KYOTO INTERNATIONAL FILM AND ART FESTIVAL 2022

Since this year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Pathé-Baby, the Kyoto International Film and Art Festival's Classic Film Special called for a Pathé-Baby discovery project, collecting and restoring Pathé-Baby films that are currently lying dormant in homes, and digitizing these images.
These precious films will be screened with live piano accompaniment and commentary.

Pathé-Baby
Exactly 100 years ago, in 1922, the Pathé Company sold a small movie 9.5mm film, camera, and projector under the name Pathé-Baby (Pathéscope in the UK and Pathex in the US). This made it possible not only for the general public to easily watch small films at home, but also to make home movies (private films).
The Pathé-Baby was 9.5mm, a specially shaped film with feed holes in the center of the screens, and was most popular from the mid-1920s to the 1940s. After WWII, 8mm, VHS, and DVD became popular making Pathé-Baby short-lived because of its special format. Today, it serves as documentary footage during a limited period of time in the early Showa era (1926-1989). In particular, the 1920s was the heyday of silent films, and some films, whose originals have now been considered lost, can be found in some Pathé-Baby projectors. Even home movies are invaluable recordings of the Showa era, and many of these images, such as family scenes, daily life, cityscapes, events, festivals, and fashions, can only be seen on a Pathé-Baby, creating a historical and cultural heritage value for us today.

Since this year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Pathé-Baby, the Kyoto International Film and Art Festival's Classic Film Special called for a Pathé-Baby discovery project, collecting and restoring Pathé-Baby films that are currently lying dormant in homes, and digitizing these images.
These precious films will be screened with live piano accompaniment and commentary.

Pathé-Baby
Exactly 100 years ago, in 1922, the Pathé Company sold a small movie 9.5mm film, camera, and projector under the name Pathé-Baby (Pathéscope in the UK and Pathex in the US). This made it possible not only for the general public to easily watch small films at home, but also to make home movies (private films).
The Pathé-Baby was 9.5mm, a specially shaped film with feed holes in the center of the screens, and was most popular from the mid-1920s to the 1940s. After WWII, 8mm, VHS, and DVD became popular making Pathé-Baby short-lived because of its special format. Today, it serves as documentary footage during a limited period of time in the early Showa era (1926-1989). In particular, the 1920s was the heyday of silent films, and some films, whose originals have now been considered lost, can be found in some Pathé-Baby projectors. Even home movies are invaluable recordings of the Showa era, and many of these images, such as family scenes, daily life, cityscapes, events, festivals, and fashions, can only be seen on a Pathé-Baby, creating a historical and cultural heritage value for us today.

A dimwitted bellhop working in a prosperous hotel is forced to fight a gang of men who are after secret government documents. This is an explosive romp directed by and starring Larry Semon, the legendary comedian who was a favorite of Junichiro Tanizaki and Taruho Inagaki!
Kota Miki, a cellist in the popular band PASCALS, composed this piece and became the session leader, having Keisuke Ohta (violin), Kumiko Takara (marimba), and Kensaku Tanikawa (keyboards) play the score for the first time without rehearsal, in the legendary live screening version presented here for you to enjoy!

A lackluster guy who pretends to be a photographer with a old-fashioned glass dry plate photo machine takes on the challenge of making a special news report newsreel film! A gem bursting with Buster Keaton's wacky and endearing charm!
This is the first piece played by Eri Kozaki, who made her debut as a silent film accompanist while studying at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in 2007, and now, on the 15th anniversary of her debut, she revives the spirit of Keaton's comedy with a new performance technique filled with her passion for the genre!

A mysterious silent film based on the novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Human beings have two sides, good and evil. Dr. Jekyll, who studies the dual personalities of human beings, takes a drug that causes his own personality to split, leading him down a path of destruction. John Barrymore plays the role of the good and benevolent Dr. Jekyll, as well as Mr. Hyde, the vulgar and brutal man of desire. The film thrillingly depicts his transformation and the agony of his path toward destruction, from which there is no turning back.

Excerpted from the feature film The Cloudhopper (aka Keep Jumping), it was retitled The Weak-end Driver by Castle Film and edited into a film less than 10 minutes long for sale. The great thing about this film is that it is directed by Stephen Roberts and edited by Sam Zimbalist, who would later become the producer of the blockbuster Ben-Hur starring Charlton Heston. As is typical of Larry Semon's work, this silent comedy is short but full of excitement, from chases on trains, motorcycles, and cars to acrobatic action on airplanes.

This special film event features producer Naoki Tachikawa and narrator Ichiro Kataoka! The narrators and comedians will team up to present a katsuben live narration screening, and a katsuben improvisation competition will be held at the venue, offering a new way to enjoy silent and classic films! This famous event that originated from Kyoto International Film & Art Festival will be held again this year! This year will feature collaboration with the new katsuben film I AM JAM: Piza no Wakusei Kiki Ipattsu! (Crisis on the Planet of the Pizza!). Enjoy an even more powerful katsuben experience!