Dates & Times: 7th Dec. (Sat.) 13:00-18:30, 8th Dec. (Sun.) 12:00-18:30
Venue: Tatami Rooms, 6th floor, the Museum of Kyoto
Admission: Free

The conference event “HISTORICA Ozashiki”, which received great responses from participants, will be held again this year in the tatami rooms located on the 6th floor of the Museum of Kyoto. This year, we will dedicate the three 127m2 rooms to different areas: the “Talk” area, the “Playing & Exhibition” area, and “Talk & Screenings”. There, we will hold lectures by top creators as well as exhibitions and screenings by Kyoto’s content businesses and young filmmakers.

■Selected events
1.Is Makuranososhi Fit for a Film?
7th December 14:30-15:30 (Talk area)
Through the production of the upcoming film The Mourning Children, Director Sunao Katabuchi has done extensive research on Makuranososhi. What is the essence of this classic essay collection in his eyes? In the height of the production process, thoughts from the director himself are a must-hear.
After his first appearance last year, Director Katabuchi is joining us for the second time. HISTORICA fully supports his latest work based in Kyoto!

Guest: Sunao Katabuchi (Animation Film Director)
Born in 1960, Katabuchi is a Specially Appointed Professor and a Senior Fellow at Nihon University College of Art. His 43-year carreer in anime started while in university when he worked on the screenplay of Sherlock Hound. His directorial filmography includes the TV series Famous Dog Lassie (1996) and BLACK LAGOON (2006), feature films Princess Arete (2001), Mai Mai Miracle (2009), In This Corner of the World (2016), In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World (2019). He is currently working on the film The Mourning Children: Nagiko and the Girls Wearing Tsurubami Black which depicts people from 1000 years ago living in an era of plague.

2.What are Chinese Films and the Film Market Like? In Collaboration with Modern Chinese Film Festival 2024
8th December, 14:00-15:30 (Talk & Screening Area)

The Chinese film market has grown to match North America in its scope, and the country’s films are capturing more and more hearts in Japan as well. This year, we invite Xu Haochen, the director of Modern Chinese Film Festival 2024, and Rumi Kato, ex-SKE48 member and film commentator based in Kansai, for a talk-based networking stage. The topics will range from an overview of the Chinese film market, famous works that caused a buzz in Japan, and the latest titles to watch out for.

Guests: Xu Haochen (Film Journalist)
Born in Shanghai, China, in 1988, Xu Haochen came to Japan in 2007 and graduated from Ritsumeikan University. From 2008, he has published a number of Japanese film critiques and industry analysis on Chinese film magazines Kan Dianying and Dianying Shijie as well as portal websites SINA and SOHU. Since 2016, he has intermittently published papers from Beijing Film Academy, an example being “Japanese Films of the 2000s: A Peaceful Transformation”. He has approximately 2.7 million followers on Weibo, the largest social platform in China. He is the founder and producer of the web show “Katsuben Cinema Club” and the writer of the serial column “Dou Natteruno? Chugoku Eiga Shijo” in Eiga.com. Since 2020, he has selected Japanese films as a programmer of Shanghai International Film Festival.
Rumi Kato (TV Personality/Film Commentator)
Ex-SKE48 member Rumi Kato has been working in diverse fields, utilizing her varied interests that range from film to fishing. She has been active as a Kansai-based film commentator and has appeared in the film spotlight editions of magazine Brutus as well as the Sun Television show Shogatsu Eiga Daihyakka.