GODZILLA CINEMA CONCERTS

Experience the tremendous power and excitement of the original Godzilla film (digitally restored and with English/Japanese subtitles), accompanied by a live performance of its iconic soundtrack music, in these two special cinema concert events.

Prior to the screening and live performance, there will also be a talk show, bringing together for the first time ever three generations of Godzilla series creators: Shogo Tomiyama (Heisei series producer), and Shinji Higuchi (Shin Godzilla director).

For over 60 years, from its inception in 1954 to the blockbuster hit Shin Godzilla in 2016, Toho’s monster has been the gigantically popular star of many Japanese films, as well as several Hollywood remakes.

Godzilla remains at the top for innumerable reasons, but one of them is "Godzilla's Theme" and other soundtrack music by Akira Ifukube. It will be performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Kaoru Wada.

The Tokyo International Film Festival is holding a series of special programs to celebrate its 30th anniversary, and these events are sure to be utterly unforgettable.

EVENT SUMMARY

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Film

Godzilla (Digitally restored version with Japanese and English subtitles)
1954 / black-and-white / 97 min /

Director: Ishirō Honda,
Story: Shigeru Kayama,
Screenplay: Takeo Murata, Ishirō Honda,
Special Effects Director: Eiji Tsuburaya,
Music: Akira Ifukube,
Starring: Akira Takarada, Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kōchi, Akihirko Hirata

Date and times

Tuesday, October 31, 2017
(1) Doors open 14:15 / Starts 15:00 (Ends 17:00)
(2) Doors open 18:15 / Starts 19:00 (Ends 21:00)

Venue

Tokyo International Forum, Hall C

Performers and Guest Speakers

- Conductor: Kaoru Wada
- Orchestra: Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
- Choir: Chor June
- Guest speakers: Shogo Tomiyama, Shinji Higuchi, Masao Iwase

Admission fee(All seats reserved, tax included)

- S seats (1st, 2nd and 3rd floor) 9,800 yen
- A seats (3rd floor / restricted view, suitable for listening to the music) 5,000 yen
*Please note that A seats have a restricted view. Suitable for listening to the music.
*Preschool children are not allowed to enter.

Ticket Information

-General Ticket Sales: Starts at 10:00, Saturday, September 16
*Orders taken at the websites below (Japanese)

Ticket PIA  ⇒t.pia.jp　0570-02-9999（P-code：341-123）
e-plus  ⇒eplus.jp
Lawson Ticket  ⇒l-tike.com（L-code：33632）
Rakuten Ticket  ⇒ticket.rakuten.co.jp

Specialty Items Available At The Venue

Available for purchase at the venue will be specialty items usually available only at the Godzilla Store, the first official Godzilla online shopping site:

Don't miss this opportunity to buy these limited Godzilla items.

COMPOSER

Akira Ifukube (1914-2006), composer

Born in Hokkaido, Ifukube grew up with the Ainu people, which provided a formative influence on his music. He studied forestry at Hokkaido University, but taught himself music and mastered the violin. In his youth, he associated with composer Fumio Hayasaka and music critic Atsushi Miura. Favoring music by Stravinsky, Ravel, Satie and other Western composers, he started composing on his own. At 21, he won the Tcherepnin Prize for his "Japanese Rhapsody." After the war, he moved to Tokyo to become a composer, and began lecturing at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where he taught the likes of Yasushi Akutagawa, Teizo Matsumura and Toshiro Mayuzumi. He published "Orchestration," the groundbreaking music theory book that is still influencing composers today, and created numerous film soundtracks, including Godzilla, which he wrote at 40.

CONDUCTOR

Kaoru Wada, conductor

Wada studied composition under Akira Ifukube at Tokyo College of Music. He won a composition award from the Japan Symphony Foundation and was also selected for the International Contemporary Music Composer Competition in New York City. He has composed and premiered mostly orchestral music in Japan, Europe and the United Sates, and has been successful in wide-ranging fields. His music for the animated series Kindaichi Case Files and Inuyasha, and for Shochiku’s Crest of Betrayal, were awarded the Japan Academy Prize. As a music arranger, he has provided the orchestration for such games as Kingdom Hearts. He has conducted his music live in "The World of Kaoru Wada" with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, and "The Echo of Japan: the Music of Kaoru Wada" with the WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln in Germany, which both received rave reviews. He has strived to continue promoting the music of Ifukube by arranging his compositions for a brass band, editing “Japanese Rhapsody,” and arranging and conducting the first Godzilla orchestral performance for the special program celebrating Ifukube’s centenary.

Performers: Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra

Choir: Chor June

GUEST SPEAKERS

Shogo Tomiyama, producer

After joining Toho Co., Ltd. in 1975, he was involved in the production of 12 Godzilla films, from Godzilla vs. Biollante in 1989 to Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004, building the Heisei-era Godzilla series. He also produced Godzilla vs. Mothra, which topped the box office for Japanese films, and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. He is now Secretary-General of the Japan Academy Prize Association.

Shinji Higuchi, director

Born in 1965, Higuchi is one of the leading directors in modern Japan, actively working across genres from animation to live-action films. He came to fame as the special effects director for the Gamera series, among others, then directed Lorelei in 2005. He was involved in the Godzilla series for the first time in 1984 with The Return of Godzilla, and directed megahit Shin Godzilla in 2016.

Masao Iwase, music producer

Iwase joined Toho Co., Ltd. in 1974, and produced such soundtracks as "The Japanese Cinema Music Series" at Toho Records. Iwase also served as a music producer for Akira Kurosawa films like Kagemusha and Ran. He produced music for the six Godzilla films from Godzilla vs. Biollante (89) to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (95), together with composers such as Akira Ifukube, who wrote the original Godzilla theme. In 2014, Iwase produced the first Godzilla Cinema Concert.

The 30th Tokyo International Film Festival and Godzilla

The Tokyo International Film Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and over the years it has welcomed many stars to its stage. In fact, Godzilla has notched the highest number of appearances at the festival. The latest Godzilla films screened every year as a special selection, including screenings of special Tokyo International Film Festival versions. Godzilla has become one of the "faces" of TIFF, and is an annual event eagerly awaited by fans.

In 2016, Shin Godzilla was screened in the Japan Now section, King Kong vs. Godzilla (4K digitally restored version) was screened in Japanese Classics, and Godzilla won the Arigato Award. Godzilla’s popularity just continues to grow

6th, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

©1993 TIFF
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14th, Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

©2001 TIFF
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29th, ARIGATŌ Award

©2016 TIFF
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