Switzerland, Japan Sing Along to Rise and Shine-Sold ‘Karaoke Paradise’ (EXCLUSIVE)

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Urban Sales has sold Japanese director Chie Hayakawa’s dystopian drama Plan 75 to KimStim for North America, in addition to several other territories. The film won a Camera d’Or Special Mention when it premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes this year, and is also Japan’s submission to the Best International Feature category of the Oscars. 

US President Joe Biden warned that the risk of a nuclear threat has reached its highest point since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, following harrowing threats from Vladimir Putin.

Thundercat has recorded a cover of Ryuichi Sakamoto‘s ‘Thousand Knives’, the title track from the Japanese composer’s 1978 solo debut – listen to it below.The cover is part of a new compilation that pays tribute to Sakamoto,in celebration of his 70th birthday. ‘A Tribute To Ryuichi Sakamoto: To The Moon And Back’ is due out on December 2 via Milan Records.Thundercat’s bass-laden take on ‘Thousand Knives’ is about half the length of Sakamoto’s vocoder-heavy original, with brand-new English lyrics fitting with the melody.It’s the first single from the album, with other artists to appear including Devonté Hynes (AKA Blood Orange), Fennesz, David Sylvian, Cornelius, and the Cinematic Orchestra.Last month, Sakamoto shared two new songs that were made for the Netflix anime series Exception.

A host of artists, including Dev Hynes and Oscar-winner Hildur Guðnadóttir, will share their love of Ryuichi Sakamoto on new tribute album To the Moon and Back. The album, out December 2, is launching with a reworking of the Japanese composer's "Thousand Knives" by Thundercat. Check it out below.

Suzume is coming!

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief A new trailer for the second season of futuristic fantasy actioner Alice in Borderland was the highlight of a slate of Japanese film, series and cartoons unveiled by Netflix on Sunday as part of its Tudum fan experience. Japanese content is doing well for the streamer, both within the country which is Netflix’s most valuable in the Asia-Pacific region, and increasingly overseas. Though the country is awaiting its “Squid Game” breakout show, the company has signaled that it is investing more in the Japanese-language category. The Sunday presentation included a group interview segment in which Yamazaki Kento and Tsuchiya Tao, who play Arisu and Usagi from “Alice in Borderland,” Mori Nana and Deguchi Natsuki who play Kiyo and Sumire in “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House,” and Ai Fairouz , voice actress for Jolyne Cujoh in “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean,” talked about their personal growth and shared thoughts on now reaching fans all over the world.

Emerging stars from Netflix Japan’s biggest original shows have revealed their experiences working with the streamer today at the final Tudum event of the past 24 hours.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Eleven documentary projects from six countries have been selected for the Intl. Documentary Assn.’s annual Enterprise Documentary Fund Production Grant. Selected from 248 applicants, the 15 directors behind the 11 docus will receive a total of $600,000 in production grants. Established in 2017, the IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund supports in-depth explorations of original, contemporary stories that integrate journalistic practice into the filmmaking process. The fund is financially supported by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, with additional support from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation. In its six-year history, the fund has given over $4.5 million in grant money to nonfiction filmmakers.

EXCLUSIVE: Manila-based TBA Studios has acquired Philippines theatrical rights to award-winning drama Plan 75, which is Japan’s submission for the best international feature category of the Academy Awards.

Studio&New reported that Jung had been cast as one of the leads in Tell Me That You Love Me (literal title), a K-drama based on the award-winning 1995 Japanese drama of the same name.According to a report by Korea JoongAng Daily, Jung will be playing Cha Jin-woo, a hearing-impaired artist who expresses his emotions through drawings. He will be joined by Shin Hyun-been (Hospital Playlist), who will be portraying Jung Mo-eun, Cha Jin-woo’s main love interest.Tell Me That You Love Me marks Jung’s return to acting in television series in over a decade.

Japan Latest To Remake Simon Cowell’s ‘Got Talent’

Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral brought so many world leaders together on Monday (September 19) in London, England.