Taichi Kimura was in an upbeat mood when I met him in mid-May at his agent’s office on a quiet street near Yoyogi Park.
A month earlier, “Fujiko,” his second film as a director, had won the top prize at the 28th edition of the Udine Far East Film Festival (FEFF), which was held April 24 to May 2 in the northern Italian city of Udine. Kimura, 38, then went to the Cannes Film Market, where “Fujiko” was picked up for distribution in France, Germany, Spain and other territories. And though he already had his own ideas for his next project, offers to direct were coming in.
For full disclosure, as the Japan program adviser for FEFF — Europe’s largest showcase of Asian popular cinema — I helped select “Fujiko” for the 52-film competition section, whose winners are decided by audience votes. I also congratulated Kimura, star Yuki Katayama and actress-producer Megumi after the film was greeted with a thunderous 5-minute standing ovation.
