It was revealed on February 2nd that actor Yamashita Rio will be starring in the horror film "Iai" (directed by Sakai Zenzo, to be released in June). Planned and produced by TV Tokyo's Omori Tokio, who teamed up with director Sakai, the film is a fresh interpretation of fear and curses. It has already premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in the Netherlands and will be screened at various international film festivals, including the Porto International Film Festival in Portugal. A 30-second teaser video and international poster visual have also been released.
After her father's death, Fujii Kana (Yamashita) returns to her parents' home and begins caring for her mother. She devotes herself to caring for her mother as if to recapture the time she spent with her mother, but gradually begins to feel uneasy about the strange happenings happening around them. Are Kana and her mother cursed? Or have they cursed something? What should be a loving and caring caregiving relationship gradually becomes mixed with a sense of unease and discomfort, and the two are consumed by an extraordinary fear.
Yamashita, who plays the main character Kana, gained attention for her performance in "Yukiko aka," a hit that ran for about a year in single theaters in 2025. In this film, she embodies the character who becomes tormented by paranoid fear while caring for her mother, as if literally "possessed."
Director Sakai won the SKIP CITY Award for the first time for a short film at the SKIP CITY International D-Cinema Festival for his film "The Counselor" (2021). The film has gained cult popularity and been released in theaters nationwide, attracting the attention of director Kurosawa Kiyoshi. Omori is a promising young producer who has worked beyond the boundaries of television, producing the fake documentary series "TXQ FICTION" (TV Tokyo), including "Looking for the Japanese Snapper" and "UFO Mountain," as well as exhibition events such as "Missing Exhibition" and "Fearful Heart Exhibition." This will be his first theatrical film.
Director Sakai and Omori have previously teamed up on such works as "Do You Have This Tape?" (2022, BS TV Tokyo) and "SIX HACK" (2023, TV Tokyo). In 2024, the BL drama "Fictional," which was distributed on a video platform, became a hot topic on social media and was released in limited theaters in Tokyo.
Comments from Director Sakai, Omori, Yamashita, and others are as follows:
◇Comment from Director Zenzo Sakai
Do curses really exist? Are there otherworldly things? I don't know. However, this film will never curse the audience, so please watch it with peace of mind. I am honored to be able to present this film together with the talented staff and cast.
◇Comment from Tokio Omori, project producer
I don't believe in curses, but there are many times when I think it would be advantageous to believe in them. I'm very happy that "Iai" will take flight in Rotterdam and around the world.
◇Comment from lead actress Rio Yamashita
When I read the script, I wanted more than anyone to see this work made into a film. Embodying the scenery inside the head of the genius director Sakai was more difficult than grasping a cloud, but I was happy to spend time working with the wonderful staff to create it as a real space. Is this love or a curse? It sounds like a grand theme, but I think it has turned out to be a genre-less film that can be viewed from multiple angles. I can't wait to see everyone's reactions.
◇ Comment from producer Kotaro Fujiyama
I made this film with the hope that it would be enjoyed not only in Japan but around the world. I am fortunate enough to be able to screen it at film festivals such as Rotterdam and Porto, where so many masterpieces have been produced, and for that I am truly grateful. I hope that it reaches as many people as possible. Please enjoy it at the theater.
Please look forward to this modern horror film told from a new perspective.
