Visual Communications is proud to be a supporter of the Japan Film Festival, happening April 11- 17 at the ImaginAsian Center in Downtown Los Angeles and April 18 - 20, in Irvine, at the Starplex Cinemas, From anime to award-winning films to Kurosawa classics, the 2008 Japan Film Festival is a prime example of Japan's most prolific writers and directors in a variety of genres sure to mesmerize movie-goers of all tastes. Among the list of feature films to be presented are: the hit, "Hula Girls," (VC FILMFEST 2007 feature) directed by Sang-il Lee; "Yunagi City, Sakura Country," the live action adaptation of writer Fumiyo Kono's award-winning manga "Yunagi no machi, Sakura no kuni" directed by Kiyoshi Sasabe; "Always: Sunset on Third Street," directed by Takashi Yamazaki; winner of the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival's Netpac Award, Kaori Momoi's "Faces of a Fig Tree" [Ichijiku no Kao] and many more! For those diehard Kurosawa fans, the Japan Film Festival will feature a retrospective of the film master, including "The Hidden Fortress" and "Sanjuro." Japanese animation fans will also be able to get their fix with "Atagoal Cat's Magical Forest" [Atagoal wa Neko no Mori]; writer Masamune Shirow's much-anticipated "Appleseed: ExMachina"; and the just-released "One Piece - The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta"; plus, a collection of never-before seen shorts from independent animation promotion company "Anime Innovation Tokyo." In addition to the feature films, the 2008 Japan Film Festival has opened its doors to young filmmakers in Japan as well as in the US to submit their films to be screened at our independent showcase during the weeklong festival. The Japan Film Festival hopes to strengthen the understanding of contemporary Japanese culture within America as well as encourage communication and the exchange of ideas between Japan and the U.S. For tickets and more information, please visit www.jffla.org. __________________________________ Check back for late-breaking events, or send an e-mail to subscribe to the mailing list by writing to: info@vconline.org