Montreal's Fantasia Hosts Miss Hokusai, Assassination Classroom Films

Summer festival to also host N. American premiere of Fatal Frame live-action film

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The 19th annual Fantasia International Film Festivalannounced on Wednesday that it will host the North American premieres of Miss Hokusai and Fatal Frame, and the international premiere of the live-action Assassination Classroom film.

Miss Hokusai, a film by Keiichi Hara (Summer Days with Coo,Colorful), adapts Hinako Sugiura's acclaimed historical mangaSarusuberi. Anne Watanabe will star in the role of O-Ei, daughter of acclaimed ukiyo-e painter Hokusai.

The film is set to open on May 9 in Japan. Production I.G is handling worldwide distribution and sales. Anime Limited willrelease the film in U.K. cinemas in October-November before releasing it on Blu-ray Disc and DVD.

Production I.G describes the story:

The time: 1814.

The place: Edo, now known as Tokyo. One of the highest populated cities in the world, teeming with peasants, samurai, townsmen, merchants, nobles, artists, courtesans, and perhaps even supernatural things.

A much accomplished artist and now in his mid-fifties, Tetsuzo can boast clients from all over Japan, and tirelessly works in the garbage-loaded chaos of his house-atelier. He spends his days creating astounding pieces of art, from a giant-size Dharma portrayed on a 180 square meter-wide sheet of paper, to a pair of sparrows painted on a tiny rice grain. Short-tempered, utterly sarcastic, fond of sweets but with no passion for sake or money, he would charge a fortune for any job he is not willing to undertake.

Third of Tetsuzo's four daughters, outspoken 23-year-old O-Ei has inherited her father's talent and stubbornness, and very often she would paint instead of him, though uncredited. “We're father and daughter; with two brushes and four chopsticks, we'll get by anywhere.”

Decades later, Europe was going to discover Tetsuzo's immense talent. He was to become best known by one of his many names: Katsushika Hokusai. He would mesmerize Degas and Monet, Debussy and Baudelaire.

However, very few today are even aware of the woman who assisted him all her life, and greatly contributed to his art while remaining uncredited.

This is the untold story of O-Ei, Master Hokusai's daughter: a lively portrayal of a free-spirited and outspoken woman overshadowed by her larger-than-life father, unfolding through the changing seasons.

The film will also screen at the 39th Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France this June.

The live-action film adaptation of Yusei Matsui's Assassination Classroom manga opened in Japan on March 21. Eiichirō Hasumi (Umizaru films, Wild 7) directed the film, and Tatsuya Kanazawa (Saru Lock The Movie, Lucky Seven) wrote the script. Arashi band member Kazunari Ninomiya voiced Koro-sensei.

Viz Media is publishing the manga in North America, and it describes the story:

A humorous and action-packed story about a class of misfits who are trying to kill their new teacher – an alien octopus with bizarre powers and super strength! The teacher has just destroyed the moon and is threatening to destroy the earth – unless his students can destroy him first. What makes things more complicated is that he's the best teacher they've ever had!

A sequel live-action film is slated to open in 2016.

The Fatal Frame live-action film adapts MPD-Psycho creator Eiji Ohtsuka's novelization of Tecmo's Fatal Frame (Zero or Project Zero) horror game franchise. Mari Asato (Bilocation) directed the film, which opened in Japan on September 26.

Ayami Nakajō and Aoi Morikawa, two popular models in the Japanese magazine Seventeen, starred in the film. The story's setting has been moved from a Japanese house to an old school dormitory. In the story, Aya Tsukimori (Nakajō) becomes part of an ancient "cursed incantation" at a girls' high school dormitory. Michi Kazato (Morikawa) is a classmate who is pursuing the mysterious disappearances at the dormitory.

The Fantasia International Film Festival will announce its second set of titles in June and the full line-up on July 7. The event will take place from July 14-August 4 in Montreal.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip.