26TH RAINBOW REEL TOKYO – TOKYO INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL
Celebrating a Diversity of Gender Visions
Venue(s): Cinemart Shinjuku, Spiral HallJuly 8 – 14, 2017
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Official website: rainbowreeltokyo.com/2017/en/
Theater website: www.cinemart.co.jp/theater/shinjuku/
Tariff: ￥1,700, ￥14,000/Season Pass
Advance tickets: ￥1,400/film, ￥5,200/4 films, ￥12,000/Season Pass
Title: 第26回レインボー・リール東京 ～東京国際レズビアン＆ゲイ映画祭 (Dai 26 kai Rainbow Reel Tokyo –Tokyo Kokusai Lesbian & Gay Eigasai)
Tokyo’s venerable Rainbow Reel Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival enters its second quarter-century this year, highlighting an exciting selection of sexual minority-themed works from around the world. As the LGBT community in Japan continues to register gains (although not yet the legislating of same-sex marriage), there is no better cinematic showcase for underrepresented voices to be heard.
Once again, the festival will begin with late-show screenings at Cinemart Shinjuku, before moving into its Omotesando home, Spiral Hall, for the final four days. There is always something to please every film lover, no matter the color of their rainbow stripe — and the scene in the Spiral Hall lobby is a celebration of pride and inclusiveness that is also not to be missed.
As Rainbow Reel Director Hideki Miyazawa puts it: “Our sexuality is not something that we go around advertising loudly, but it’s something important that shapes what we are. This event is one of the few places where you can share your laughter, tears and feelings regardless of your sexuality. Why don’t you just come and experience this wonderfully cozy feeling?”
Two of the features in the 13-film main selection are by Japanese directors, including Genki Masuda’s documentary I Am What I Am: Over the Rainbow. Chizuru Azuma interviews 41 members of Japan’s LGBT community, focusing on Hiroshi Hasegawa, the founder of the gay magazines Badi and G-men, and an outspoken board member of JaNP+ (Japanese Network of People Living with HIV/AIDs). The film’s participants include prominent figures like Peter, Ai Haruna and Kiyotaka, all delivering powerful messages for those conflicted about their sexuality.
I am what I am. – Over the Rainbow –
(私はワタシ ～over the rainbow～ Watashi wa Watashi)
Dir: Genki MASUDA, 2017｜Japan｜75min｜Japanese
Tomoko Takahashi’s You Are The Sea tells the story of college student Kaito, who falls in love with Toko despite an inherent distrust of women. Toko is grappling with her feels about a woman she met in the park, Hiroka, not wanting to accept that she might be a lesbian. Kaito soon guesses Toko’s secret, but rather than condemning her, attempts to help her work through her identity issues.
You Are The Sea (きみは海 Kimi wa Umi)
Dir：Tomoko TAKAHASHI, 2016｜Japan｜64min｜Japanese
In RR26’s Rainbow Reel Competition, the six-film lineup of Japanese shorts includes live-action and animated work from first-time and veteran creators, several of which have already picked up awards at other shorts festivals.
Are you really Umekichi? (お前本当に梅吉か Omae Honto ni Umekichi ka?)
Dir：Naomi TAKAYAMA, 2014｜Japan｜23min｜Japanese
Chromosome Sweetheart (染色体の恋人 Senshokutai no Koibito)
Dir：Honami YANO, 2017｜Japan｜5min｜Japanese
Dearest (いとしいひと Itoshii Hito)
Dir：Kana MARUYAMA, 2016｜Japan｜19min｜Japanese
Since all non-English-language films are shown with English subtitles, don’t miss this opportunity to see other buzzed-about titles, including Below Her Mouth, the sexually daring drama that earned a buzz on its premiere at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival; Sundance winner Kiki, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking documentary Paris Is Burning by highlighting today’s youth-of-color artistic activist subculture; the charming Irish drama A Date for Mad Mary, about a female ex-con who finds unexpected love despite being socially ostracized; and French maestro André Techine’s Being 17, about a hatred between two boys that gradually evolves into something else — which Variety lauded as “arguably the most youthful film of his oeuvre.”
