Uchida Eiji, co-director of Netflix’ “The Naked Director” series and 2020 transgender drama movie “Midnight Swan,” tops the new sales slate unveiled by indie rights agency Free Stone Productions in time for the Tokyo festival and market.
Uchida’s “Shrieking in the Rain” is a drama film in which a female first time director has tough choices to make on the set of an erotic movie production she is shooting. The film stars Matsumoto Marika, Oyama Maeko, Motola Serena, and Shibukawa Kiyohiko and is set for a VoD release in Japan from December.
Free Stone is also launching “Life In Bloom,” a drama film directed by Miyake Noboyuki that will release in Japanese theaters in 2022. With a cast headed by Iwamoto Renka, Doi Shiori, Yoshiyuki Kazuko and Takarada Akira, the film tells the story of a student who absconds from school to work in an end of life clinic but eventually has to face up to her own problems.
The Tokyo market (TIFFCOM) is set to take place Nov. 1-3, 2021, on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
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Free Stone previously launched a slate of new live action, animation films and catalog additions in time for Cannes in July.
Among these was “Hazard Light,” directed by Sakaki Hideo (“Disregarded People, Alley Cat), which tells of mysterious goings on at a chauffeur company on the night of a full moon. It stars Yasuda Ken and Yamada Yuki and is set for 2022 release in Japan.
“Super Bath Sentai Junretsuger” is a comedy about an idol band which typically entertains old ladies. Behind the scenes they are also really superheroes and take on an investigation when they fear that the authorities are not doing enough to solve the case. A first-time feature by Butsuda Hiroshi, the film released in Japan last month.
Free Stone also recently added the trilogy of anti-war films by Obayashi Nobuhiko, who was the director in focus of the 2019 Tokyo festival, and who died in April last year. The three include the 2011 title “Casting Blossoms to the Sky,” 2014’s “Seven Weeks” and 2017’s “Hanagatami.”
