When it comes to Japanese art cinema in recent decades, Yuji Sadai is one of the most prominent names. He is not only known as a producer and distributor, but also as the one who created and led Bitters End – one of the leading independent film companies in Japan.
With more than three decades of experience in cinema, Yuji Sadai is considered the man behind many successes of Japanese works on the international stage, and is also a bridge between art cinema from East to West.
Yuji Sadai founded Bitters End, Inc. in 1994 in Tokyo, positioning the company as a unit specializing in the production and distribution of independent films with distinct artistic values and cinematic thinking. Under his leadership, Bitters End has participated in the co-production and distribution of a series of famous works, highly appreciated in terms of expertise and won many major awards. Notable among them are The Land of Hope (2012), This Is What I Remember (2022) and especially Drive My Car (2021) by director Ryusuke Hamaguchi - the film won the 2022 Oscar in the category of Best International Feature Film, contributing to bringing the wave of Japanese films back to the global audience.
In addition to his role as a producer, Yuji Sadai has also taken on many important roles in prestigious film festivals. He was the President of the Nest Student Film Jury at the 2019 San Sebastián International Film Festival and has participated in many other international film festivals such as Locarno and Tokyo. With his extensive knowledge of art cinema and open-minded spirit, Yuji Sadai is always highly appreciated for his ability to discover and accompany new talents in the film industry.
In 2025, Yuji Sadai continued to mark his internationalization journey by participating in the Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III) as a member of the Jury for the Vietnamese Film Competition category. His presence not only enhanced the professional reputation of DANAFF, but also provided opportunities for domestic filmmakers to listen to the sharing and experience of a professional director who contributed to opening the way for many Asian works to access the international market.
Taking on the role of jury at DANAFF III, Yuji Sadai is not only a judge but also a connector - connecting Vietnam and Japan, between independent filmmakers and the international market, between local stories and global audiences. His presence at DANAFF will help the film festival attract public attention, affirm its prestige on the regional cinema map, and at the same time reflect the increasingly deep integration trend of Vietnamese cinema in the Asian flow.
It can be seen that inviting Yuji Sadai to join the jury is a strategic step of DANAFF III in the journey to expand its influence and standardize the film evaluation process according to international standards. With a meticulous editing mindset, the ability to grasp trends and attention to the depth of the work, Yuji Sadai promises to make many valuable contributions to the Vietnamese film genre with strong cultural identity.
The Third Danang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III) will officially take place from June 29 to July 5, 2025 in Danang city. Compared to the previous two seasons, DANAFF III has made remarkable progress in terms of scale, duration and program content. From 5 days of official activities in the previous two seasons, DANAFF III increased the official duration of the film festival to 7 days. The total number of films selected for the programs in DANAFF III is more than 100 films (compared to 46 films of DANAFF I and 63 films of DANAFF II); the number of film screenings increased to about 200 (compared to 100 films of the previous season). | |
Source: https://baolangson.vn/gop-phan-ket-noi-dien-anh-viet-voi-tinh-hoa-quoc-te-5050402.html
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