Miyazaki, Oshii, Kitano going to Venice

The 65th Venice Film Festival has unveiled its lineup, which includes three of Japan’s most acclaimed directors in the running for the Golden Lion. Among the 21 films in the competition category are Takeshi Kitano’s “Achilles to Kame” (“Achilles and the Tortoise”), Hayao Miyazaki’s “Gake no Ue no Ponyo” (“Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”), and Mamoru Oshii’s “The Sky Crawlers.”

In addition to those three films, the China-Brazil-Japan collaboration “Plastic City” has been chosen for competition. Directed by Yu Lik Wai and produced by Jia Zhangke, the movie features Japanese actor Joe Odagiri in a major role.

Outside of the competition category, the festival will screen the 1937 film “Ketto Takadanobaba,” directed by Masahiro Makino and Hiroshi Inagaki, and the just-released “Guilala no Gyakushu: Toyako Summit Kiki Ippatsu” (“Monster X Strikes Back: Attack The G8 Summit!”) by Minoru Kawasaki.

The Venice Film Festival is being held from August 27 to September 6.

Source:
Jason Gray