was a Japanese film production company created in 1982 to provide a venue outside the major studio system for young proven filmmakers to grow artistically. The company's president, Susumu Miyasaka, came from an advertising and public relations background and he was joined by founding members

Kazuhiko Hasegawa is a Japanese film director. He won the award for Best Director at the 1st Yokohama Film Festival for '' The Man Who Stole the Sun''. Life and career Hasegawa began his career in film at Nikkatsu in the early 1970s as a scriptwriter on such '' ...

Toshiharu Ikeda (23 February 1951 – 26 December 2010) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his films Mermaid Legend (1984) and Evil Dead Trap (1988). Ikeda became involved in filmmaking while still a university student, worki ...

, Sōgo Ishii,

Kazuyuki Izutsu is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and film critic. Career Born in Nara Prefecture, Izutsu started making 8mm films in high school, and directed his first 35mm film, a pink film, in 1975. He earned a citation from the Directors Guild o ...

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic, author, actor, and a former professor at Tokyo University of the Arts (2005-2023). Noted for his psychological films that often focus on ambiguous narratives and on their characters' i ...

, Kichitaro Negishi,

Kazuki Ōmori was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Career Born in Osaka, Ōmori studied at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and held a license to practice medicine. While in school, he began making films independently, with ''Kuraku naru m ...

Shinji Sōmai was a Japanese film director. He directed 13 films between 1980 and 2000 and was noted for his work within seishun-eiga, which include films such as the successful ''Sailor Suit and Machine Gun'' (1981) and critically acclaimed '' Typhoon Clu ...

and

Banmei Takahashi (or Tomoaki Takahashi) is a Japanese film director. Takahashi started his career in the pink film industry, making his directorial debut in 1972 with ''Escaped Rapist Criminal''. Due to a disagreement with his producer, Takahashi quit the film in ...

, none of them older than 36 years of age. Many started their mainstream career at this time, building upon Miyasaka's ideal of expanding the restricting ambitions of

Nikkatsu is a Japanese film studio located in Bunkyō. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Motion Pictures". Shareholders are Nippon Television Holdings (35%) and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (28.4%). ...

's Roman Porno and

pink film refers in Japan to movies produced by independent studios that includes nudity (hence 'pink') or deals with sexual content. This encompasses everything from dramas to action thrillers and exploitation film features. Many pink films would be a ...

s. For distribution of its works, the group maintained links with major companies such as

Kadokawa Pictures Kadokawa Daiei Studio Co., Ltd., formerly is the film production division of the Japanese company the Kadokawa Corporation. History In 1945, Genyoshi Kadokawa established Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., focusing on the publishing business. ...

and

Art Theatre Guild The Art Theatre Guild (ATG) was a Japanese film production and distribution company which started in 1961, releasing mostly Japanese New Wave and art films. The programming was complemented by a print magazine called ''Art Theatre'' containing ...

, as well as the smaller firms New Century Producers and Kitty Films. The company dissolved due to bankruptcy in 1992, ten years after its foundation.

Major works

* (1982,

) * '' Kandagawa Pervert Wars'' (1983,

) * '' The Crazy Family'' (1984, Sōgo Ishii) * '' Mermaid Legend'' (1984,

) * ''

Love Hotel A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world operated primarily for the purpose of allowing guests privacy for sex. The name originates from "Hotel Love" in Osaka, Japan. Although love hotels exist all over the world, the ...

'' (1985,

) * '' Typhoon Club'' (1985,

) * (1985,

) * '' House of Wedlock'' (1986, Kichitaro Negishi) * ''

Inuji ni Seshi Mono is a 1986 Japanese film directed by Kazuyuki Izutsu. Awards 8th Yokohama Film Festival *Won: Best Actress - Narumi Yasuda is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for '' Inujini seshi mono'', ...

'' (1986,

) * ''

Halber Mensch ''Halber Mensch'' (or '' Mensch''; English: ''Half Person'') is the third studio album by German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten, released on 2 September 1985 by Some Bizzare Records in the U.K. and by What's So Funny About GmbH in Germa ...

'' (1986, Sōgo Ishii) * '' Eien no 1/2'' (1987, Kichitaro Negishi) * ''

Evil Dead Trap ''Evil Dead Trap'' () is a 1988 Japanese supernatural slasher film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda and produced by Japan Home Video. The film stars Miyuki Ono, Yuji Honma, Aya Katsuragi, Eriko Nakagawa, Hitomi Kobayashi and Masahiko Abe, follow a te ...

'' (1988,

)

References

{{Authority control Film production companies of Japan Companies established in 1982 1982 establishments in Japan