Film News: Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema ‘Audience Choice Winners Rewind’ from Japan

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CHICAGO – The Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) of Chicago is highlighting their past program line up of award-winning and culturally important films with “Audience Choice Winners Rewind” – an event that allows streaming the films on specific dates throughout the next several weeks. All it takes to access the films for FREE is to register at the APUC website on the day the film is scheduled to stream.

Films from Japan are in the spotlight coming up. Friday, May 22nd is “Melancholic” (click here for details) which involves two old high school chums, Kazuhiko and Yuri, who run into each other at a Japanese bathhouse. Kazuhiko starts working there, and finds out secrets that change everything. Sunday, May 24th is “Round Trip Heart” (click here) and it’s Hachiko’s story … she excels at her menial job as a snacks server onboard a Japanese “Romancecar” train service, and that safe world gets turned upside down when she meets a sleazy movie producer passenger.

‘Melancholic,’ Directed by Seiji Tanaka
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org

Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema – curated by veteran film programmer Sophia Wong Boccio – is dedicated to highlighting films in different Asian territories … for example in Season Ten it was Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Most of the screenings are presented at the festival’s primary venue, AMC River East 21 in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood, and other select titles are screened at the venues of APUC’s collaborative partners. Season 11 is scheduled for Fall of 2020.

For an interview with writer/director Seiji Tanaka and actor Yoji Minagawa of “Melancholic” with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, click here

For an interview with director Yuki Tanada of “Round Trip Heart” with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, click here


By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com