The "Historica International Film Festival" will be held at the Kyoto Culture Museum from December 3 (Tue) to December 8 (Sun), 2024. The theme of the 16th edition of the festival is "The Struggle of the Have-Nots," and 18 films will be screened, with film directors and others taking the stage in talk shows! In November, a press conference was held at Toei Kyoto Studio, which has a long history as Japan's Hollywood.

Mr. Kojima, the chairman of the Executive Committee, said, "This year, "Shogun Shogun" was a big hit especially in the U.S., winning 18 Emmy Awards, and Japanese period drama content is once again attracting worldwide attention. The movie "Samurai Time Slippers" was also a big hit, and there are many other period drama theatrical productions this year and next, which is so rare that I wonder how many years there have not been in such a year. In this sense, I believe that the wind is really blowing in the direction of period dramas, and I believe that our long history of the "Historica Film Festival" is also helping a little. I would like to make good use of the wind that has come our way and spread period drama culture further and further throughout the world.

Mr. Takahashi, the program director, said, "The overall theme of this year's festival is 'the struggle of the have-nots. Shogun Shogun" was an unprecedented challenge. We took a big gamble, and I think we won. Samurai Time Slippers" is a "battle of the haves and have-nots" that was carried out on a shoestring budget and with nothing but passion, and now the audience is rushing to the theaters and those who have seen it are impressed. In addition to these "have-nots" in terms of production, films have always depicted the "have-nots," so we would like to show the drama of the "have-nots" in the film as well. I hope that you will watch the drama of the "have-nots" as well.

A total of 18 films will be screened, including the dramas "SHOGUN Shogun" (episodes 1 and 2), "Snow Flower - Be with Me," which will be released in January 2025, and "Sweet Dreams," which will premiere in Japan, as well as "Samurai Time Slippers," "Seven Samurai" and "Survival Ninja. Other events include lectures by top creators, the conference event "Historica National Tea Ceremony" featuring exhibits and screenings of films by Kyoto content companies and young filmmakers, and the online talk show "Historica by Night".

The only Japanese director, Soji Fukunaga, and producer Eriko Miyagawa, who participated in the seventh episode, will be on stage for the screening of "SHOGUN Shogun" on Sunday, December 8 (advance registration required / free of charge). It will be a great opportunity to hear the story behind how "SHOGUN Shogun" was delivered to the world," said Program Director Takahashi. We are now looking forward to what kind of talk show it will be. In addition to these films, other notable directors and producers will be coming to the festival, so we are sure to hear many inspiring stories! Come and spend a luxurious cinema time at the venue.