Introducing: Tracks & Fields’ Director Showcase Series

Last month Tracks & Fields unveiled its new event series – Director Showcase – in Tokyo, Japan.

Director Showcase was conceived this year as an opportunity to celebrate the local creatives and filmmaking communities who have a strong link to their local markets, and whose film work is deeply connected to music.

Taking inspiration from a range of other events which are mostly geared towards drawing in visitors from abroad, the music agency instead decided to develop a hosted showcase that functions as a central hub for regional companies, clients and partners.

The agency’s connection to Japan is long and well-documented, so the team knew this would be the perfect place to launch their new initiative.

This first edition was something of a test case. The first task was to find the perfect location. After an exhaustive search, they eventually found the ideal spot: Aoyama Hachi. This club with a DIY feel was once the regular haunt of globally feted DJ Ken Ishii, occupies a run-down, four-storey building on Roppongi Dori, and is kitted out with a yakitori bar, a DJ bar, a main dance area, and a lounge bar.

Our production teams worked within the confines of the unique space to create a dedicated screening room to project the five directors’ reels and features, as well as multiple informal spaces for attendees to meet, mingle, network and share a drink.

For this very first edition of Director Showcase, the curated program featured six directors, split between both local Japanese and international artists, all heavyweights of filmmaking:

Takcom, the award-winning videographer who oversees television commercials, music videos, art installations, and live performances , 洞内広樹 of Dentsu Creative X, Hamlet director Ian Pons Jewel, Mao(東北新社), Cutters Studios’ Tokyo-based editor and director Aki Mizutani and Parisian director James F. Coton of Bonaparte Films.

From the excellent range of filmmaking on show, audience favourites included a narrative film about Japanese biker gangs, and another with a suspenseful origin story, which involved a literal last minute change from shooting in Mexico to the heart of Tokyo!

The audience were also treated to some lively and informative interviews and discussions with the the directors who attended, and the organisers wired up the video link for those who joined from afar.

Afterwards everyone mingled for hours with other guests and enjoyed the music of some of Tokyo’s finest selectors.

Head over to the Tracks & Fields Facebook page see the full gallery of photos, and let them know where in the world they should take their next edition!