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JFF Theater: SUMO DO, SUMO DON´T Review: An Irresistible, Underdog Comedy Classic

With the sole intention of earning enough credits to graduate and secure a lazy job at his uncle’s company, Shuhei Yamamoto reluctantly joins his university’s failing sumo club. What he doesn’t expect is that alongside a highly peculiar, misfit group of outsiders, he will actually find the motivation needed to save the club from total disbandment. To the average gaijin, sumo wrestling might look like nothing more than two oversized men in traditional loincloths trying to shove each other out of a sand ring. For the Japanese people, however, it is a deeply rooted, thousands-of-years-old cultural tradition packed with spiritual symbolism that transcends the boundaries of mere sports. This modern classic of Japanese cinema—and say what you want, but 1992 feels like it was just yesterday—stands as perhaps the most iconic representation of the sport ever put to film. It is an inspiring sports comedy that went on to sweep […]

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KARATEKA: Spanish Olympic Karate Champion Sandra Sánchez’s Biopic Drops First Trailer

The upcoming Spanish biographical film “Karateka” tells the real-life story of Sandra Sánchez, widely considered one of the best karatekas in kata competition. Directed by Aritz Moreno, the movie details her journey to winning the Olympic gold medal at age 39. The Real-Life Legend: Sandra Sánchez   Sandra Sánchez made sports history by defying all odds. In a discipline heavily dominated by Japanese athletes and where most athletes retire before turning 30, the Talavera de la Reina native fought back from being sidelined by the national selection system to claim the Olympic gold in Tokyo in the kata category.   Along with her coach and life partner, Jesús del Moral, she became a two-time world champion, seven-time European champion, and was officially recognized as a “Karate-Do Legend”.   “Karateka”: The Movie   The biopic, produced by Atresmedia Cine, captures this incredible story of love, perseverance, and sacrifice. The film features […]

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Jacen Tan (Photo by Stephanie Lun for NYAFF)

KUNGFULAND Taps ‘Zombiepura’ Director For Singaporean/Canada Co-Prod

Jacen Tan is back on our radar this year. The Singaporean director behind 2018 horror romp Zombiepura is now underway with Singapore/Canada co-production, Kungfuland, filming AUX Infinite Studios at Singapore according to Deadline’s Liz Shackleton on Thursday. Set in Chinatown 1999, the film pays homage to the 1970s golden era of martial arts films, as well as nostalgically recreating the world of video stores and VHS tapes. The story follows a kungfu movie nerd who gets stuck in his favourite films and must fight to save his long-lost father, before the real world erases them both forever. Kungfuland stars Idrissa Sanogo Bamba and Ellen Wong along with Dion Johnstone and Hugh Tran, with a cameo appearance by Hong Kong cinema Chiang (The New One-Armed Swordsman). Combining virtual production with Shaw-inspired sets, Tan is directing from a script by Andrew Ngin and Maninder Chana, with backing by Singapore’s Ajacent Media and Canada’s […]

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