The Japan Foundation Asia Center and Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) will launch the second installment of its collaborative omnibus film series Asian Three-Fold Mirror. This time the three directors Daishi Matsunaga (Japan), Edwin (Indonesia), Degena Yun (China) have been chosen to collaborate for the project.

Since 2014, the Japan Foundation Asia Center and TIFF have been creating film exchange programs among the people of Asian countries and Japan for the year 2020, when the Tokyo Olympics and the Paralympics are to be held. As part of the effort, this Asian Three-Fold Mirror project brings three talented directors from Japan and other Asian countries together to co-create a series of omnibus films exploring the common theme. This follows up on the world premiere of Asian Three- Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections, as the second installment featuring the young new directors from Japan, Indonesia, and China. Productions are now under way, to be completed in time for its world premiere at the 31st TIFF in 2018.

<Outline of the Asian Omnibus Film Series: Asian Three-Fold Mirror >

[ Project Title ]

The Japan Foundation Asia Center and Tokyo International Film Festival co-produce

Asian Omnibus Film Series: Asian Three-Fold Mirror

[ Organizers ]

The Japan Foundation Asia Center, UNIJAPAN (Tokyo International Film Festival)

[ Directors of 2nd of the series ]

Daishi Matsunaga (Japan), Edwin (Indonesia), Degena Yun (China)

[ General Producer ]

Satoru Iseki

[ World Premiere ]

The 31th Tokyo International Film Festival (2018)

[ Concept of the project]

The project brings together three talented directors from Japan and other Asian countries to create a series of omnibus films with a common theme. The three directors bring their own perspectives to depict various characters and their lives in Asia, and to create a “three-fold mirror” that reflects each country, society, and culture. The aim of this project is to generate discovery, understanding, and empathy among all Asian neighbors, and to explore many Asian identities and ways of life.

The first of the omnibus film series, Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections, focused on the theme “Living Together in Asia”. Film crew and casts joined forces across national borders to depict the lives of characters which move between Japan and Cambodia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

[ Profiles of Directors ]

Daishi Matsunaga (Japan)

Born in 1974, Tokyo. Matsunaga started his career as an actor and then directed music videos and commercials, as well as a television series, Rescue Fire. His widely acclaimed documentary, Pyuupiru (11), was featured in numerous international film festivals including Rotterdam, Jeonju and Paris Cinema. His first narrative film, Pieta in the Toilet (15), was a smash hit. His latest film Ototoki, a documentary about legendary Japanese rock band THE YELLOW MONKEY, will be released in November 2017. It will be screened at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival and the 30th TIFF.

Edwin (Indonesia)

Born in Surabaya, Indonesia in 1978, Edwin obtained a diploma in Graphic Design from Petra University and studied film at the Jakarta Institute of Arts, where he liberated his passion for filmmaking, utilizing spontaneous, flexible and fun approaches. His first feature Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly (08) received the FIPRESCI Prize at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2009 and his short film Kara, The Daughter of A Tree (05) was the first Indonesian film to be shown at the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes 2005. His latest film Postcards From The Zoo (12) was nominated for Golden Bear at the 2012 Berlinale.

Degena Yun (China)

Born in Inner Mongolia in 1984, Degena Yun graduated from the University of London and earned a MA in Film Directing from Beijing Film Academy. She made her feature debut with Latitude 52 (12), which was nominated at the Montreal World Film Festival. Her second feature, A Simple Goodbye (15), won the Spirit of Asia Award by the Japan Foundation Asia Center at the 28th TIFF as well as in Torino, Xining and Minneapolis.

General Producer : Satoru Iseki (Japan)

Born in 1943, Iseki started his film career at Nippon Herald while an undergraduate of Waseda University. After participating in Nagisa Oshima’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (83) and Akira Kurosawa’s Ran (85), he established Nippon Film Development and Finance in 1991 and produced Naked Lunch (91), Howards End (92) and others. He has produced numerous international film co-productions including Smoke (95), The Emperor and The Assassin (98), The World‘s Fastest Indian (05) and A Battle of Wits (06). In 2001, he established HARK inc.

The Japan Foundation Asia Center　　http://jfac.jp/en/

The Japan Foundation is Japan's principal independent administrative institution dedicated to carrying out cultural exchange initiatives throughout the world. The Asia Center, established in April 2014, is a division within the Foundation that conducts and supports collaborative initiatives with its Asian —primarily ASEAN—counterparts. Through interacting and working together in Japanese-language education, arts and culture, sports, and grassroots and intellectual exchange, the Asia Center aspires to develop the sense of kinship and coexistence as neighboring inhabitants of Asia.

Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) 　http://www.tiff-jp.net/en/

The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) started in 1985 as Japan’s first major film festival and the only Japanese film festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). Since then, TIFF has grown to become one of the biggest film festivals in Asia. Every year in October, filmmakers and film fans of all ages gather in Tokyo to enjoy excellent films from around the world and TIFF’s many colorful events. These include TIFF's multi-content market TIFFCOM, seminars for students, professionals, and business people, and symposiums and workshops for networking with the world film industries, developing international co-productions, and promoting the global film business.　The 30th TIFF will be held from October 25 to November 3, 2017.