https://kfwatanabe.com KFW Mon, 28 Sep 2026 04:44:57 +0000 https://kfwatanabe.com en https://kfwatanabe.com/About Tue, 30 Nov 2021 19:33:32 +0000 KFW https://kfwatanabe.com/About K. F. Watanabe Kazuaki Francisco (Kazu) Watanabe is the Director of Distribution at Grasshopper Film where he manages the release of independent, international, and documentary films in North America. He previously served as the Deputy Director of Film at Japan Society in New York where he oversaw year-round film programming, including the annual film festival JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. His writing on film and culture has appeared in Notebook (MUBI),  Film Comment, The Current (The Criterion Collection), The Baffler, The Brooklyn Rail, and Screen Slate, among others. He received a M.A. in Cinema Studies from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2012 and a B.A. in English from Montclair State University in 2009. https://kfwatanabe.com/Writing Tue, 30 Nov 2021 19:33:34 +0000 KFW https://kfwatanabe.com/Writing Writing Select film writing for online and print publications.  ︎︎︎This Second is Eternal: Shiguéhiko Hasumi on Directed by Yasujiro Ozu    MUBI | Notebook (interview, web)   April 2024 ︎︎︎Kaiju Look     The Baffler (book review, web)   February 2024 ︎︎︎Impossible Films: A Century of Lost Asian Cinema (1926-2026)    NANG (creative writing, print)   June 2021 ︎︎︎Made in Japan: What is Japanese Cinema? A History     Film Comment (book review, print)   May-June 2019 ︎︎︎On Observation: A Conversation with Kazuhiro Soda     MUBI | Notebook (interview, web)   March 2019 ︎︎︎Double Vision: On Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Asako I & II     The Brooklyn Rail (film review, print/web)   February 2019 ︎︎︎A Tale of Two Hiroshimas    The Criterion Collection | Current (essay, web)   May 2018  ︎︎︎(Various spotlight reviews and interviews)     Screen Slate (web)     2016-2021 https://kfwatanabe.com/Film-programming Tue, 30 Nov 2021 19:33:33 +0000 KFW https://kfwatanabe.com/Film-programming Film programming Select film programming work as curator and/or organizer. Past programsJapan Society, New York ︎︎︎JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film 2014-2021 The largest festival of contemporary Japanese cinema in the Americas. ︎︎︎Tragedies of Youth: Nobuhiko Obayashi’s War Trilogy July 9-Aug 6, 2021 First online presentation of Nobuhiko Obayashi’s “War Trilogy” (2012-2017), organized in partnership with Kimstim.︎︎︎Cinema as Struggle: The Films of Kazuo Hara & Sachiko Kobayashi June 4-July 2, 2021 Complete online retrospective on Kazuo Hara and Sachiko Kobayashi. ︎︎︎Three By Ryusuke Hamaguchi Nov 6-Dec 31, 2020 Online presentation of three underseen films handpicked and introduced by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. ︎︎︎Aim for the Best: Sports in Japanese Cinema Apr 10-25, 2019 Sports-themed film series organized in the lead-up to Tokyo 2020 Summer Games. (Canceled due to COVID-19.)︎︎︎Tokyo Stories: Japan in the Global ImaginationNov 8-Dec 7, 2019 11-film series that considers the concept of “Japaneseness” by foreign directors filming in Tokyo.︎︎︎The Other Japanese New Wave: Radical Films from 1958-61Apr 5-27, 2019 Series of rare films from the Japanese New Wave with new English translations. Guest curated by Go Hirasawa.︎︎︎Tomoyasu Murata: Stop Motion Master Feb 23, 2019 8-film retrospective program featuring the work of stop motion animation artist Tomoyasu Murata.