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