US-Japan Film Ties Strengthened with Genco Partnership

U.S. independent production company Spacemaker Productions, along with its Tokyo-based subsidiary Barravento, has formed a significant partnership with leading anime studio Genco. This collaboration seeks to strengthen ties between the American and Japanese film industries.

The alliance is set to explore international co-productions, leveraging U.S. financing for projects originating from Japan. Additionally, the companies plan to develop live-action adaptations of Japanese intellectual property and create original works by Japanese creators for the U.S. market.

Barravento, founded by Spacemaker in collaboration with producer Hiroto Ogi, is also focused on local Japanese productions and providing production services to foreign companies. This includes assisting with navigating Japan's incentive system and accessing Japanese IP for development.

Spacemaker's founder, Alex Hughes, emphasized Japan as a natural evolution for their Asian production hub, citing Hiroto Ogi's expertise in international production. Riccardo Maddalosso, President of Spacemaker Productions, noted Japan's competitive costs and high crew standards as key advantages.

Genco, known for acclaimed anime such as Satoshi Kon's 'Millennium Actress' and 'Tokyo Godfathers,' and Sunao Katabuchi's 'In This Corner Of The World,' brings significant industry credentials to the partnership. Their collaboration aims to foster a more open and international approach to filmmaking, allowing foreign perspectives to enrich Japanese storytelling and showcasing Japanese talent globally.

Barravento's development slate includes an English-language remake of the cult horror classic 'Onibaba.' Spacemaker's prior credits include 'How to Blow Up A Pipeline' and 'Rotting In The Sun.'