FILMINATION

FILMINATION (Location: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President: Hiroaki Kanamaru; hereinafter " FILMINATION"), a distribution platform of Japanese films for global VOD companies, has started delivering Japanese films on Sooner, a VOD service available in German-speaking countries such as Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Sooner is a newly launched VOD service in 2020, operated by ContentScope, a German-French company. Sooner offers more than 7,000 movies in total, with a focus on European films and films that have won awards or been screened at international film festivals such as Cannes and Berlin, and is being called "Europe's version of Netflix.
Sooner is currently distributing seven Japanese films via FILMINATION, including Yuka Eda's "Girl Encounter," an indie film that had a long run of nine weeks.

Girl Encounter" ©2017 "Girl Encounter" Film Partners

In the global VOD market, services specializing in "niche genres" such as indie films and films screened at film festivals are emerging, and this new trend is a tailwind for Japanese film companies and filmmakers with abundant film content to expand their business overseas.
FILMINATION will continue to contribute to the development of the Japanese film industry by discovering attractive Japanese films and supporting their overseas expansion.

Films to be distributed on Sooner via FILMINATION

"Girls’ Encounter" directed by Yuka Eda (distribution started on March 22)

This film about a girl who is isolated at school and her interaction with a new student won the Audience Award at MOOSICLAB 2017 and recorded a long run of 9 weeks despite being an independent film. The film won the Audience Award at MOOSICLAB 2017 and had a long run of nine weeks despite being an independent film. It was also well received at the international screenings of the 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival and the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival.

“Amiko" directed by Yohko Yamanaka (distribution started on March 18)

This film, which overturned the concept of "Japanese high school girls" and was praised by musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, was completed at the end of her teenage years by the director born in 1997, who gathered the cast and crew through social media. The film won the PFF Award 2016 Audience Award and was invited to the 68th Berlin International Film Festival as the youngest filmmaker ever.

“Night Cruising" directed by Makoto Sasaki (distribution started on March 25)

A documentary that captures blind musician Kato Hideyuki as he works on a science fiction action film. Kato's film "Ghost Vision" is supported by a wide range of creators, including the pre-viz and CG production teams of "Shin Godzilla" and "Resident Evil" series, the development team of "Final Fantasy XV", and Teppei Kaneuji, an artist active in Japan and abroad.

“Demolition Girl” directed by Genta Matsugami (distribution started on March 17)

Aya Kishiro, the lead actress of this film, won the Best Performance Award at the Slamdance Film Festival in the United States for her portrayal of a local high school girl who lives a strong life despite adversity

“A Road" directed by Daichi Sugimoto (distribution started on March 16)

A film about the director's own experiences from his days as a college student to a university student. Winner of the Grand Prix at the PFF Awards 2015.

"MEJIMA" directed by Tomonori Izutani (distribution started on April 10)

Set in a Chinese community in Tokyo, this film sharply depicts cross-cultural differences and won the Gemstone Award (Nikkatsu Award), the Special Jury Prize, and the Audience Award (Kobe) at the PFF Awards 2013, and was also screened at the 2014 Rotterdam International Film Festival. The film was screened at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2014.

"ITECHO" directed by Yukio Tanaka (distribution started on March 24)

A documentary that captures the existence of people who deviate from common sense, such as sexual minorities, perversions, and fetishism.