI.03.4.
  
• Hisshiken Torisashi (Sword of Desperation), 114 min., directed by HIRAYAMA Hideyuki, Cast: Etsushi Toyokama, Chizuru Ikewari, Koji Kikkawa. During the Edo Period in Japan, Kanemi Sanzaemon, a skilled swordsman and chief of the Unasaka battles to rid his clan of political corruption.
  Schedule: 8/27, 21:30, TM.27.1; 8/27, 9:00, CI.27.1; 8/28, 14:00, CI.28.3.
  

First Films World Competition [list]

• Torocco (Rail Truck), Japan/Taiwan co-production, 116 min., directed by KAWAGUCHI Hirofumi. Cast: Machiko Ono, Kento Harada, Kyoichi Omae, Hong Liu, Chang Han, Wan Fan, Bryant Chang, Mei Fang. When Yumiko Yano travels with her sons, Atsushi and Toki, from her home in Tokyo to the Taiwanese village of her late husband, the boys discover a culture and a society that is alien to their Japanese existence.
  Schedule: 9/2, 12:00, L10.02.2; 9/2, 19:00, L10.02.5; 9/4, 19:20, L10.28.3.
  

Out of Competition [list]

• Bushi no Kakeibo (Abacus and Sword), 120 min., directed by MORITA Yoshimitsu. Cast : Masato Sakai, Yukie Nakama, Keiko Matsuzaka, Masahito Nishimura, Masatoshi Makamura, Mitsuko Kusabue. In the Edo era, Japan was facing a period of upheaval. The great Tenpo famine of the 1830s and other developments have left the finances of the Kaga Domain in a precarious financial position...
  Schedule: 8/30, 10:00, L12.30.1; 831, 21:30, C!.31.6; 9/1, 14:30, L12.01.3.
  
• Caterpillar (Le soldat-dieu), 85 min., directed by WAKAMATSU Koji. Cast : Shinobu Terajima, Shima Ohnishi, Ken Yoshizawa, Keigo Kasuya, Emi Masuda, Sabu Kawahara. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, in 1940, Lieutenant Kurokawa returns home as a honoured and decorated soldier, but deprived of his arms and leg, lost on the battlefield in mainland China.
  Schedule: 9/2, 21:40, L17.02.5; 9/3, 14:50, L17.03.3; 9/4, 21:40, L17.04.6.
  

Focus on World Cinema [list]

• Inshite Miru (The Incite Mill), 110 min., directed by NAKATA Hideo. Cast : Tatsuya Fujiwara, Haruka Ayase, Satomi Ishihara. Ten people respond to a preposterous job posting — a short term project promising to pay $1200 an hour. Sounds dodgy but the money is hard to resist.
  Schedule: 9/2, 10:00, L15.02.1; 9/2, 21:40, L15.02.6; 9/5, 19:20, L16.05.5.
  
• Shitsuren Satsujin (Lost Love Murder), 100 min., directed by KUBOTA Shoji. Cast : Mao Miyaji, Yurei Yanagi, Ryuchi Ohura, Kinuo Yamada, Kouta Kusano, Mari Hoshino. Suichi is madly in love with his wife, but he suspects that she is unfaithful, and this gnawing jealousy leads to a bizarre murder.
  Schedule: 9/2, 21:40, L16.02.6; 9/3, 10:00, L17.03.1; 9/4, 12:10, L16.04.2.
  
• Suito Rituru Raizu (Sweet Little Lies), 117 min., directed by YAZAKI Hitoshi. Cast : Miki Nakatani, Nao Omori, Chizuru Ikewaki, Junichi Kobayashi. Ruriko, an artist, has been married to Satoshi for three years and on the surface their marriage seems ideal. In fact, however, they have been gradually growing distant.
  Schedule: 8/29, 14:50, L10.29.3; 8/30, 19:20, L12.30.5; 9/1, 10:00, L9.01.1; 9/5, 21:40, L16.05.6.
  

Documentaries [list]

• Dancing Chaplin, 131 min., directed by SUO Masayuki. A filmed record of the Roland Petit’s well- known ballet but also a union of dance and film that reflects the serendipitous meeting of the great talents of Chaplin, Petit and Japanese director Masayuki Suo.
  Schedule: 9/3, 12:10, L15.03.2; 9/4, 21:21, L15.04.6; 9/5, 17:00, L15.05.4.
  
• Umareru (Being Born), 8 min., directed by TOMO. Junichi, an emergency medical technician, and his wife Takako, a nurse, who work with life and death daily, now want a new life of their own, a baby.
  Schedule: 8/28, 12:30, L14.28.2; 8/28, 19:20, L14.28.5; 8/29, 14:20, L14.29.3; 8/30, 17:30, L14.30.4.
  

Cinema Under the Stars [list]

• Shall We Dance (1996), 120 min., directed by SUO Masayuki. Cast: Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, Naoto Takenaka. A workaholic’s dull life takes a funny turn when he signs up for a ballroom dance class – just to meet the sexy dance teacher. But when he finally goes for lessons, he winds up with a different instructor and her colourfully eccentric class of beginners.
  Schedule: 9/3, 20:30, Outdoor on Place des Festivals.
  

Here is the video of the programming press conference (34:23 min.):

MWFF 2010 Programming Press Conference from clodjee on Vimeo.

The schedule [PDF] is now available online [ Part 1, Part 2, Index ]

I've made a calendar to help visualize the time and location of all the Japanese movies' screenings. What were they thinking: putting eight screenings of Japanese movies on the same day (Sept. 2nd)?

I've also made a nice, printable PDF file gathering all the useful information from the festival guide.

For the first time in years the MWFF has put in advance on their web site a list of the upcoming press conferences.

More details and links will be added as the information become available. [Updated 08/11 (more details & links), 08/21 (schedule, better description & link's icon), 08/22 (calendar), 08/24 (FFM web links, Google links, PDF), 08/27 (link for press conferences list), 08/31 (icon & link press conference), 9/04 (programming press conference video), 9/09 (more press conferences video links)]

[I have updated the “MWFF 2009 Overview” blog entry with a few corrections, links and new logos for some links. More update to come. Please have a look!]