Toronto International Film Fest announces first Japanese titles

by Chris MaGee

Today was the day that so many Japanese film fans in Toronto have been waiting for. The 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival, which runs from September 9th to 19th, announced the line-up for their experimental Wavelengths line-up as well as the highlights of this year's documentary films. In amongst these two announcements we get the first Japanese and Japan-related titles for this year's fest.

Those who aren't afraid of the avant-garde and left-of-center will be able to catch experimental filmmaker Tomonari Nishikawa’s 16mm film "Tokyo-Ebisu", described as "an in-camera patchwork constructed from multiple viewpoints from the platforms of Tokyo’s busiest railway line." Wavelength audiences will also be able to see Eriko Sonoda's animated film "Landscape, semi-surround" that explores memory and after image.

A look through the announced documentaries we see film fest darling Naomi Kawase and her latest film "Genpin", a look at natural childbirth at the clinic of Dr. Tadashi Yoshimura. The big news though is the World Premiere of Linda Hoaglund's documentary "ANPO" (above). Hoaglund, who along with director Risa Morimoto brought us the groundbreaking doc "Wings of Defeat" about kamikaze pilots in WW2. For "ANPO" she turns her attention to The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, shortened to ANPO in Japanese, that has extended the presence of U.S. airbases on Japanese soil since the end of the Allied Occupation in 1952. Hoaglund shows us how the movement against the ANPO Treaty in the 1960's influenced a whole generation of artists and activists.

Check out the trailer for "ANPO" below and then head to the official website for the 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival here to see what other cinematic wonders they have on hand for Toronto audiences next month.