Actress Mieko Harada discovers the next generation of directors! Final judges and finalists for "TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM FILM 2017" announced!

2017.10.18 Press Releases
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.

We are pleased to announce that the final judge for the TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM (TCP), a program to discover video creators and project plans run by Culture Entertainment Inc. (C.E.), a CCC Group company engaged in the planning and production of videos, publishing, and music, and TSUTAYA Co., Ltd. (TSUTAYA), has been selected, along with talented actress Mieko Harada, and the seven works that have passed the final selection. The finalists have shared their enthusiasm for the final judging session to be held on Thursday, November 16th, so we would like to introduce them here.

*For detailed information about the finalists, please refer to the website above.

Since her debut, Mieko Harada has won nine awards, including the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Newcomer and the Kinema Junpo Award for Best Actress. She has continued to win numerous awards since then, taking on a wide variety of roles, and won the Japan Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1998 film Begging for Love. She continues to captivate many film fans as one of Japan's leading actresses.
Harada, who has appeared in many films by some of Japan's leading directors, shares TCP's philosophy of "discovering the seeds of masterpieces and nurturing creators," and has therefore agreed to serve as a final judge. As actors and film fans involved in the film industry, we ask that you participate in the final judging session with a professional perspective, and with high hopes for new talent.

■Final Judging Finalists

*Applicant names in alphabetical order, titles omitted, occupation in parentheses. Enthusiasm for the final fine print judging session.

Chihiro Amano (Film director/screenwriter) "Mystery Passenger (tentative title)"
I'm not good at presentations at all, so I survive by having a stronger will than anyone else and by doing a lot of advance preparation.

Chihiro Amano (Film director/screenwriter) "Mystery Passenger (tentative title)"
I'm not good at presentations at all, so I survive by having a stronger will than anyone else and by doing a lot of advance preparation.

Atsushi Ueda (Video Production) "Motor Pool (tentative title)"
I am extremely nervous, but I will do my best to be passionate about my project and convey my thoughts clearly in front of the senior members of the film industry who will be the final judges.

Kataoka Sho (Film director/Screenwriter/Novelist) "The Dollhouse Family (working title)"
I would like to think carefully about how to convey what I am thinking to the judges.

Tomoaki Tanaka (Film director/screenwriter) "Ikamesshi (working title)"
TCP is attractive, but I hate the final presentation... In the past, I was not good at making an appealing presentation in front of people, even in job interviews, and I was rejected by about 30 companies and never received a job offer... That's why I couldn't apply for TCP either. However, when I heard that my acquaintance, Director Nakae, had won the first Grand Prix, I realized that I was really no good, saying that I didn't like being in front of people, so I decided to make up my mind and enter this time.

Akihiro Dobashi (Screenwriter) "Flight on Water (tentative title)"
I would like to express my gratitude for being chosen and do my best to convey the appeal of this project.

Yuji Hariu (Video Director) "2/1 Ichibunnoni (tentative title)"
I would like to prepare as best I can before the judging panel so that I can convey the pure entertainment value of this work in a straightforward and honest way.

Noriko Yuasa (Film Director) "A Woman Called Kaoru (working title)"
This will be the final judging session since the year before last. I really want to turn this original project into a feature-length film and make it my masterpiece. I believe that this project will definitely turn out to be an interesting piece. I don't want to feel the same disappointment as last time. I would like to do my best to make this film a reality. Thank you very much.

■Final Judging Overview
Final judging: Thursday, November 16, 2017
Venue: Ebisu The Garden Hall
審査方法   ： 最終審査員の面前で企画のプレゼンテーションを実施

■About the final judges *In alphabetical order, titles omitted
Shuji Abe (CEO of Shuji Abe Office Co., Ltd./Film Producer)
Osamu Kubota (President and CEO of C&I Entertainment Inc./Film Producer)
Mieko Harada (actress)
Toshiaki Nakazawa (CEO of Sedic International/Film Producer)
Kazuo Nakanishi (President and CEO of Culture Entertainment Inc.)
Muneaki Masuda (President and CEO of Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.)

Through TCP, the CCC Group will discover new talent that will support the future of the film industry and deliver new films to film fans through TSUTAYA's various services, thereby contributing to the development and revitalization of Japanese cinema.

■About the TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM
This program invites proposals that can be turned into films from both professional and amateur artists, discovers creators who can create the films, and provides comprehensive support from production to rental, sales, and distribution.
By supporting "Seeds of Masterpieces" in cooperation with various companies in the industry, we aim to create an environment that produces new talent and provides opportunities for encounters with new creators, thereby serving as a bridge between video projects and customers.
The winning work will receive a total production budget of over 50 million yen and will be supported by a production system, and the completed work will be available for rental, sale, or streaming as an original work at TSUTAYA stores nationwide, TSUTAYA DISCAS, TSUTAYA TV, etc.

About the TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM Award-winning Works

[FILM 2015] ※Titles omitted

Runner-up: "Room Laundering" / Kenji Katagiri, Tatsuya Umemoto (co-planner)
▽ Runner-up: "Ura Aka" / Takuya Kato

[FILM 2016]
▽Grand Prix Winner: "Aishu Cinderella (tentative title)" / Ryohei Watanabe
▽ Runner-up: "Ghost Masters (tentative title)" / Young Paul
Runner-up: "Finding Daddy (working title)" / Junichi Kanai
▽Judges' Special Award Winner: "Blue Hour (working title)" / Yuko Hakoda

Materials related to this matter

Actress Mieko Harada discovers the next generation of directors! Final judges and finalists for "TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM FILM 2017" announced!

Inquiries regarding this matter
Culture Entertainment Co., Ltd. Public Relations Tel: 03-6800-4583
TSUTAYA Co., Ltd. Public Relations Tel: 03-6800-4764