Louis Vuitton Hawaii International FIlm Festival 2008

SAMURAI CYBER-FICTION: How the Internet, New Media and Heavy Metal saved one of the most revered film studios in Japan

Visit the creative minds behind one of the most zaniest and successful web series to come out of Japan, METAL SAMURAI! A collaboration between execs from Toei-Kyoto Studios (home of such classic fare as ABARENBO SHOGUN and every "jidai-geki" film from the 1960s and beyond) and Columbia Music Entertainment, this amalgamation of samurai lore and KISS-infused metal malarky has re-invented the aging studio in exploring new ways to be viable in the ever-changing world of "film and TV production". Sit down and engage in an informal, fun and very Japanese chat about the making of this cult series, and how even corporations are emulating the D.I.Y. and indie film playbook and doing it for themselves, and adapting to create fun, vibrant and yes, viable, content.