• Blog
  • About
  • Interviews
  • Side Stories
  • Eye On

Indievisual Digital Magazine

spotlighting unsung individuals in the Japanese independent film scene

Menu
Close Menu

Latest Interview

Nakano-Interview-Feature-Image

A Student of Contrasts – Nakano Ryota

by Ben Dimagmaliw

Greeting visitors of Nakano Ryota’s homepage is a photograph of the director standing with a resigned expressionlessness in an ankle deep river though his trousers are cinched up mid-thigh. Depending on the size of device display it is being viewed, a wider image reveals he is on location which only enhances the tragicomic quality of the photo. The image was undoubtedly chosen for concisely encapsulating the credo at the filmmaker’s core. Nakano was not, as many of his peers and forerunners may have, particularly enamored with movies or television when he was young. He was, however, conscious of a need to express himself and was attracted to the feedback received from entertaining people around him. In university, this manifested as a foray into music before setting on the road toward a filmmaking career post graduation. His award-winning early short movies as well as his debut feature wrapped somber themes or situations in a unique humor, and at their heart is the portrayal of family which has been central to all his movies perhaps a...

2020-01-07
Interview, Latest

Featured Interviews

Yamamoto Hyoe Interview Feature Image

Insider Looking Out – Yamamoto Hyoe

by Ben Dimagmaliw

Becoming a filmmaker requires specific skills. An understanding of and practical experience with film production techniques is a matter of course, however a non-English speaking filmmaker will also need to become English proficient if they aspire to the world stage. Unfortunately, the language barrier is still a daunting and significant obstacle for a large majority of Japanese filmmakers in 2019. Yamamoto Hyoe perhaps innately...

2019-07-20
Featured, Interview
Indievisual-Interview-Asakura-Kayoko

Killer Smile – Asakura Kayoko

by Ben Dimagmaliw

There is a perceptual problem in cinema that women are not suited for or interested in directing genre movies. Making such an assumption about Asakura Kayoko based on her model-esque stature and charming smile would be a disservice to the well-versed director and passionate fan of genre fare. At the 2014 Etheria Film Night where Asakura’s slow burn horror short HIDE and SEEK screened, feminist...

2018-12-23
Featured, Interview
Indievisual-Interview-Furuta-Wataru

All In Due Time – Furuta Wataru

by Ben Dimagmaliw

If taken just on face value, the career of Furuta Wataru might seem inapplicable to a magazine about independent film directors. After all, the Shizuoka Prefecture native studied economics and computer programming at a Canadian university and upon graduation landed a job as a programmer for a computer company before being transferred to manage sales, advertisement, and promotion there. Only upon joining a production...

2018-02-13
Featured, Interview
Ogata-Takaomi-Interview-FeatureImage

Through a Theater Darkly – Ogata Takaomi

by Ben Dimagmaliw

The role of media in society has changed significantly over the last several years. It’s becoming more difficult to tell if media influences the masses or if the masses influence the media. Ogata Takaomi was becoming aware of this blurring of lines between sensationalism and journalism almost a decade ago. An avid lover of cinema since childhood, the Fukuoka native speaks of movies with...

2017-11-09
Featured, Interview

Backstory

More Than Miyagi

More Than Miyagi

Trailer for the documentary about the beloved actor who was certainly more than Mr. Miyagi.

Making the Masthead pt.2 (of 2)

Making the Masthead pt.2 (of 2)

Read how the road to finding the appropriate typeface led to a return to typography fundamentals.

Songs of Triumph screening

Songs of Triumph screening

Sakaguchi Katsumi’s latest documentary reminds us faceless diseases do have a human face.

Making the Masthead pt.1 (of 2)

Making the Masthead pt.1 (of 2)

The journey toward developing the Indievisual masthead begins with examining existing examples.

YABUSAME

YABUSAME

Indievisual interviewee Furuta Wataru has created an exquisite photo book chronicling Japanese horseback archery and the people who strive to keep this tradition alive.

A Girl Under A Tree

A Girl Under A Tree

Director Moriya Fumio follows-up “Manga Jima” with a movie-going experience for the “New Normal” age. Find out how.

