Japanese film 'On Summer Sand' wins award at Shanghai film festival
"On Summer Sand," a Japanese film starring actor Odagiri Joe, has won a major prize at the prestigious 27th Shanghai International Film Festival.
The film directed by Tamada Shinya was honored with the Jury Grand Prix in the Main Competition division. It was chosen from among12 Chinese and foreign movies nominated for the section which includes the prize for Best Feature Film. The award ceremony took place on Saturday evening.
The movie is set in the southwestern Japanese city of Nagasaki. It depicts the grief of a man who lost his son, and the process of finding hope while living with his niece played by Takaishi Akari.
Odagiri, the lead actor, also worked as a co-producer and took part in casting and editing. He attended an event in Shanghai on Friday to meet his Chinese fans.
After the award ceremony, Odagiri said the selection of a Japanese film for an international prize gives him a sense of reassurance that various messages are being received. He also said it invigorates him to move forward and work harder.
"On Summer Sand" will be shown at theaters across Japan from July 4.
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"On Summer Sand," a Japanese film starring actor Odagiri Joe, has won a major prize at the prestigious 27th Shanghai International Film Festival. The film directed by Tamada Shinya was honored with the Jury Grand Prix in the Main Competition division. It was chosen from among12 Chinese and foreign movies nominated for the section which includes the prize for Best Feature Film. The award ceremony took place on Saturday evening. The movie is set in the southwestern Japanese city of Nagasaki. It depicts the grief of a man who lost his son, and the process of finding hope while living with his niece played by Takaishi Akari. Odagiri, the lead actor, also worked as a co-producer and took part in casting and editing. He attended an event in Shanghai on Friday to meet his Chinese fans. After the award ceremony, Odagiri said the selection of a Japanese film for an international prize gives him a sense of reassurance that various messages are being received. He also said it invigorates him to move forward and work harder. "On Summer Sand" will be shown at theaters across Japan from July 4.
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She is joined by pictures of actor Leonardo di Caprio with 'My dream' written underneath his bust, rapper Snoop Dog ('Want to Smoke Everyday') and 'Home Alone' star Macaulay Culkin ('Always Alone'). Mount started as a zine event before its organizers decided to open a brick-and-mortar shop to showcase zines year-round. | KIM KAHAN For some artists, zines are a vehicle for creative experimentation. Yukiko Oka, 24, is a graphic designer who recently sold her risograph-printed zines at Zine Fest. Her works included 'Moji Motion,' which brings Japanese onomatopoeic words to life with slit animation as you slide a sheet across the pages. 'I've been making zines since I was in art college,' says Oka. 'Now that I'm working as a graphic designer, making them provides an enjoyment that is different from my day job.' Political zines are relatively rare in Japan. In countries such as the U.S., however, activism has been a long-running theme of many zines since they first began, as the self-published pamphlets were an effective way to spread a message quickly before the days of social media. While both Mount and Zine Farm told us that they do not deal with zines promoting any particular politics or religion, there are still places to find and discover activist zines such as Dig a Hole Zines in Koenji and Irregular Rhythm Asylum in Shinjuku. This increasing popularity of zines has enabled the emergence of zine categories, adding an extra dimension to some zine events. Zine Fest has started to cross-experiment with themed editions, such as adding a board game and a podcast corner at the Zine Fest on April 5 or the upcoming photo-centric Zine Fest slated for Aug. 23. It's the low barrier to entry and loose definition of zines that makes them accessible to whoever wants to make or find one. Whether at events, stores or workshops, zinemakers are always happy to share the one thing all zines have in common — raw passion. For more information on zine events and stores, visit , or check Zine Fest's Instagram account @zinefarmtokyo.
