Osaka University of Arts Director and cast appear at pre-release screening event for Osaka University of Arts industry-academia collaborative project film “Maiso Family”

[Osaka University of Arts] Director and cast appear at pre-release screening of Osaka University of Arts’ industry-academia collaborative film “Meiso Family” ​ Osaka University of Arts Press Release: September 1, 2025 To Members of the Media Director and cast appear at pre-release screening event for “Meiso Family,” a film produced as part of an industry-academia collaboration project at Osaka University of Arts. ■ Screening begins Friday, August 29, 2025, at Theater Umeda in Osaka and other cinemas nationwide, and is currently receiving rave reviews. Osaka University of Arts (Tsukamoto Gakuin Educational Corporation / Location: Minamikawachi District, Osaka Prefecture / President: Kunihiko Tsukamoto) held a screening event with a stage greeting for the film “Meiso Family,” which was created as part of an industry-academia collaborative project, at Theater Umeda in Osaka ahead of its release on August 29, 2025. Along with cast members Naho Toda, Munenori Nagano, and Rina Miura, the event also featured Yusuke Akiba, a fourth-year student in the Musical Course at the Department of Performing Arts at Osaka University of Arts, and the film’s directors, Professor Kazuyoshi Kumakiri and Professor Kei Kaneda of the Department of Film and Media. The stage greeting was hosted by Saeka Bando, a DJ for FM802 and a graduate of the Broadcasting Department who also appears in the film. She spoke with the guests about the film’s highlights and filming anecdotes.
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“Meiso Family” was produced as an industry-academia collaborative project in which students from our university’s Film Department teamed up with film industry professionals to create dramas and films. It consists of three stories: “YUI,” which depicts the quiet and strange unraveling of an ordinary family; “MONOS,” which depicts a couple whose fate is turned upside down by an encounter with a mysterious creature; and “UMI,” which chronicles the relationship between a traumatized girl and her private tutor. ■Production process explained by the production team Vice President Tsukamoto first explained about the film, “Many students appear in it, and we learned from our teachers as we filmed it. It will be screened commercially nationwide, and we’re trying to figure out how to publicize it and how much money we can get back.” Each script was based on a screenplay written by a former student and held at the university. Professor Kumakiri and Professor Kaneda worked with the students to refine these ideas and complete the script. Professor Kumakiri, who directed “YUI” and “UMI,” said, “The script for “YUI” was so well-crafted that I even fought with Kaneda over it. However, I felt it was too cohesive to be made into a film, so I tried to break it down instead. The script for “UMI” was by no means highly polished, but I felt that if I fixed it, it would become a cinematic piece.” Professor Kaneda, director of “MONOS,” reflected on the production process, saying, “‘MONOS’ is a unique story. It’s a subject I would never have planned myself, but when I was given this opportunity, I thought, ‘Let’s give it a try,'”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/44215/195/44215-195-c2ec7fee96f62896e9dcb5cd87a932e9-3900×2600.jpg In the lobby of Theater Umeda, you can encounter an unknown creature (right) that appears in “MONOS.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/44215/195/44215-195-fe6b21f52c397081e5d99775a22561c0-3900×2600.jpg From left: MC Saeka Bando, Vice President Hidekuni Tsukamoto, Professor Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, Munenori Nagano, Naho Toda, Rina Miura, Yusuke Akiba, and Professor Kei Kaneda
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/44215/195/44215-195-8ac5d2ce96279cb998ab493c3c746f27-3900×2600.jpg Professor Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, a graduate of the Film Department, expressed his delight, saying, “I never thought I’d be able to make a film at my alma mater, so this is a film that I’m very passionate about.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/44215/195/44215-195-406aa565cd27035043bf8f33220e3167-3900×2600.jpg Professor Kei Kaneda, a graduate of the Department of Performing Arts, said of Akiba, a fourth-year student in the same department, “She gives it her all (in acting) during both performances and rehearsals.” ■The cast’s first impressions of the work and their impressions of the Osaka University of Arts students When asked about their impressions after reading the completed script, Toda, who appears in “YUI,” said, “It’s a strange script with some strange characters, so I wondered what kind of movie it would be. It’s very eccentric, and there are some scenes that will get you high.” Nagano, also appearing in “YUI,” said, “It’s a very detailed portrayal of a family of four whose gears are no longer meshing. I thought it was really interesting.” Miura, who appears in all three films, reflected, “I thought all three were strange stories. As we filmed, I realized, ‘This is the kind of story it is.’ ‘MONOS’ was very punchy, and it was exciting to act in.” Akiba, who played Miura’s lover in “MONOS,” said, “I thought it was a typical Geidai script. Keiichi, the character I played, is comical, and there are very few similarities between me and him. It’s a role I love.” In addition, regarding working on set with the Osaka University of Arts students who were also on staff, Toda commented, “Everyone was very serious. It was refreshing to see the way the students looked at me when I was acting eccentrically.” Nagano commented, “I was surprised that the atmosphere was just as comfortable as the usual filming locations. The students’ eyes also sparkled, as they looked to the future.” Miura shared his impressions, saying, “Everyone worked so hard, it motivated me to do my best, and it was inspiring.” Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/44215/195/44215-195-c8676e04162b2b7aa0154e1402579e46-3900×2600.jpg On her way to Osaka University of Arts, one of the filming locations, Naho Toda laughs, “I went there by train, so I felt like a student again.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/44215/195/44215-195-d70ab8a9b7d57fb2d3aaaaf62be957c3-3900×2600.jpg Yusuke Akiba, who stars in “MONOS,” cited the interaction with his girlfriend, Rina Miura, as a highlight, saying, “Their dialogue is very natural.” ■The thoughts behind this film This marks the first time that a film completed through our university’s “Industry-Academia Collaborative Project” has been released nationwide. Akiba expressed his joy, saying, “I feel overjoyed. I wanted to spend these four years in a way that would leave a lasting impression on my life, so I’m incredibly happy that this has come true.” At the end of the stage greeting, Director Kumakiri said, “We were able to make this film with pure feelings. Please enjoy it.” Professor Kaneda replied, “There are many students in the Department of Performing Arts at Osaka University of Arts who make me say, ‘Wow.’ There are also many students who I think should reach out more to the world. This time we cast Akiba-kun, and I hope this will be a turning point.” He expressed his hopes for the students’ future efforts.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/44215/195/44215-195-4e69acf3dca58c09a9bffaf29bf4a52e-3900×2600.jpg Munenori Nagano introduced the highlights of the book, saying, “It’ll be fun to discover the connections between the three stories.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/44215/195/44215-195-041935412c4564521d59a9bb10f81193-3900×2600.jpg “I realized that even when you’re lost, your feelings can still connect in all sorts of ways,” said Rina Miura, commenting on the work. ■Event Overview ・Name: Screening event with stage greetings before the release of the film “The Meiso Family” Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 Venue: Theater Umeda Performers: Naho Toda, Munenori Nagano, Rina Miura Yusuke Akiba, fourth-year student in the Musical Course, Department of Performing Arts, Osaka University of Arts Professors Kazuyoshi Kumakiri and Kei Kaneda of the Department of Film and Media Studies, who directed the film, Saeka Bando ■Production Information ・Production Title: “The Meiso Family” ・Release
Information: Friday, August 29, 2025 at Human Trust Cinema Shibuya, Opening at Theater Umeda and other theaters nationwide ・Official Website: https://www.osaka-geidai.ac.jp/topics/meisoukazoku ・Official Ticket Information: “Major Family” Advance Ticket Sales Page (Card Tickets/Online Tickets) ●Major Mail Order (Card Tickets)
https://www.major-j.com/cinema_information.php?id=M45957003703 ●Movie Walker Store Online Shopping (Card Voucher)
https://store.moviewalker.jp/item/detail/1649/?ref=official ●Mubichike Online (Online Ticket)
https://ticket.moviewalker.jp/film/089360?from=official ・Theater information: https://eigakan.org/theaterpage/schedule.php?t=meisoukazoku ・Film Information: Cast “YUI”: Naho Toda, Munenori Nagano, Rina Miura, Yoshihito Takamura “MONOS”: Rina Miura, Yusuke Akiba “UMI”: Kanade Nishioka, Ryo Kimura Special appearance Maki Kubota, Tarjin, Tamayo Shimada, Marin, Saeka Bando, Mizuki Tanimura Director: Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (YUI & UMI), Kei Kaneda (MONOS) Screenplay: Hiromasa Mitamura (Meiso Family) for YUI, Sakagami (MONOS) Akima (MONOS), UMI: Ryotaro Koda (UMI) Screenplay: YUI: Suzuno Kikuta, MONOS: Fuuta Muraoka, UMI: Minami Nagase Director of Photography: Yasushi Sasakihara, Editor: Kazunobu Fujita, Music: Shoji Ikenaga (To Predestined Lovers) Executive Producer: Kunihiko Tsukamoto, Supervising Production: Mitsutoshi Tanaka, Executive Producer: Kazuya Hamana Sponsored by: Taisei Corporation and Nippon Densetsu Kogyo Co., Ltd. Planning: Department of Film and Television, Faculty of Arts, Osaka University of Arts; Production and Copyright: Osaka University of Arts; Distribution: Nikkatsu (C)︎Osaka University of Arts For more information about this release
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