Eye On

Wasted Eggs Feature Image
Eye On

Wasted Eggs

Junko is nearly 30, nearing the customary “best before” age of Japanese society, and is feeling stronger pressure from those around her. Without a significant other or even a...

2020-03-05
Empty Feature Image
Eye On

Empty

Watarase Machi is an extreme part-timer who bounces around a number of part-time jobs on mornings, afternoons, and evenings for 365 days of the year. One day at the...

2020-03-05
Rent a Friend Feature Image
Eye On

Rent a Friend

Do platonic friendships between the sexes really exist? Despite a lack of personal experience, columnist Nasa thinks it’s possible. After a chance encounter with a charming friend-for-hire, she contrives...

2020-03-05
Blue Hour Feature Image
Eye On

Blue Hour

30-year-old commercial ads director Sunada seems to have it all: a successful career, a kind husband, and a stylish Tokyo home far from her rural hometown. But everything is...

2020-03-05
Beyond the Blue Feature
Eye On

Beyond the Blue

“Blue Mail” is a letter you receive from your future self. Is it a hopeful message? Or is it sad tidings of misfortune? A young man, Kagari, and a...

2019-11-28
Red Comet Club Feature Image
Eye On

The Red Comet Club

Once every several decades, a red comet becomes observable from the Earth. High school student Jun hears of a curious theory that a time paradox will induced by creating...

2019-11-28
Call of Zon Feature
Eye On

Call of Zon

20 years ago the town of Yumetoi was completely enclosed by the mysterious phenomenon known as “Zon”. There were people who impulsively went outside the Zon, but not a...

2019-11-28
Kuma Elohim Feature
Eye On

Kuma Elohim

Married couple Ayumu (Furuya Konosuke) and Ema (Murakami Yukino) live on a planet different from Earth. Almost all of the inhabitants of this planet, including Ayumi and Ema, were...

2019-11-28
Eye-On-Orphans'-Blues
Eye On

Orphans’ Blues

Ema exists in a world where summer seems to go on forever. Recently, she’s become rather forgetful so she always has a notebook handy, and there are all sorts...

2019-06-25
Eye-On-She's-Gone
Eye On

She’s Gone

Kotoko, a teenage girl who just entered high school, does not have any friends. School life, home, and even TV have been far from enjoyable for her lately. At...

2019-06-24

Special Report

Indie Forum 2020 OAFF Poster

Indie Forum 2020

by Ben Dimagmaliw

The 2020 Osaka Asian Film Festival took place under the shadow of COVID-19. Though at the time of this writing (April 7th, 2020) the Japanese central government is preparing a state of emergency in seven prefectures, Osaka itself had already been dealing with rising cluster infections and stricter protocols since early March. The organizers made the difficult choice of holding the festival due to immutable commitments, but cancelled scheduled symposiums, social events, and most importantly post-screening Q&A’s. Concerns about COVID-19 aside, scheduling once again prevented personal attendance this year, but thanks to the festival’s press relations representative and with the cooperation of the filmmakers, the 2020 Indie Forum lineup could be evaluated through remote viewing. The 2020 Indie Forum offered a lineup with common themes of self-identity, broken families, and social anxiety. Whether or not the programming staff intentionally chose to select movies around these themes or this year’s entrants were primarily focused on such issues, it is clear filmmakers are reflecting a contemporary Japan being affected by divorce, social media, economic inequality, and...

2020-04-30
Special Report

Side Stories

Indievisual Bookshop Announcement Image

Introducing the Indievisual Bookshop

by Ben Dimagmaliw

Indievisual was started as a medium for supporting and crusading Japanese indie filmmakers and their movies. At the very foundation of these efforts is a strong, fundamental belief in and affinity for the unsung artist or small business. Purchasing directly from artists such as musicians and the patronage of local businesses whenever possible remains an integral aspect of daily life. Setting aside the marginal opportunities for indie films to be seen for the moment, one industry continues struggling to hold back the encroachment made to physical retailing by a single, dominant player. Publishing and book sellers are attempting to survive and remain essential in the age of Amazon. Bookshop.org has come on to the scene to give local brick and mortar bookstores the online reach of their Goliath rival. Details behind the creation, intent, and business model of Bookshop.org can be read Here or Here. Bookshop’s platform provides participating booksellers, publishers, artists, or online media with a virtual “shop” where books can be listed for visitors to purchase in direct support of small, independent booksellers...

