Japanese Film Festival Opens in New York

"Japan Cuts," a festival of new Japanese films, opened its doors this weekend at the Japan Society in New York, featuring 18 long films and 60 short films -- all of them from new directors.

The festival showcases some of Japan's latest and greatest films, with selections chosen to appeal to Western audiences.

"I avoid too many insiders and movies difficult to translate. We try to select something that is interesting by itself," explained Ryo Nagasawa, an organizer of the festival. "Audience reaction is good, they laugh and cry," she added.

The material includes blockbusters, documentaries, short films and independents. Some of the highlights include the film "Sakuran" from the Director Mika Ninagawa. The movie portrays Japanese geisha and contrasts with Hollywood's own "Memoirs of a Geisha" as it consists primarily of Japanese actresses.

Organizers said audiences will also have the opportunity to interact with some of the directors and other producers of the films.

"New [Japanese] directors are unknown, we want to spotlight new directors and encourage filmmakers," said Nagasawa.

"Japan Cuts" came to New York for the first time in 2007, attracting nearly 5,000 guests. For this summer the organizers are expecting their audience to increase 20 percent as they seek to trigger more curiosity. They are working in collaboration with the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) which features material from countries including South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Thailand.

Compared with American films, Japanese films tend to be slower and longer. Movies in the festival can stretch beyond 2 hours, which could be a weak point for distribution or industries, commented Nagasawa. The audience of "Japan Cuts" seems to be patient and has more appreciation for this material however, she added.

The festival is taking place at the Japan Society located on 333 East 47th Street, from July 2-13. Tickets are $11.