Japanese director Nobuhiro Doi's latest film Hanamizuki is one of ten films scheduled to show in competition at the first Vietnam International Film Festival, which runs until Oct. 21 in Hanoi.
Hanamizuki is a romantic drama which tells the story of high school student Sae Hirasawa, played by Yui Aragaki, who lives a simple life with her mother in a peaceful northern fishing town but dreams of a life overseas.
She meets two special men in her life. One is another high school boy who she falls in love with. They encourage each other to pursue their dreams, even as their dreams pull them apart. The other man is an upperclassman who shares her same dreams.
Doi, with the support of the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange, is scheduled to arrive on Oct. 19 to attend the festival and conduct question and answer sessions about the film.
Born April 11, 1964 in Hiroshima Prefecture , Doi began as director for the hit TBS television series Good Luck!! in 2003 and Orange Days in 2004 until striking it big with the 48 million USD box office hit Be With You the same year, his directorial film debut.
Hanamizuki was released in Japan in August and is his third feature film.
My Darling Is a Foreigner, the directorial debut by Kazuaki Ue, will also compete for the festival's top prize.
Eatrip by Yuri Nomura, and Mental by Kazuhiro Soda will compete in the documentary and short film categories, respectively. Mental won the Best Documentary Award at the Pusan International Film Festival and the Dubai International Film Festival in 2008.
Japanese animation will also make a showing at the festival with Summer Wars (2009) and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), both directed by Mamoru Hosoda. Both films have received numerous awards not only in Japan but throughout the world, including the Best Animation Award at the Japan Academy Awards in 2007 (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) and in 2010 (Summer Wars).
Please see the What's On section on page 27 for the festival calendar./.
Hanamizuki is a romantic drama which tells the story of high school student Sae Hirasawa, played by Yui Aragaki, who lives a simple life with her mother in a peaceful northern fishing town but dreams of a life overseas.
She meets two special men in her life. One is another high school boy who she falls in love with. They encourage each other to pursue their dreams, even as their dreams pull them apart. The other man is an upperclassman who shares her same dreams.
Doi, with the support of the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange, is scheduled to arrive on Oct. 19 to attend the festival and conduct question and answer sessions about the film.
Born April 11, 1964 in Hiroshima Prefecture , Doi began as director for the hit TBS television series Good Luck!! in 2003 and Orange Days in 2004 until striking it big with the 48 million USD box office hit Be With You the same year, his directorial film debut.
Hanamizuki was released in Japan in August and is his third feature film.
My Darling Is a Foreigner, the directorial debut by Kazuaki Ue, will also compete for the festival's top prize.
Eatrip by Yuri Nomura, and Mental by Kazuhiro Soda will compete in the documentary and short film categories, respectively. Mental won the Best Documentary Award at the Pusan International Film Festival and the Dubai International Film Festival in 2008.
Japanese animation will also make a showing at the festival with Summer Wars (2009) and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), both directed by Mamoru Hosoda. Both films have received numerous awards not only in Japan but throughout the world, including the Best Animation Award at the Japan Academy Awards in 2007 (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) and in 2010 (Summer Wars).
Please see the What's On section on page 27 for the festival calendar./.
