In Contention

Tag: Tokyo Film Festival

  • ‘The Cove’ premieres at Tokyo fest amid controversy

    The CoveThanks to Steve Pond’s round-up this morning, we’re pointed to the AFP’s story concerning the Tokyo Film Festival premiere of “The Cove,” which took some doing to happen, you’ll recall.

    The film, of course, stirred a controversy immediately in the town of Taiji, but the line of copy noting that “film makers [are] accused of covertly shooting footage using divers and hidden cameras” kind of makes me laugh out loud, I have to say.  Accused?  It’s there for you to see!

    Naturally, the Taiji fisheries cooperative has written a letter of protest in defense of the barbaric slaughtering of dolphins (which, beyond a mere animal rights issue, becomes a health concern, as you see in the film).  An official notes in the letter that the cooperative has “heard that the film includes factual errors, and so we may take some sort of action, including legal steps, if we watch it and find problems.”

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  • Ben Stiller instrumental in getting ‘The Cove’ in at Tokyo?

    Ben Stiller at the premiere of The CoveBen Stiller has been vocal about his support for the dolphin slaughter documentary “The Cove.” This I knew, but until I actually read through the Ric O’Barry interview we linked in this morning’s round-up, I didn’t realize he played a key role in getting the film a screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival, but that’s just what happened.  According to O’Barry:

    The Tokyo Film Festival has a green theme this year, but they weren’t showing “The Cove.” Ben Stiller and his friends, who have been supportive of the film, called up and complained about how unfair this was. The Japanese people have a right to know. Now there are four to five Japanese distributors fighting over the film.

    Did I miss this nugget?  I knew festival brass had given in and allowed the film to screen (offering the limp excuse that the line-up hadn’t been finalized and that the decision was never final — remember, the fest has a “green” theme this year).  But I didn’t realize Stiller got involved.  Good on you, guy.

  • 9/17 Web Round-up

    The Cove• Success.  The Tokyo International Film Festival bows to global pressure and allows screening of “The Cove.” [Variety]

    • Jeffrey Wells gets a comment from festival jury chief Alejandro González Iñárritu. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Anne Thompson spends some quality time with Michael Moore. [Thompson on Hollywood]

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  • Has the Tokyo Film Festival declined to screen ‘The Cove?’

    The CoveUPDATE: Okay, Wells is now pointing to a two-week-old scoop from The Toronto Star’s Pete Howell that confirmed the Tokyo snub from “Cove” director Louie Psihoyos himself, so perhaps it is a done deal.  Shameful.  But two weeks?  Where’s the outcry here?  Did people just not see Howell’s piece?  Again, tell a friend…

    EARLIER: Jeffrey Wells points us today to conflicting reports concerning “The Cove” and a potential screening at the upcoming Tokyo Film Festival.

    In a recent Salon story, Katharine Mieszkowski wrote that the festival “recently decided not to screen the film, despite the fact that the theme of this year’s festival is ecology, and rolling out a ‘green carpet.’”  But this Variety article by Mark Shilling quotes a festival representative as denying that a decision has yet been made: “We’re still in the process of sorting out our lineup — there will be an official announcement in September.”

    So what’s the truth?  The rep quote doesn’t mean much to me because even if the film wasn’t set to be screened, the “we’re still putting the program together” defense is an easy way out.  But Mieszkowski’s story doesn’t exactly offer much beyond a simple statement, so it’s murky.

    But Jeff — God bless him — had the balls to write Tokyo Festival jury president Alejandro González Iñárritu and ask him if he’d consider stepping down from the position if, in fact, the festival refuses to show the documentary.

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