Daily Yomiuri: Film festival puts spotlight on Asia, Europe
Film festival puts spotlight on Asia, Europe
About 60 films from six Asian countries will be screened at the 3rd Osaka Asian Film Festival to be held from Nov. 2 to Nov. 23 at three venues in Osaka: Sogo Theater at Sogo department store in Chuo Ward, Cine Nouveau in Nishi Ward and Planet Studio Plus One in Kita Ward. Masahiro Kobayashi's "Ai No Yokan" (The Rebirth), the winner of the Golden Leopard Prize at the 60th Locarno International Film Festival, will be screened on the opening night of the festival. Kobayashi, who plays the leading role in the film, and costar Makiko Watanabe will greet the public. The predecessor of the festival was launched in 2005 as the Korea Entertainment Film Festival by the Osaka prefectural and municipal governments and others to promote Osaka as a center of cultural exchanges in Asia. The first film festival screened only South Korean and Japanese films to mark the 40th anniversary of Japan-Korea Diplomatic Relations Normalization.
