Press Release May 4, 2017
Actor Koji YAKUSHO receives Nippon Honor Award
Award Ceremony on 28 May 2017 at the 17th Nippon Connection Film Festival
Koji YAKUSHO, superstar of Japanese cinema, will receive the Nippon Honor Award at the 17th Nippon Connection Film Festival in Frankfurt am Main. The award, sponsored by Japan Airlines, will be given out for the third time and honors personalities who have made outstanding contributions to Japanese film. Actor Koji YAKUSHO will receive the Nippon Honor Award in person, providing the festival with a glamorous closing with the screening of the historical drama The Emperor in August by Masato HARADA. As a milestone of his impressive oeuvre, Nippon Connection will also present the film classic Tampopo by Juzo ITAMI. The award ceremony will take place with the closing event of the festival on 28 May, 7:45 p.m., at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm.
About Koji YAKUSHO
Koji YAKUSHO, born in 1956, is one of the most famous Japanese actors, widely regarded as the “Richard Gere of Japan”. He was discovered and trained by legendary actor Tatsuya NAKADAI in 1978 and had his breakthrough with his unforgettable performance as “The Man in the White Suit” in Juzo ITAMI's cult classic Tampopo (1985). He first gained international fame as the leading actor in Shall We Dance? (1996) by Masayuki SUO. Having worked with such influential Japanese directors as Shohei IMAMURA and Kiyoshi KUROSAWA, he bacame known to a wider audience with the Oscar-winning American drama Babel (2006) by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Apart from acting, he also gave his acclaimed directorial debut in 2009 with Toad’s Oil. In 2012, he received the Medal of Honor on Purple Ribbon from the Japanese Emperor.
About the Festival
The 17th Japanese Film Festival Nippon Connection will take place from 23 to 28 May 2017 in Frankfurt am Main. Over the course of six days, the biggest festival for Japanese cinema worldwide will again showcase more than 100 short and feature length films from Japan, including numerous German, European, and world premieres. Many filmmakers and artists from Japan will attend the festival and present their works.
The supporting program is just as diverse as the film program: workshops, lectures, panel discussions, performances, concerts, exhibitions, and a Japanese market with tasty food and beverages.
Festival centers are located at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and at Theater Willy Praml in der Naxoshalle. Further events will take place at Mal Seh’n Kino, the German Film Museum, Ausstellungsraum Eulengasse, Atelierfrankfurt and the Theater Die Käs.
The complete program and tickets are available at www.NipponConnection.com
Nippon Connection e.V. supports BKB Charity, who provide medical aid in crisis and disaster areas, help abused children, and assist socially disadvantaged people and refugees. www.bkb-charity.de
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