Japan Society Announces June Film Schedule: Speed Racer: The Movie on 35mm with “Trixie” Voice Actress Corinne Orr, Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2 in honor of Ghost in the Shell 2’s 20th

New York, NY (June XX, 2024) – Japan Society, a 117-year-old nonprofit organization with a goal of bringing the U.S. and Japan together, today announced its full June screening schedule. Japan Society will present four significant films with tremendous artistic and cultural merit for audiences in New York.

Japan Society’s June screenings begin June 7 with a 70th anniversary screening of Kenji Mizoguchi’s Sansho the Bailiff on 35mm. Acclaimed as one of the most essential films in the history of Japanese cinema, it is the tragic tale of a virtuous family banished to a far-off land by a feudal lord. Sansho depicts a world woven in despair and futility- one where the moral code of man is without mercy. Informed by Mizoguchi’s Buddhist principles, Sansho the Bailiff is presented in collaboration with Japan Society Gallery’s current exhibition, None Whatsoever: Zen Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection. This screening takes place during the exhibit’s Free First Fridays program. Attendees may come early before the screening to enjoy complimentary gallery admission.

Japan Society and GKIDS will then present Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence on June 15 on in honor of Innocence’s 20th anniversary and new 4K Restoration. Oshii’s groundbreaking cyberpunk classics conjure a startling vision of the future - a new age of global interconnectedness where neural pathways and information networks have become inextricably linked - and their theses on artificial intelligence have only become more relevant in our present world. A reception will be held in between both screenings for audiences to discuss Oshii’s thought-provoking world. This event is co-presented by Anime NYC.

The month will conclude on June 21 when Japan Society and Shout! Studios present Speed Racer: The Movie on 35mm followed by an on-stage conversation with Corinne Orr, voice of Trixie and the last-living member of the original English-language Speed Racer cast. This special event is in celebration of the original Speed Racer series now on major digital platforms in both English and Japanese for the first time through Shout! Studios, making one of the most influential anime of all time accessible to a new generation. Speed Racer: The Movie is the theatrical re-release of two of the original show’s most astounding adventures: The Car Hater and The Race Against the Mammoth Car. This event is co-presented by Anime NYC.

“Japan Society is honored to celebrate these major cinematic moments,” said Peter Tatara, Japan Society’s Director of Film. “Speed Racer, Ghost in the Shell, and Sansho have all left indelible fingerprints on audiences, creators, and scholars around the world, and we are overjoyed to honor them now in Japan Society’s historic theater.”

Tickets for all events are available now at japansociety.org/film.

Screenings will take place at Japan Society’s landmarked headquarters at 333 East 47th St, New York, NY 10017, one block from the United Nations and minutes from Grand Central Terminal.

Sansho the Bailiff

Fri., June 7 at 7:00 PM at Japan Society

Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954, 124 min, 35mm, black and white, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyoko Kagawa, Eitaro Shindo.

70th Anniversary - 35mm Presentation. Set in the late Heian period, Mizoguchi’s devastating jidaigeki (period drama) recounts the tragic separation of a reputable family under wretched circumstances when a virtuous governor is banished to a far-off land by a feudal lord. As misfortune piles upon the children and wife (Kinuyo Tanaka), who are ripped apart from each other and sold into slavery, Sansho depicts a world woven in despair and futility - one where the moral code of man is without mercy. Shot by master cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa and informed by Mizoguchi’s Buddhist principles, Sansho the Bailiff is a monumental work of Japanese cinema.

Presented in collaboration with Japan Society Gallery’s current exhibition, None Whatsoever: Zen Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection. This screening takes place during the exhibit’s Free First Fridays program. Please come early before the screening to enjoy complimentary gallery admission.

Ghost in the Shell with Post-Screening Reception

Sat., June 15 at 5:30 PM at Japan Society

1992, 80 min., 35mm, color, in English dub. With Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, Jack Grimes, Jack Curtis.

Followed by a post-screening reception. Mamoru Oshii’s groundbreaking cyberpunk classic conjures a startling vision of the future - a new age of global interconnectedness wherein neural pathways and information networks have become inextricably linked. Surveilling the sprawling technopolis of New Port City, Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg officer specializing in cybercrime, hunts down a mysterious entity responsible for a series of “ghost-hackings” that have infiltrated human hosts. Known only as the Puppet Master, the newly-surfaced threat leads Major to uncover a vast conspiracy - prompting her to question her own humanity and purpose of existence.

