The ‘OUTCAST FILM FESTIVAL’ will kick off on Saturday, November 2, taking place at independent theaters across Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and online.
Hosted by MadeGood Films, known for curating standout global documentaries, the festival will highlight stories of individuals labeled as “outcasts” who live unconventional lives. Featured films include The Painter and the Thief, winner of the Special Jury Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival; Welcome to Chechnya, documenting the escape of those fleeing state-sponsored “gay purges”; Shinjuku Boys, which profiles three male hosts living as men at Kabukicho’s “New Marilyn” bar; and The Shepherd and the Cliff of Life, which follows a pastor in Wakayama’s Sandanbeki suicide hotspot, where he operates a suicide prevention hotline and lives with people contemplating suicide.
Additional films making their Japanese theater debut include Keith Haring: Street Art Boy, Acasa, My Home, and Dark Days. More titles are set to be announced.
At Eurospace in Shibuya, the Tokyo venue for the festival, post-screening talk events will feature directors, cast members, production teams, and special guests discussing the social issues explored in the films. Among the expected attendees are painter Barbora Kysilkova from The Painter and the Thief and director David France of Welcome to Chechnya. Additional guests include Akutagawa Prize-winning author Li Kotomi, Ryōhei Kaide, known for Hyper Hardboiled Gourmet Report, and Hiraku, director of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection.
OUTCAST FILM FESTIVAL
[Screening Venues]
Tokyo: Eurospace – November 2 (Sat) to November 8 (Fri)
Yokohama: Cinema Jack & Betty – Screening times TBA
Aichi: Cinemaskhole – Screening times TBA
Osaka: Cine Nouveau – Screening times TBA
Kyoto: Demachiza – November 8 (Fri) to November 14 (Thu)
Check the official website for updates.
[Film Lineup]
The Painter and the Thief (★2020 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Award, 17 other awards, 29 nominations)
Welcome to Chechnya (★Oscar Shortlist)
Midnight Family (★Oscar Shortlist, 26 other awards, 26 nominations)
Keith Haring: Street Art Boy (★First screening in Japanese theaters)
Acasa, My Home (★2020 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Award, World Cinema Documentary, 22 other awards, 18 nominations)
Dark Days (★2000 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award, 6 other awards, 6 nominations)
Shinjuku Boys (★Chicago International Film Festival Best Short Documentary Award, 1 other award)
The Shepherd and the Cliff of Life (★Nominated for the 74th Mainichi Film Awards, Documentary Section)
(First screenings in Japanese theaters for these films)
[Eurospace / Talk Event Guests]
- November 2 (Sat) 13:00 – Welcome to Chechnya
Guests: Director David France, Li Kotomi (bilingual writer in Japanese and Chinese, translator, interpreter) - November 2 (Sat) 19:00 – The Painter and the Thief
Guests: Barbora Kysilkova (featured artist in the film), ISO (film writer) - November 3 (Sun) 13:00 – The Painter and the Thief
Guest: Barbora Kysilkova (featured artist in the film) - November 3 (Sun) 19:00 – Welcome to Chechnya
Guests: Ryan Laney (VFX supervisor for the film), Yoshihiro Masamichi (film writer) - November 4 (Mon) 13:00 – Dark Days
Guest: Miki Sano (member of Big Issue Japan) - November 4 (Mon) 19:00 – Midnight Family
Guest: Director Luke Lorentzen - November 5 (Tue) 19:00 – Shinjuku Boys
Guests: Director Kim Longinotto, ISO (film writer) - November 6 (Wed) 13:00 – Dark Days
Guests: Misako Ichimura (resident of Blue Tent Village, founder of homeless women’s group “Nora”), Tetsuo Ogawa (member of “Neru Kaigi” group supporting homeless people) - November 6 (Wed) 19:00 – Keith Haring: Street Art Boy
Guests: Gon Matsunaka (representative of Good Aging Yells, certified NPO), Hiraku (director of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection) - November 7 (Thu) 19:00 – Acasa, My Home
Guest: Ryohei Kaide (planner/producer of TX’s “Hyper Hardboiled Gourmet Report” series) - November 8 (Fri) 13:00 – The Shepherd and the Cliff of Life
Guests: Director Mitsuru Kasesawa, Yoichi Fujiyabu (pastor featured in the film) - November 8 (Fri) 19:00 – The Painter and the Thief
Guests: Barbora Kysilkova (featured artist in the film), Toshi Sasaki (freelance journalist, regular on AbemaPrime)
[Tickets]
- Advance ticket (1 ticket): 1,800 yen
- Advance tickets (5 tickets) + MadeGood Annual Plan: 8,000 yen/year
- Online viewing + MadeGood Monthly Plan: 750 yen/month
Note: The Shepherd and the Cliff of Life will not be available for online viewing.
