Press Release February 12, 2019

Actor and Director Shinya Tsukamoto will receive Nippon Honor Award 

at the 19th Nippon Connection Film Festival in Frankfurt, Germany

Shinya Tsukamoto, iconic director and creator of the legendary film Tetsuo: The Iron Man, will receive the NIPPON HONOR AWARD at the 19th Nippon Connection Film Festival in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The award will be given out for the fifth time and honors personalities who have made outstanding contributions to Japanese cinema. Actor and director Shinya Tsukamoto will receive the NIPPON HONOR AWARD in person at the closing ceremony on June 2, 2019 at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm in Frankfurt am Main. His current film Killing, which was already lauded at the Venice Film Festival, will have its German premiere at the Nippon Connection Film Festival. Other works of his will be shown at the festival as well.

Shinya Tsukamoto was born in Tokyo in 1960 and is regarded as one of the most important representatives of Japanese independent cinema. He made his first steps as a filmmaker by shooting 8mm-films. Later on he founded his own drama group and at the age of 22 he started to work as a director in the advertising film industry. His cinematic breakthrough came in 1989 with Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Inspired by Blade Runner and Japanese monster movies, the experimental work succeeded as a cult film, which thrilled the crowds at numerous international film festivals and has since influenced many directors.

Tsukamoto is often the DOP, editor and lead actor of his films all at once. They are also often produced by his own production company Kaijyu Theater. His most known films are Tokyo Fist(1995), A Snake of June (2002) and Vital (2004). He was a guest at the Nippon Connection Film Festival to present his films Nightmare Detective (2007) and Kotoko (2012). As an actor he has worked alongside iconic directors like Takashi Miike (Dead or Alive 2, Ichi the Killer), Teruo Ishii (Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf) or Hollywood director Martin Scorsese (Silence). He also starred in the blockbuster Shin Godzilla (2016).

Killing (2018) is Shinya Tsukamoto’s latest work and his first attempt at making a samurai film. The leading actors of the drama about an outlaw samurai and a young farmwoman are Sosuke Ikematsu (The Last Samurai) and Yu Aoi. Tsukamoto was awarded the Mainichi Film Award for Best Supporting Role in his film.

The Festival

The 19th Japanese Film Festival Nippon Connection takes place from May 28 to June 2, 2019 in Frankfurt am Main and showcases more than 100 films from Japan. The festival is under the patronage of Peter Feldmann, Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main, and the Consul General of Japan in Frankfurt am Main. Festival centers are located at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and Theater Willy Praml in der Naxoshalle. Further events take place at Mal Seh’n Kino, the German Film Museum and Naxos Atelier.

Overnight stays during the festival are bookable at our hotel partners in

Frankfurt offering special rates: www.NipponConnection.com/Hotels-en.html