TOKYO, May 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The movie-making community Carnit AB announced today that its latest short, Umishu ("scent of the sea"), will be screened on May 20, 2016, in the Short Film Corner at this year's Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22). This film is sponsored by Syouei Wellness. The film star Naoki Matayoshi, a member of Japan's popular Peace comedy duo and an author whose work has been awarded the acclaimed Akutagawa Prize.
Umishu was written by Masatomo Tamaru, a short-film screenwriter from Ehime Prefecture, and the film project got off the ground when Tamaru asked Matayoshi to appear in the starring role: Tamaru and Matayoshi are friends through their activities as authors. Filming was done at locations in Tokyo, Chiba, and Ehime during the summer of 2015, and production was completed in the early months of 2016. Details of the film are appended below.
Umishu is also scheduled to show at the Madrid International Film Festival (Spain), ShortShorts Film Festival (Japan), and Colombia Film Festival (USA) and has been entered in several other Japanese and foreign film festivals including the Sapporo International Short Film Festival (Japan), Chicago International Film Festival (USA), Hollywood Short Film Festival (USA), Nice International Film Festival (France), and Toronto International Film Festival (Canada).
The producers hope as many people as possible will be on hand in Cannes to enjoy their film.
About Umishu at Cannes
The screening
| Category: |
Short Film Corner |
| Date: |
May 20, 2016 |
Film data
| Title: |
UMISHU |
| Duration: |
15 min |
| Country: |
Japan |
| Production: |
Carnit AB |
| Director: |
Ken Yoshioka |
| Planning & Screenplay: |
Masahito Abe |
| Original Work: |
Masatomo Tamaru's Umishu |
| Producers: |
Takaki Nakadai, Makoto Komiya |
| Starring: |
Naoki Matayoshi, Mickey Curtis |
| Synopsis: |
The bar had an unusual ambience. Its scent -- it somehow beckoned me inside, and when the owner, standing behind the counter, saw me, he said: "We only serve one thing, straight." I glanced at the menu, and all I saw was umeshu ("plum wine") and the name of the locale. Ah, they only serve plum wine from around the country, I thought. But no, the drink was too beautiful to be just only that... And it took me back, back to my origins. "Here's your umishu ("ocean wine")", said the bartender. Umishu!? I put the glass to my mouth, had a taste. Nope, not umeshu, but definitely umishu. What a discovery! A heart-warming fantasy story of wines rich in imagery that will take viewers on a journey to their roots. |
The production team: Carnit AB
Some with experience in cinematic film and television joined the group and their third short, Mo Shimasen! ("OK, I'll stop!"; directed by Yu Inose), was nominated for and screened at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival 2015. Umishu, now showing at festivals in four countries, is their fourth production.
Visit http://carnit-ab.com/ for more details.
The sponsor: Syouei Wellness Co.,Ltd.
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The producer: Takaki Nakadai
He served as publicity director for the nation-wide campaign pitching Rurouni Kenshin Kyoto Inferno / The Legend Ends (2014) for Warner Bros. Japan and, as a founding member of Carnit AB, directed the 2014 film Mo Shimasen! screened at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival 2015.
The director: Ken Yoshioka
His first work as a director, the short A Week (2012), premiered at the Brooklyn Film Festival 2013. It was also screened by invitation at other film festivals like the New Filmmakers New York 2013, the Santa Monica Independent Film Festival 2013, and the New Jersey Film Festival 2014.
The original work: Masatomo Tamaru
His Umishu, on which the short film is based, won first prize in the Juritsusha Short Shorts Contest in 2012. His Yumemaki was so popular that it went into reprint two months after its initial release. That book was followed by Umiiro no Bin and Kazoku Scramble, released through publisher Shogakukan Inc.
The actor: Naoki Matayoshi
He is half of the comedy duo Peace (Yoshimoto Creative Agency) and, in addition to his Akutagawa Prize-winning novel Hibana, he authored Dai-ni Toshigakari Hosa and Tokyo Hyakkei. About his involvement in Umishu, he said: "I love the novel the film is based on, so I'm really excited about seeing how viewers react to the movie."
Media contacts
Reona Onoue, Carnit AB media contact: +81-80-1357-0993 reona.onoue@inoue-pr.com
Fukutaro Senoo or Nanami Shimura, Umishu media contact: +81-3-5269-2301 senki@inoue-pr.com
Akira Yano, Public Relations, Yoshimoto Administration: +81-80-1420-1090 yano.akira@yoshimoto.co.jp