︎︎︎Kazuo Miyagawa: Japan’s Greatest Cinematographer Apr 13-28, 2018Retrospective on Kazuo Miyagawa, co-curated with Aiko Masubuchi and Joshua Siegel. Co-presented with The Museum of Modern Art. https://kfwatanabe.com/Press Mon, 28 Sep 2026 04:44:57 +0000 KFW https://kfwatanabe.com/Press Press Select press coverage and interviews. JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese FilmJapan Society, New York 2015-2021 ︎︎︎“It’s the best opportunity for American film lovers to get an unparalleled peek into the singular world of Japanese cinema.” –The Wall Street Journal ︎︎︎“JAPAN CUTS has unambiguously become America’s best annual showcase of new Japanese film […] a comprehensive snapshot of the country’s ever-vital national cinema.” –IndieWire ︎︎︎“JAPAN CUTS has established itself as the definitive Japanese film festival in the United States, thanks to the scope of its programming.” –Slant Magazine ︎︎︎“Boasts a slate as diverse as that of any international festival.” –The Village Voice ︎︎︎“Over the years, Japan Society has cultivated a devoted cinephile audience” […] “This might be one of the best programs Japan Society has put together to date; I can’t recommend it highly enough.” –RogerEbert.com ︎︎︎“Meticulously curated” […] “An annual highlight of New York’s film calendar.” –The New York Times ︎︎︎“This is the wildest annual NYC film festival, which reflects the Japan Society’s commitment to the rollicking, no-holds-barred nature of the country’s film culture.” –New York Magazine ︎︎︎“No other film showcase on Earth can compete with its culture-specific authority—or the quality of its titles.” “their most provocative [edition] to date.” “a peerlessly insightful look at the current state of Japanese cinema” –Time Out New York Film series and retrospectivesJapan Society, New York︎︎︎The New York Times on the restoration of Tokyo Pop, part of “Tokyo Stories: Japan in the Global Imagination”     Aug 4, 2023 (print/web) ︎︎︎Screen Slate on “Cinema as Struggle: The Films of Kazuo Hara and Sachiko Kobayashi”     June 18, 2021 (web) ︎︎︎The New Yorker on “Tokyo Stories: Japan in the Global Imagination”   Dec 16, 2019 (web) ︎︎︎The Wall Street Journal on “The Other Japanese New Wave: Radical Films from 1958-61”     Apr 4, 2019 (print/web) ︎︎︎Hyperallergic on “The Other Japanese New Wave: Radical Films from 1958-61”     Apr 4, 2019 (web) ︎︎︎The New York Times on “Kazuo Miyagawa: Japan’s Greatest Cinematographer”     Apr 12, 2018 (print/web) ︎︎︎The Village Voice on “Kazuo Miyagawa: Japan’s Greatest Cinematographer”     Apr 13, 2018 (print/web) ︎︎︎The Wall Street Journal on “Kazuo Miyagawa: Japan’s Greatest Cinematographer”     Apr 10, 2018 (print/web) Interviews︎︎︎Tokion, “JAPAN CUTS: The Art of Bringing the Finest of Contemporary Japanese Films to NYCAug 18, 2021 (web)︎︎︎Eiga Night, JAPAN CUTS - Interview with Kazu WatanabeJul 26, 2020 (podcast) https://kfwatanabe.com/Misc Wed, 01 Dec 2021 21:44:05 +0000 KFW https://kfwatanabe.com/Misc Miscellaneous Other work and miscellany related to film. Festival jury work ︎︎︎Juror, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Best U.S. Feature (2022) ︎︎︎Juror, Osaka Asian Film Festival, JAPAN CUTS Award (2016-2021) ︎︎︎Juror, San Diego Asian Film Festival, International Short Film Competition (2020) ︎︎︎Juror, Osaka Asian Film Festival, Housen Short Film Award (2019) Home video releases ︎︎︎Booklet essay, Robinson’s Garden Blu-ray release (Kani Releasing, 2022)  ︎︎︎Video introduction, Tokyo Godfathers Blu-ray release (GKIDS, 2020)