Author Archives: admin@ianthomasash
“Ushiku” awarded Top Prize in Asian Category at Festival in Korea
At the closing ceremony for the 13th DMZ Docs in Korea on September 16, Ushiku received the Asian Perspective Award, the top prize in the Asian Competition. More information about the festival, the prize and the jury statement can be found on the DocumentingIan Blog.
Korean Premier of “Ushiku” to begin
The Korean Premier of Ushiku is set to begin tomorrow (Sept 9) in the DMZ 국제다큐멘터리영화제 DMZ International Documentary Film Festival. The festival will be held September 9-16, and this year, because of the pandemic, will be hybrid. More information about the streaming and in-person options as well as a link to special message from one of the film’s participants can be found on the DocumentingIan Blog. There, information on the final chance to stream the film in the US in the “I Will Tell International Film Festival” can also be found.
Dutch Premier of “Ushiku” announced
Today the Dutch Premier of Ushiku in CAMERA JAPAN Festival on Sept 24 and 25 was announced. More information about the screening as well as upcoming screenings in Belgium, the US and Korea, can be found on the DocumentingIan Blog.
Post-screening Q&A held online in the I Will Tell FF
On September 1, a live online screening of Ushiku took place in the I Will Tell International Film Festival. Peter, one of the participants in the film, and Thomas joined the post-screening Q&A which was led by festival director Jenny Lee. Ushiku will be screening online in the US until Sept 9. More information and additional photos from the Q&A are on the DocumentingIan Blog.
Instagram Live Q&A held with Japan Cuts in NYC
Today (Aug 31) a live Q&A about “Ushiku” was held at 8PM EDT in the US (9AM Sept 1 JST in Tokyo) on Instagram with Louis, one of the film’s protagonists, and Professor Ai Kihira-Hunt, Associate Professor at The University of Tokyo. WATCH: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CTQouxtpmWa/ “Ushiku” is screening ONLINE in the US in Japan Society’s JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film until Sept 2: https://film.japansociety.org/film/ushiku/
“Ushiku” to screen in Belgium
It was recently announced that Thomas’s new documentary Ushiku will screen in the Electric Shadows Asian Film Festival in Antwerp, Belgium on September 5. More about that and On Demand screenings in the US in the Japan Society‘s JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film and the I Will Tell International Film Festival, in Korea in the DMZ 국제다큐멘터리영화제 DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, as well as the film’s Impact Campaign is on the DocumentingIan Blog.
“Ushiku” featured on broadcaster NHK World
Thomas’s newest documentary Ushiku (2021) was featured today in a six-minute segment of the NHK WORLD-JAPAN program J-FLICKS. Below is an excerpt: Host Sarah Macdonald: “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Nippon Connection Japanese Film Festival has a special place in my heart. Now of the films screened this year, I think Ushiku was particularly impactful, a really harrowing film. What did you think of it?” Filmmaker and commentator John Williams: “I think Ushiku is probably one of the most important films that’s been made in Japan in the last decade or so. And… I would like everybody to see this. It seems that people just have no […]
“Ushiku” to screen online in the US in Japan Cuts
Thomas’s latest documentary, Ushiku, will be screening online in the Japan Society‘s Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film from Aug 20 through Sept 2, 2021. More information about the film festival, which can be viewed from anywhere in the US, can be found on the DocumentingIan Blog.
“Ushiku” to sceen in upcoming festivals in the US and Korea
Ushiku will be screening in three upcoming film festivals: Japan Society Film‘s Japan Cuts Film Festival (USA, Aug 20-Sept 2), I Will Tell International Film Festival (USA, Aug 30-Sept 9) & DMZ 국제다큐멘터리영화제 DMZ International Documentary Film Festival (Korea, Sept 9-16). Exact screening dates and ticket information will be announced soon.
Philosopher Hiroki Azuma publishes essay about “Ushiku”
Japanese cultural critic, novelist, and philosopher Hiroki Azuma wrote about Thomas’s newest documentary Ushiku in his essay published in the latest edition of the magazine AERA, which can be found here.