Tokyo, Japan — A special screening in cutting-edge 8K SUPER Hi-VISION format will be held by Japanese public broadcaster NHK at the 66th Cannes Film Festival (May 15-26). The film industry, press, and public are invited to experience the unprecedented audio and visualclarity of 8K at the Hôtel Majestic Barrière on May 16 and 17. A special gala event is to be held on the evening of the 17th.
A highlight will be the world premiere of the first 8K narrative film, the comedic short film Beauties À La Carte. NHK is striving to facilitate implementation of the 8K format in line with its mission to lead development of new broadcasting technologies. Now, NHK is stepping forward to awaken the international film industry to new possibilities in cinema imagery and sound.
8K SUPER Hi-VISION is a new medium developed by NHK, which pioneered the development of current HD. The 8K format has 7,680 by 4,320 pixels — four times the resolution of 4K and 16 times that of HD. It also features 22.2 multichannel sound, which combines with the vivid images to give viewers an experience that’s almost like being there.
During the festival, a special seminar will also be held for press and industry delegates to see the 8K SUPER Hi-VISION camera up close and members of the production team will be available for questions (see schedule).
Nobuhiro Hanedais NHK’s senior manager in charge of 8K content production. He said: “New technology is driving new content. The production of Beauties À La Carte is part of our efforts to understand the technical challenges of producing drama in this new format. I hope we can work with film-industry professionals to further explore the possibilities of using 8K for feature films.”
Beauties À La Carte (1 x 27 min., 2013)
Famous gourmet food critic Hiroshi Motoyama is invited to a new French restaurant that everyone is talking about. With his expectations running high, he soon realizes that this restaurant has no menu. The chef watches over the tables from a small window in the kitchen door and decides what to serve based on what he sees in customers. A heartwarming and funny tale plays out as Motoyama begins to wonder what kind of food he’s going to get.
This short comedy film was directed by the versatile filmmaker Toshio Lee (of Detroit Metal City fame) based on an original story by Kundo Koyama, writer of Departures, which won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
SCREENING SCHEDULE & VENUE
Venue: Majestic Hôtel Barrière (Salon de Croisette)
May 16 (Thursday) – Press & Industry Screenings
1:00pm~1:35pm Screening *
2:00pm~3:00pm Screening *
3:30pm~4:05pm Screening & Seminar **
4:30pm~5:30pm Screening *
6:00pm~6:35pm Screening & Seminar **
May 17 (Friday) – Public Screenings
11:00pm~11:35pm Screening *
12:00pm~12:35pm Screening *
1:00pm~1:35pm Screening *
2:00pm~2:35pm Screening *
* Screening: 8K SUPER Hi-VISION showcase video + Beauties À La Carte
** Screening: 8K SUPER Hi-VISION showcase video + Beauties À La Carte preceeded by greeting, and followed by seminar
NHK and 8K
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan’s public broadcaster. Funded by receiving fees from Japanese households, it has a reputation for impartial, high-quality programming. Through its four nationwide TV channels, NHK reaches about 50 million households. A large staff of directors, producers, and engineers enables NHK to make programs in every genre. NHK pioneered HD television and is known for its use of cutting-edge shooting technologies to produce high-quality programs.
NHK started the R&D of 8K since 1995. It performed the live 8K transmission from London Olympics venues in 2012 and aims to begin experimental 8K broadcast in Japan in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. NHK is exploring 8K production in various genres. Most recently, it joined hands with Brazilian commercial broadcaster TV Globo in February 2013 to shoot the Rio de Janeiro Carnival in 8K.
http://www.nhk.or.jp/english/
INQUIRIES
PR Contact:
Eiko Mizuno Gray - Loaded Films Ltd.
Tel: +81-90-9829-7501
info at loadedfilms.jp
NHK
beauties at 8k.nhk.or.jp
A PDF version of this press release can be download here.