Mayumi Yoshida’s debut feature and Japanese-language drama Akashi has secured distribution deals in Canada and Japan following a showcase at the European Film Market in Berlin.
Tokyo-based Rabbit House plans a theatrical release in Japan for the Japanese language drama about a struggling Vancouver artist discovering her grandmother’s secret while returning to Tokyo. And Canadian indie distributor KinoSmith has taken all rights for the Canadian market. The distribution deals followed the multigenerational love story screening on Feb. 14 at CinemaxX 9 in Berlin as part of the EFM.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Mayumi and the Akashi team on representing their film in the Canadian marketplace,” KinoSmith’s Robin Smith said in a statement. “Mayumi is a massive talent and both herself and her team have created a magical feature that is both gentle and nostalgic while being emotionally current and relevant – a rare feat for any filmmaker, let alone a first-time feature film director. We are so excited to bring the film to a larger audience across Canada in the near future,” he added.
In Akashi, Japanese-born and Canadian émigré Yoshida plays Kana, a struggling artist in Vancouver who returns to Tokyo for her grandmother’s funeral, and feels out of place after ten years abroad. After her grandmother shared a secret before her death — that her grandfather had another lover — Kana unexpectedly reconnects with an old love, Hiro. And that forces Yoshida’s character to confront her own choices and those of her grandmother, as each generation of women navigates the complexities of love, sacrifice and family expectations.
Shot in Vancouver and Tokyo by Vancouver-based Yoshida, Akashi has earned a raft of awards on the film festival circuit. The indie also stars Hana Kino, Ryo Tajima, Chieko Matsubara, Kunio Murai, Shun Sugata, Bun Kimura, Sayaka Kunisada, Hiro Kanagawa and Jess McLeod (Normal).
“Her debut feature film, Akashi, showcases a sophisticated and skillful narrative structure paired with striking cinematography. Through a nuanced use of light, the film enhances emotional expression and brings each character’s vivid journey to life. We hope you will join us in discovering this special film that will surely grab your heart, and in following Mayumi Yoshida, whose voice is just beginning to reach audiences around the world,” Hideaki Masuda from Rabbit House said in a statement.
Akashi is produced by Musubi Arts & Experimental Forest Films, with Tyler Hagan and Nach Dudsdeemaytha sharing producer credits. Hagan and Kathleen Hepburn will be shopping the indie to buyers in Berlin.
Akashi is executive produced by Julie Waters, Evan Dyal, Mallory Schwartz, Hepburn and Justin Ambrosino.
