5th OKINAWA INTERNATIONAL MOVIE FESTIVAL

There’s no question that the Okinawa International Movie Festival attracts big names from Japan and overseas.  For world-renowned film maker Joel Schumacher, the festival has some aspects that make it different from the typical event.  “It’s really very progressive.  They (the organizers) are really trying to make Okinawans feel part of the festival.”  The thing that’s extraordinary… is that it’s such a community outreach.  I would say that the majority of festivals are based on ego and vanity”, which was very different from his impression of the OIMF.

Serving on the jury this year, Schumacher, who has directed hits such as Batman Forever, Phone Booth, The Phantom of the Opera and The Lost Boys, also noted that Japanese film has had a great influence on Hollywood.  “The majority of directors, certainly in my age group and younger (were) very, very inspired by Kurosawa.  My friend Quentin Tarantino, you can see in his works so much Japanese influence.”  Moving on to modern Japanese movies, he commented “Of course the horror films are fantastic and the dramas can be very moving and unusual.”

Although he himself has achieved an amazing degree of success over several decades in the business, Schumacher does still feel that he has great stories left to tell in his own upcoming projects.  Turning his sights toward Asia, he is beginning work on a film set in Shanghai during the tumultuous years of the 1930s and 40s, during the time of the Japanese invasion.  While being rather coy and not wanting to give away too much, the director noted that it will be a combination of “world events and personal stories.”  The setting is important too, as “Shanghai, to this day, is still one of the most fascinating cities” for Schumacher.

He also noted the increasing importance of Asia and the overall international market for Hollywood studios and filmmakers today.   Noting the trend of casting overseas stars to help boost global box office, Schumacher commented, “You almost can’t make a movie in the United States right now unless you have someone who is foreign.”  He also said that he had had talks with Warner Brothers about making a film in Japan.  Showing that he chooses his projects carefully (and also that he has a sense of humor ), he noted, “I don’t know what would be right for me so that I don’t look like an asshole.”

Maybe inspiration will strike as Schumacher and his fellow judges get plenty of exposure this week as they watch and rate some of the great films being shown in competition at this years’ OIMF.