A teach-in by NAKAGAWA Keisuke was held on Saturday, November 25, from 14:40 at NTT CRED Hall No. 2. The moderator was KIMURA Michita, a freelance personality.

Mr. NAKAGAWA works for SYNCA Co., the distributor of "Shades of the Heart" which was screened at the Hiroshima International Film Festival 2023. He told us about the film distribution situation, which we usually don't hear about.

Mr. NAKAGAWA says he has always loved movies. He became even more interested in movies when he took a film class while studying abroad during his college years and he started working for the management company of movie theaters. However, the situation at the time was that the movies he wanted to see and wanted to show were not getting into Japan, so he decided to join the film distribution company SYNCA Co.

Simply put, film distributors are like wholesalers who acquire the rights to show films made by film production companies and distribute the films to movie theaters and distribution platforms. The films are screened at film festivals and are also purchased after previews for interested parties in the market (which are held concurrently with film festivals.)

As buyers are rivals with each other, but they are also looking for partners for co-distribution, there is a running competition and a unique atmosphere at the business meetings, he revealed. During the Corona Disaster, he was anxious about making purchases based only on his own senses, since the event was held online, and he could not see the reactions of the customers. When asked by Mr. Kimura about principles of hit movies, he said, "If there were any, I wouldn't have any trouble," eliciting laughter from the audience.

Distributors subtitle the films they buy, advertise them, and screen them, which is like a gamble every time, because they have to invest in the film first. The first day of the show is a thrilling time for the distributors, as they can only make money if the audience buys tickets.

SYNCA Co. also screens old movies. This is because when you watch movies on a distribution platform, recommendations come up based on viewing history, so it has become difficult to come across films that are completely unfamiliar to you. In the past, it was possible to see a movie at a video rental store even if you were not interested in it, but this opportunity is decreasing. However, some older films are difficult to screen because it is not clear who the rights holders are.

In the latter half of the Q&A session, there were questions about the unique concerns of a distribution company and its future. He revealed that the company's struggle is that even if they think this movie is interesting, they have to give up on it because of the difficulties in screening it for profit. Personally, there are too many movies he has to watch for purchase, so that he can't go to watch movies being released in theaters.

Regarding the future, "Distribution has become the mainstream, but the memories and the experience of going to the movie theater with friends cannot be delivered. On the other hand, distribution has its advantages, such as the ability to watch a popular movie immediately. We need to find a way for the two to coexist rather than be adversaries," he said. The teach-in was friendly from beginning to end, and the audience was able to feel the depth of Mr. NAKAGAWA's love for films.