Co-presented with GKIDS and Anime NYC. Japan Society proudly presents both the original Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence in honor of the 20th anniversary of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence and its upcoming nationwide 4K theatrical release.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence 4K Premiere with Pre-Screening Reception

Sat., June 15 at 8 PM at Japan Society

Dir. Mamoru Oshii, 2004, 98 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English Subtitles. With Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka, Koichi Yamadera.

20th Anniversary - 4K Premiere. Event begins with a pre-screening reception at 7 PM. Screening begins at 8 PM. Acclaimed director Mamoru Oshii pushes further into the world and concepts first developed in his original groundbreaking Ghost in the Shell with thought-provoking speculations on artificial intelligence which have only become more relevant in our present world. In the year 2032, the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction, and a string of murders perpetrated by a prototype android has drawn the attention of Public Security Section 9, a unit specializing in counter cyber-terrorism. With none of the victims’ families pressing charges, suspicions arise regarding the nature of the androids and their production company. In the course of the investigation, the almost entirely cyber-bodied agent Batou, and his still human partner Togusa embark on a journey through a technological dystopia, taking on ferocious Yakuza thugs, devious hackers, government bureaucrats, and corporate criminals to uncover the shocking truth behind the crime.

Co-presented with GKIDS and Anime NYC. Japan Society proudly presents both the original Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence in honor of the 20th anniversary of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence and its upcoming nationwide 4K theatrical release.

Speed Racer: The Movie with Corinne Orr

Fri., June 21 at 6:00 PM at Japan Society

1992, 80 min., 35mm, color, in English dub. With Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, Jack Grimes, Jack Curtis.

Archival 35mm Presentation. Co-presented with Shout! Studios and Anime NYC. Followed by a Q&A with Speed Racer voice actress Corinne Orr. A 1992 theatrical compilation produced by Speed Racer Enterprises and Streamline Pictures - one of the pioneering American distributors of English dubbed anime, including Akira and early Miyazaki - Speed Racer: The Movie links together multiple episodes from the iconic Americanized version of the 1960s anime. An early example of the success of Japanese animation in the United States, Speed Racer was notable for its rapid-fire, fast-paced dialogue (meant to match the quick lip movements of the anime) which was produced locally by New York-based dubbing studio Titra Studios and featured the vocal talents of Corinne Orr (Trixie, Spritle, Mom) and Peter Fernandez - who not only voiced the titular Speed Racer, but served as the series’ co-writer and voice director. Struck from the original Japanese 35mm masters and interspersed with ad breaks filled with period commercials, this theatrical re-release selects two of the show’s most absurd adventures: The Car Hater and The Race Against the Mammoth Car. Competing in auto races across the world, Speed, Trixie and the gang go head-to-head with an embittered man on horseback who forbids his daughter from driving and a massive segmented car in the No-Limits World Race - aided, of course, by the powerful Mach 5, the “most fabulous car ever driven.”

35mm print courtesy of the Chicago Film Society.

Evening is in celebration of Speed Racer now on to U.S. digital platforms in both English and Japanese from Shout! Studios. Commemorative posters will be provided to all attendees. Corinne Orr will introduce Speed Racer: The Movie, host a Q&A following the screening, and conduct a paid autograph session at the conclusion of the event.

About Japan Society

Japan Society is the premier organization connecting Japanese arts, culture, business, and society with audiences in New York and around the world. At Japan Society, we are inspired by the Japanese concept of kizuna (絆)–forging deep connections to bind people together. We are committed to telling the story of Japan while strengthening connections within New York City and building new bridges beyond. In over 100 years of work, we’ve inspired generations by establishing ourselves as pioneers in supporting international exchanges in arts and culture, business and policy, as well as education between Japan and the U.S. We strive to convene important conversations on topics that bind our two countries together, champion the next generation of innovative creators, promote mutual understanding, and serve as a trusted guide for people everywhere who seek to more fully appreciate the rich complexities and abundance of Japan. From our New York headquarters, a landmark building designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura that opened to the public in 1971, we look forward to the years ahead, which will be defined by our digital and ideational impact through the kizuna that we build. Our future can only be enhanced by learning from our peers and engaging with our audiences, both near and afar.

Japan Society programs are made possible by leadership support from Booth Ferris Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Film programs are generously supported by ORIX Corporation USA, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and Yen Press. Endowment support is provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and The John and Miyoko Davey Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by The Globus Family, David Toberisky, and Friends of Film. Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the official Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film. Housing assistance is provided by the Kitano Hotel, the official hotel sponsor of Japan Society Film.