2020-08-11
Latest, Side Story
2019 Year In Review Feature Image
2020-02-11

2019: Quality v. Quantity

The third full year of Indievisual brought much improvement in many areas and exciting developments personally for my writing...

by Ben Dimagmaliw
Andrew Kirkham Feature Image
2019-09-24

Andrew Kirkham: Journey to the East

If life is a journey, then the road which has led Andrew Kirkham from his native United Kingdom to...

by Ben Dimagmaliw
Indie-Forum-2019-Feature_Image
2019-05-06

Indie Forum 2019

The 2019 Indie Forum section at the Osaka Asian Film Festival presented 10 movies this year, four fewer than...

by Ben Dimagmaliw
Indievisual-Year-in-Review-Main
2019-02-16

2018: Looking Back & Forward

Indievisual’s first full calendar year (it went live in April of 2017 with a Year-in-Review posted 8 months later)...

by Ben Dimagmaliw
IndieForum18-Feature-Image
2018-04-30

Indie Forum 2018

The 2018 Osaka Asian Film Festival once again beckoned with its Indie Forum section offering a mix of surprising,...

by Ben Dimagmaliw
2017-A-Lookback-Main-Image
2018-02-09

A Look Back

Indievisual went live in April of 2017. It’s been ten months since then and the journey has been amazing....

by Ben Dimagmaliw

More Interviews

Nishikawa-Fumie-Feature-Image

The Adventuress Spirit – Nishikawa Fumie

Published by Ben Dimagmaliw

The poster for Nishikawa Fumie’s The Azemichi Road depicts a young girl in school uniform captured ecstatically jumping mid-air on a country dirt road. It’s a pastoral image processed...

2017-09-01
Interview, More
Supersaurus-OchiaiAtsuko-Feature-Image

Art of Persistence – Supersaurus

Published by Ben Dimagmaliw

For many, movies are manufactured reality, a stylized representation of it even if based on factual events. True situations are the purview of documentaries. However, the filmmakers at Supersaurus,...

2017-06-22
Interview, More
Daisuke-Miyazaki-Profile

Entertainer with a Cause – Miyazaki Daisuke

Published by Ben Dimagmaliw

Yokohama born Miyazaki Daisuke posseses a pensive quality not readily evident in his relaxed gaze and mild-mannered smile. Make no mistake, however, inside burns a well stoked fire for...

2017-04-06
Interview, More
Indievisual-100-Meter-Films-Feature

The Measure of Success – 100 Meter Films

Published by Ben Dimagmaliw

Synchrony is defined as “simultaneous action, development, or occurrence.” What better word to describe the connection between John Williams (no, not that one) and Shiozaki Shohei, the two principles...

2017-04-03
Interview, More

On Instagram

Categories

  • Eye On
  • Interview
    • Latest
    • Featured
  • Side Story
    • Essay
    • Profile
  • Special Report

Tags

  • Action
  • Animated
  • Children/Youth
  • Coming-of-Age
  • Crime/Noir
  • Director
  • Documentary
  • Drama
  • Family
  • Fantasy/Adventure
  • Horror/Thriller
  • Period Movie
  • Sci-fi

Pages

  • About
  • Ebooks
  • Newsletter
  • Tools

Find us on

  • instagram
  • Facebook
  • vimeo

Friends & Inspiration

  • Freunden von Freunden
  • Lagom Magazine
  • Offscreen Magazine
  • Nang Magazine
  • Windows On Worlds
  • Wataru Furuta
  • 100 Meter Films
  • Deep End Pictures
  • Gray Hat Films
  • Harakiri Films
  • Makotoya Co.,Ltd.
  • Supersaurus
  • Vesuvius

spotlighting unsung individuals in the Japanese independent film scene

  • Copyright © 2021 Indievisual Digital Magazine
  • Proudly powered by WordPress
  • Theme: Zuki by Elmastudio