Kiki (キキ ―夜明けはまだ遠く― Kiki Yoake wa Mada Toku)
Dir：Sara Jordeno
2016｜Sweden, USA｜94 min｜English｜ Japan Premiere
As members of the Asia Pacific Queer Film Festival alliance (APQFAA), founded in 2015 to promote work from around the region, Rainbow Reel is also presenting six shorts, all Japanese premieres, from India, Pakistan, China, Taiwan, Australia and the US in the sidebar Queer x APAC: APQFAA Selection.
Cinemart Shinjuku
Spiral Hall
Tokyo’s venerable Rainbow Reel Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival enters its second quarter-century this year, highlighting an exciting selection of sexual minority-themed works from around the world. As the LGBT community in Japan continues to register gains (although not yet the legislating of same-sex marriage), there is no better cinematic showcase for underrepresented voices to be heard.
Once again, the festival will begin with late-show screenings at Cinemart Shinjuku, before moving into its Omotesando home, Spiral Hall, for the final four days. There is always something to please every film lover, no matter the color of their rainbow stripe — and the scene in the Spiral Hall lobby is a celebration of pride and inclusiveness that is also not to be missed.
As Rainbow Reel Director Hideki Miyazawa puts it: “Our sexuality is not something that we go around advertising loudly, but it’s something important that shapes what we are. This event is one of the few places where you can share your laughter, tears and feelings regardless of your sexuality. Why don’t you just come and experience this wonderfully cozy feeling?”
Two of the features in the 13-film main selection are by Japanese directors, including Genki Masuda’s documentary I Am What I Am: Over the Rainbow. Chizuru Azuma interviews 41 members of Japan’s LGBT community, focusing on Hiroshi Hasegawa, the founder of the gay magazines Badi and G-men, and an outspoken board member of JaNP+ (Japanese Network of People Living with HIV/AIDs). The film’s participants include prominent figures like Peter, Ai Haruna and Kiyotaka, all delivering powerful messages for those conflicted about their sexuality.
I am what I am. – Over the Rainbow –
(私はワタシ ～over the rainbow～ Watashi wa Watashi)
Dir: Genki MASUDA, 2017｜Japan｜75min｜Japanese
Tomoko Takahashi’s You Are The Sea tells the story of college student Kaito, who falls in love with Toko despite an inherent distrust of women. Toko is grappling with her feels about a woman she met in the park, Hiroka, not wanting to accept that she might be a lesbian. Kaito soon guesses Toko’s secret, but rather than condemning her, attempts to help her work through her identity issues.
You Are The Sea (きみは海 Kimi wa Umi)
Dir：Tomoko TAKAHASHI, 2016｜Japan｜64min｜Japanese
In RR26’s Rainbow Reel Competition, the six-film lineup of Japanese shorts includes live-action and animated work from first-time and veteran creators, several of which have already picked up awards at other shorts festivals.
Are you really Umekichi? (お前本当に梅吉か Omae Honto ni Umekichi ka?)
Dir：Naomi TAKAYAMA, 2014｜Japan｜23min｜Japanese
Chromosome Sweetheart (染色体の恋人 Senshokutai no Koibito)
Dir：Honami YANO, 2017｜Japan｜5min｜Japanese
Dearest (いとしいひと Itoshii Hito)
Dir：Kana MARUYAMA, 2016｜Japan｜19min｜Japanese
Since all non-English-language films are shown with English subtitles, don’t miss this opportunity to see other buzzed-about titles, including Below Her Mouth, the sexually daring drama that earned a buzz on its premiere at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival; Sundance winner Kiki, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking documentary Paris Is Burning by highlighting today’s youth-of-color artistic activist subculture; the charming Irish drama A Date for Mad Mary, about a female ex-con who finds unexpected love despite being socially ostracized; and French maestro André Techine’s Being 17, about a hatred between two boys that gradually evolves into something else — which Variety lauded as “arguably the most youthful film of his oeuvre.”
Kiki (キキ ―夜明けはまだ遠く― Kiki Yoake wa Mada Toku)
Dir：Sara Jordeno
2016｜Sweden, USA｜94 min｜English｜ Japan Premiere
As members of the Asia Pacific Queer Film Festival alliance (APQFAA), founded in 2015 to promote work from around the region, Rainbow Reel is also presenting six shorts, all Japanese premieres, from India, Pakistan, China, Taiwan, Australia and the US in the sidebar Queer x APAC: APQFAA Selection.
Cinemart Shinjuku
Spiral Hall
Please be sure to check with the theater before going.