Japanese Film Festival 2012: Enter the Cosmos: Takashi Makino + INTRODUCTION!

Dir. Takashi Makino

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Tue 17 January 2012 // 19:30 / Cinema


EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS + INTRODUCTION!

The Enter the Cosmos: Takashi Makino programme brings together three representatives short films by the leading light of Japan's contemporary experimental film scene.

The abstract is drawn out of the real through the layering of images, flickers of light and the perpetual movement of dots and grains. 

Introduction from specialist

The screening will be introduced by Julian Ross, a specialist of Japanese experimental cinema. Julian will also stay after the screening to discuss the films with the audience.

MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

Words feel woefully inadequate to describe Makino’s practice, where the abstract is drawn out of the real through the layering of images, flickers of light and the perpetual movement of dots and grains.

Screen space is redefined with a flattened image surface that engulfs our peripheral vision and feels deeper the closer we focus our eyes.

NOISE MUSIC - JIM O'ROURKE + MACHINEFABRIEK

The music accompanying the films has been composed by foremost international talents of noise and soundscape music: Jim O’Rourke and Machinefabriek. Makino’s own sound collages also accompany his visual cacophony.  The whole creates a breathtaking audiovisual experience.

THE FILMS

The programme that we will show tonight tracks Makino’s career, beginning with Intimate Stars (2004), that maintains a certain level of clarity into his later works Elements of Nothing (2007) and Into your star (2011), which delve deeper into the abstract through spatial fusion, repetition and carefully co-ordinated optical vibrations.

- Intimate Stars (2004), Running Time: 35 min, Format: bluray, Music: Takashi MAKINO

- Elements of Nothing (2007), Running Time: 18 min, Format: miniDV, Music: Jim O’Rourke

- Into your star (2011), Running Time: 27 min, Format: miniDV, Music: Machinefabriek

- Still in cosmos (2009), Running time: 18 min

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: TAKASHI MAKINO

Born 1978, Takashi Makino made Super-8 films at Nihon University as a student and apprenticed under the Quay Brothers in 2001.

Since he has made many 16mm and digital experiments that have received unanimous appraisal at local and international film festivals.

He is a recipient of the Terayama Shuji award at the Image Forum Film Festival in 2007 and has been honoured a Short Profile at International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2008. He coordinates [ + ], a film society that screens experimental films from around the globe.

INTERVIEW WITH TAKASHI MAKINO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikFIVM_TszY

+ INTRODUCTION FROM JAPANESE CINEMA SPECIALIST: JULIAN ROSS

The films will be introduced by a specilist of independent Japanese cinema, Julian Ross, coming all the way from Leeds especially for tonight!

Julian Ross is a PhD student at the Centre for World Cinemas, University of Leeds, researching Japanese independent cinema of the 1960s and their interactions with other arts. He is a freelance film programmer, for which his recent projects include Takahiko Iimura's UK Tour and Motoharu Jonouchi's touring programme. He is a commissioning editor for Vertigo magazine (re-launching online) and a contributor to the online blog Director's Notes and Intellect's Directory of World Cinema: Japan (2010).

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With the support of Zipangu Fest

Tickets £5 / £3.50 (conc)

Or £4.50 advance tickets online http://www.wegottickets.com/event/150571

 

Zippangu Fest

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Part of our Japanese Film Festival 2012 (14 to 29 January 2012), more info here