Blue Hour

Feature Slate | Closing Film

North American Premiere

SOLD OUT: A waitlist will begin at the Box Office one hour prior to the screening. Being on the waitlist does not guarantee admission.

Q&A with director Yuko Hakota and stars Kaho and Eun-kyung Shim

Just past thirty, Sunada (Kaho) is a consummate Tokyo entertainment media professional (with the toxic love life and battered liver to prove it) directing television commercials that require more personality management skills than artistry. Discouraged by the inequitable pressures of a misogynist industry and her cycle of self-destructive behavior, Sunada road trips to her rural Ibaraki hometown with her free-spirited best friend Kiyoura (Eun-kyung Shim) where she reopens uneasy family relationships and unlocks repressed creative spirits. Director Yuko Hakota manages subtle fluctuations of reality with distinct comedic flair in this remarkable debut, announcing the arrival of a new force in Japanese cinema.

2019. 92 min. Directed by Yuko Hakota. With Kaho, Eun-kyung Shim, Denden, Kaho Minami.

"A precious indie gem."

— The Hollywood Reporter