G-FEST has finally released their full schedule online and there’s still plenty of films to highlight! We have previously talked about H010N, Venus Die Trap, Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director, and Volcanodon on Kaiju United, but we also wanted to take some time leading up to the show to highlight some other films that will be showing at this year’s film fest. Our first featured film is one that we’re no strangers to, having previously documented its crowd-funding efforts and United States premiere at the Chattanooga Film Festival (which is happening this month) – Hot Spring Shark Attack!
Screening at G-FEST on Saturday, July 12 at 9:00 PM, the film is a perfect evening screening for someone looking for a fun independent Tokusatsu production to wind down their evening with. The film promises feeding frenzy fun, with the official synopsis reading, “In a small hot spring town in Japan, a ferocious ancient shark reawakens and begins terrorizing the local hot spring facilities. As the threat escalates, the townspeople band together to protect their beloved town from the menacing predator, leading to a fierce and thrilling battle.”
Aimed to promote local tourism amongst hot spring resorts, specifically Atami City for this production, the filmmakers intend to boost awareness of the cultural importance of hot springs all over Japan. The film’s worldwide crowdfund stating, “Onsen Shark will lead to an increase in tourism and promotion of Atami City. Creating a film on the topic of onsen will lead to an increase in movies being shot at the many onsens throughout Japan. Onsens are of course popular destinations for the Japanese, but overseas tourists also enjoy them. The perfect destination for sharks to come out!”
Hot Spring Shark Attack is directed by two-time National Independent Kaiju Film Championship Winner Morihito Inoue, and stars Shoichiro Akaboshi, Takuya Fujimura, and Kiyobumi Kaneko. The official runtime is 70 minutes and the film has been picked up for distribution by Utopia, and has since been booked for other venues such as The Charles, Alamo Drafthouse NYC, and Texas Theatre.
Executive Producer Masayuki Nagata previously remarked on the film, stating “The setting is Atami Onsen, one of the best tourist destinations in Japan. I would like to revitalize the local community and increase its appeal through the power of film. I have a dream to make Atami the Hollywood/Cannes of Japan. We decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign in order to deliver a movie that people would like to see rather than simply making it. We are confident that by adding the essence of local films and the director’s tokusatsu special effects to a shark movie, we will be able to create an amazing work that has never been seen before.”
