tears teacher

SYNOPSIS

Hidefumi Yoshida is a tears teacher. He travels all over Japan to help people weep.

A firm believer that weekly crying promotes healthier living, he’s made it his mission to make more people weep. Running workshops all over Japan extolling the benefits of vulnerability and tear-jerking films, books and music, he makes a convincing argument for welling up as wellness.

‘Tears Teacher’ is streaming on The New York Times as part of their Op-Docs series. Watch it here.

It was selected by Genera Films and is one of 3 projects to receive funding for distribution.

FESTIVALS:

Sundance / US Watch here

Hot Docs / Canada Program here

OFF Odense International Film Festival / Denmark Program here

Hot Springs Documentary (US), European Indie Film Festival (France), Oxford Film Festival (US - honorable mention), Tallgrass Film Festival (US), Festival Mental (Portugal), Chagrin Documentary Festival (US), Exit 6 (UK), Bolton Film Festival (UK), BendFilm Festival (US), SCAD Savannah Film Festival (US), Mental Filmness (US), Japan Connects Hollywood (US), Blue Danube Film Festival (Austria, Hungary), Hamilton Film Festival (US), Phoenix Monthly Short Film Festival (US), Brussels Independent Film Festival (Belgium), Crystal Palace International Film Festival (UK), Thunderdance VI (UK), Portland International Film Festival (US), Short Film Breaks (Romania - winner of the Silver Elephant for Best documentary), Northwest Film Center & Portland Art Museum (US), Ghent Viewpoint Documentary Film Festival (Belgium), San Diego International ShortsFest (US), Georgetown University Film Festival (US), Austin Asian American Film Festival (US), Nòt Film Fest (Italy), Atlanta Shortsfest (US - winner of Best short documentary), XVII Panorama Internacional Coisa de Cinema (Brazil), Dublin Independent Film Festival (Ireland), Fairfield film festival (US), Pigdon Street International Film Festival (Australia), Youth Bangla International Film Festival (Bangladesh), Blow-Up Arthouse Filmfest (US), Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival (Australia)…

AWARDS

Dublin Independent Film Festival - winner Best short documentary 

Salute Your Shorts Festival - winner Best documentary 

Short film breaks - Silver Elephant Best documentary film

Atlanta Shortsfest - Best documentary short

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival - finalist

Blow-Up Chicago International Arthouse Film Awards - finalist

Oxford Film Festival 2021 - Honourable mention

Close:Up Edinburgh Docufest - semi-finalist

Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival - semi-finalist

PRESS:

New York Times Op-Docs: streaming here

Fern TV: article here

Film for Thought: review here

Thrillist: article here

National Post: mention here

Women and Hollywood: mention here

CAST & CREW:

with Hidefumi Yoshida

Cinematography: Shen Lin

Editing: Macarena De Oto

Music: Kyo Acerbis Kitayama

Sound: Jason Pinches

Color: Naoshi Ishida

Senior series producer: Lindsay Crouse

Supervising editors: Regina Sobel, Andrew Blackwell

Associate producer: Yvonne Ashley Kouadjo

Executive producer: Adam Ellick

Additional support: Genera Films