The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024 Japanese Guests Appearances

Date: 2024 February 01 20:50

Posted by Joe

The good folks from the The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme have sent us details of special Japanese guest appearances around the UK.

Visiting the festival we have Maeda Tetsu, director of Do Unto Others, Chihara Tetsuya director of Ice Cream Fever, plus Serena Motola, featured in Ice Cream Fever and Voices in the Wind. The 3 Japanese guests will be at various screenings around the touring film programme and available for a Q&A about their films.

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Details as follows:



Guests from Japan!

We've got some exciting news!

During the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024, we'll be joined by directors CHIHARA Tetsuya and MAEDA Tetsu, along with Serena Motola (Ice Cream Fever, Voices in the Wind), for Q&A sessions after select screenings!


Read on to find out more, or visit https://www.jpf-film.org.uk/newsevents/directors-2024

CHIHARA Tetsuya

Director of Ice Cream Fever, CHIHARA Tetsuya, will be joining us at the following screenings:

Jesus College, Cambridge
Saturday 3 February, 19:00

Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
Sunday 4 February, 17:40

Phoenix, Leicester
Monday 5 February, 18:00

Showroom Cinema, Sheffield
Tuesday 6 Feb, 16:45

About Ice Cream Fever

Four women from different generations have their lives intertwined at an ice cream shop in Tokyo. The shop assistant, Natsumi (YOSHIOKA Riho), is captivated by the mysterious customer Saho (Serena Motola), while Yu (MATSUMOTO Marika) takes in her estranged niece who is searching for her missing father. A stylish film with a vibrant and quirky love story where memories unfold.

About CHIHARA Tetsuya

Art Director / Film Director

Representative of the design office "LEMONLIFE & CO."

Born in Kyoto in 1975.

Responsible for designs across a wide range of genres including advertisements (H&M, 50th CUP NOODLE Collection in Laforet HARAJUKU, etc.), corporate branding (une nana cool, etc.), CD jackets (GARAKUTA by Keisuke Kuwata, Kayoko Yoshizawa, etc.), drama productions, and commercial productions.

Also active in various other fields, for example as a producer and a host of "Katteni Southern Day"; as the founder of "KISS, TOKYO", a logo that supports Tokyo; and as a director of "Kissa Lemon", a community aiming to revitalise the city of Fujiyoshida.

Finally, the realisation of his long-held dream of working as a film director, "Ice Cream Fever," was released in Japan in July 2023.


Serena Motola

Featured in Ice Cream Fever and Voices in the Wind, Serena Motola will be joining us at the following screenings:

Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
Voices in the Wind, Sunday 4 February, 13:20 (intro)
Ice Cream Fever, Sunday 4 February, 17:40 (Q&A)

Phoenix, Leicester
Monday 5 February, 18:00 (Q&A)

Showroom Cinema, Sheffield
Tuesday 6 Feb, 16:45 (Q&A)

About Ice Cream Fever

Four women from different generations have their lives intertwined at an ice cream shop in Tokyo. The shop assistant, Natsumi (YOSHIOKA Riho), is captivated by the mysterious customer Saho (Serena Motola), while Yu (MATSUMOTO Marika) takes in her estranged niece who is searching for her missing father. A stylish film with a vibrant and quirky love story where memories unfold.

About Voices in the Wind

Eight years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, emotionally scarred Haru (Serena Motola) silently embarks on a 1,300 km solo hitchhiking journey to her hometown of Otsuchi, where her family died. Guided by an unseen force, will the journey help heal her pain?


MAEDA Tetsu

Director of Do Unto Others, MAEDA Tetsu, will be joining us at the following screenings:

Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
Friday 9 February, 18:10

QUAD, Derby
Saturday 10 February, 18:00

Queen's Film Theatre, Belfast
Sunday 11 February, 15:00

HOME, Manchester
Monday 12 Feb, 17:50

About Do Unto Others

A shocking mystery unfolds as bodies are discovered, implicating dedicated caregiver SHIBA Munenori (MATSUYAMA Kenichi) in the deaths of 42 elderly patients. Pursued by prosecutor OTOMO Hidemi (NAGASAWA Masami), SHIBA admits his crime but insists it was 'salvation.' Why did he take lives, and what is his true intent?

About MAEDA Tetsu

Started out in the film industry with a part-time job in a film studio's props department, then went on to become a production design assistant, and later an assistant director, working on films by Juzo Itami, Yojiro Takita, Yoichi Sai, Junji Sakamoto, Joji Matsuoka, Masayuki Suo and others. Made his feature film directorial debut in 1998 with an installment of an omnibus film supervised by Shinji Somai. Winner of Best Director at the 2021 Hochi Film Awards.