JUMP CUT
A REVIEW OF CONTEMPORARY MEDIA

Colleen A. Laird

Colleen A. Laird is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oregon’s Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures.  She is currently living in Tokyo as a Monbukagasho Research Scholar at Tsukuba University and is writing her dissertation on contemporary female film directors in Japan.  Her dissertation questions how Japanese women directors construct space in their films through cinematography and visual concepts of place, as well as how the contemporary industry constructs space for women directors through gendered marketing and discourse.  As a graduate student, she has taught classes on Japanese film, Japanese literature, Japanese language, the history of the motion picture, and manga (Japanese comics).  She taught English as a Second Language through the JET Program in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, and was a teaching assistant for Japanese Cinema and Japanese History courses at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.

Useful links on contemporary Japanese cinema:

Box Office Japan – Up to date box office information for Japanese domestic theatres including release schedules.
http://www.cinemanavi.co.jp/english/

Hoga Central – Website edited by Michi Kaifu.
News, Interviews, Trailers, and Reviews.
http://www.hogacentral.com/

J-Film Powwow Blog – Online community based out of Canada featuring Japanese cinema news, reviews, and DVD release and box office information.
http://jfilmpowwow.blogspot.com/

Japan Society Film News and Series Information
http://japansocietyfilm.tumblr.com/

Jason Gray’s blog – News and Columns.
http://jasongray.blogspot.com/

Kinema Klub – Access point to the KineJapan listserv owned by Aaron Gerow, Abe' Mark Nornes, and Maureen Donovan.
Listserv, Articles, Teaching Resources, and Research Resources
http://pears.lib.ohio-state.edu/Markus/

Midnight Eye – Tom  Mes and Jasper Sharp’s website on Japanese Cinema
Reviews, Articles, and Interviews
http://www.midnighteye.com/

Nippon Cinema Blog – Kevin Ouellette’s blog
News, Trailers, Reviews, and DVD Release Information.
http://www.nipponcinema.com/

Nishikata Eiga Blog – Catherine Munroe Hotes’ blog on Contemporary Japanese Cinema with an emphasis on Japanese Art Animation.
http://nishikataeiga.blogspot.com/

My Soju – Ever expanding online archive of East Asian television dramas and films.
http://www.mysoju.com/

Pia Film Festival – Website for the Pia Film Festival, Japan’s Independent film hub.
http://pff.jp/english/

Sea Change – Colleen A. Laird’s blog on female film directors in Japan.
http://colleenalaird.wordpress.com/

Tokyo Filmex – Website for the Tokyo Filmex Film Festival hosted by Office Kitano.
English site also available.
http://www.filmex.net/index.htm

Tokyo Ramen – Mark Schilling’s archive of reviews, articles, and interviews from his writings at the Japan Times.
http://japanesemovies.homestead.com/

Wild Grounds – A France based website dedicated to Asian cinema.
Reviews, Articles, Trailers, Clips, and Movie Stills.
http://wildgrounds.com/

Yen Town Report – Iwai Shunji’s website
http://www.iwaiff.com/