FORERUNNER FILMS

A successful young Syrian-American doctor, Hanan, who returns to New York from Syria, where she suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her face blind. Now, unable to recognize the faces of even those closest to her, Hanan’s world has been turned upside down.

directed by Anthony Grippa

produced by Newbold Harbor Entertainment

produced by Justin Ambrosino

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS and AWARDS:

Pyeongchang International Peace Film Festival (Olympic Stadium, South Korea)

Bermuda International Film Festival (International Premiere) SEMI-FINALIST

Fresco International Film Festival (Yerevan, Armenia) WINNER

World of Women Film Festival (Dubai, UAE) SHORTLISTED

Rhode Island International Film Festival FINALIST

Panavision Young Filmmakers Grant WINNER

The Bermuda Arts Council Grant WINNER

LA Shorts Fest NOMINATED Best Drama

New York No Limits Film Series

Festival Signes de Nuit (Paris)

Newport Beach Film Festival

Shorts on Tap (BFI, London)

Woods Hole Film Festival

Annapolis Film Festival

Ojai Film Festival

It’s 1953 and Japan’s most ambitious film director is about to begin production on a big budget samurai epic. With a little persistence and a stroke of good luck, a small time actor, Nanshu, gets the chance of a lifetime: a lead role as one of the eight samurai. But little does he know that the director is having doubts and there is only one thing that Nanshu did not prepare for - being fired.

directed & executive produced by Justin Ambrosino

SCREENINGS:

JAPAN SOCIETY FILM FESTIVAL- Boston, 2015

AKIRA KUROSAWA 100TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR– World Tour, 2010

CONSUL GENERAL OF JAPAN- Los Angeles, 2009

JAPAN CINEFEST- New York, 2012

CAMERA JAPAN FESTIVAL – Rotterdam, 2010

RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL- London, 2009

KOREAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL- New York, 2010

OSAKA ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL – Japan, 2016

SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL- California, 2009

ARIZONA UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL- Arizona, 2010

HONOLULU FILM AWARDS- Hawaii, 2010

WORLD OF COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL- Canada, 2009

DENVER FILM FESTIVAL – Colorado, 2009

CHARLESTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL- South Carolina, 2009

LA ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL- Los Angeles Asian, 2009

GEORGE LINDSEY UNA FILM FESTIVAL- Alabama, 2009

STATEN ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL- New York, 2009

DETROIT INTENATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – Michigan, 2009

VIDEO FESTIVAL IMPERIA- Italy, 2009

GOLD LION FILM FESTIVAL- Africa, 2009

BIG MUDDY FILM FESTIVAL- Illinois, 2009

NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL- California, 2009

NEW BEIJING INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL- China, 2009

BOSTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL- Massachusetts, 2009

FUKUOKA ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL- Japan, 2009

SEATTLE TRUE INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL- Seattle, 2009

MANNLEU INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL- Spain, 2009

SACREMENTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL- California, 2009

RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL- Rhode Island, 2009

ANGELUS STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL- Los Angeles, 2009

SHOW OFF YOUR SHORTS FESTIVAL- Los Angeles, 2009

SAPPORO SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL- Japan, 2009

Do you remember the first time you tried a foreign dish? How old were you? Did you like it or hate it? Or discover something new about yourself? Maybe the older you became the more your preferred your own cuisine or because of that first bite, you’re on a life-long adventure to try every dish in the world. With OMAKASE FOR KIDS, diverse children from all over the world who never had authentic Japanese food and give them their first taste of what lies far across the ocean.

directed by Justin Ambrosino

produced by Forerunner Films

released on Viddsee

In the late 1800s, Chiyo Naito, trained as a samurai by her late father, immigrates with her widowed mother and siblings from Japan to New York, in search of a better life… but she finds racism and violence instead.

directed by Justin Ambrosino

produced byY.K. Well Enterprises & Forerunner Films

SCREENINGS:

TWIN CITIES FILM FESTIVAL - Minnesota, 2019

HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL - Los Angeles, 2019

FARCUME FARO FILM FESTIVAL - Portugal, 2018

KADOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - Japan, 2018

MOVIEVALLEY BAZZACINEMA FILM FESTIVAL - Italy, 2018

LA SHORTS FESTIVAL - Los Angeles, 2018

SHADED VIEW ON FASHION FILM FESTIVAL- France, 2018

NY SHORTS FESTIVAL - New York, 2018

ACTION ON FILM FESTIVAL - Las Vegas, 2018

NY JAPAN CINEFEST - New York, 2018

ARTEMIS WOMEN IN ACTION FILM FESTIVAL - Los Angeles, 2018

A blue-winged magpie sours through the sky and hits a high-tension wire, falling into an abandoned New York alleyway. A down-and-out musician finds the broken-winged bird, who has now transformed into a woman, and nurses her to health. But once the woman realizes she is really bird… suddenly she feels trapped. Even though the broken-hearted musician tries his best to keep her in his cage, he knows she is bond for flight.

directed by Justin Ambrosino

produced by Forerunner Films

Two down-and-out foodies meet for the first time and embark on an all night dining adventure through Sapporo… in search of self-acceptance and love.

directed by Justin Ambrosino

produced by Forerunner Films

SCREENINGS:

PBS ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL - Worldwide, 2018

KAOHSIUNG FILM FESTIVAL – Southern Taiwan, 2016

TOKUSHIMA INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL – Japan, 2016

THE MIX PLACE- Shanghai, 2016

SHANGHAI HENGSHAN CINEMA- Shanghai, 2016

SHANGHAI WEST BUND ART SPACE- Shanghai, 2016

SHANGHAI HIMALAYAS MUSEUM- Shanghai, 2016

POWER STATION OF ART- Shanghai, 2016

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SCREENING- Boston, 2016

SOCIALLY RELEVANT FILM FESTIVAL- New York, 2016

SHADED VIEW ON FASHION FILM FESTIVAL- Paris, 2015

INDIEWORKS FILM FESTIVAL – New York, 2015

SAPPORO SHORTS FESTIVAL- Japan, 2015

NEW YORK FOOD FILM FESTIVAL- New York, 2015

WRITTEN by JUSTIN AMBROSINO

A farmer mistakenly knocks a samurai’s katana, disrespecting his honor in the process, and is sentenced to a death duel. With a week to train, the farmer must learn to fight, but more importantly find the extraordinary courage within to face the fact that death is coming for him whether he is ready or not.

I wrote this script for the KYOTO FILMMAKER’S LAB, in the TOEI TEAM. The challenge here was to write a 3 page story, consisting of 3 characters, in one location. With these limited means, I decided to go against the grain and make the most epic story possible - basically I wanted to write the hero’s journey (or simply put, STAR WARS) in three pages.

In order to write something that was both culturally specific and universal, I studied Japanese folklore to see if any of the ancient stories could be a good basis for this ambitious writing challenge. When I found the tale “The Farmer and the Samurai”, I knew I was onto something. After a little tweak here and there, to fulfill all the KFL guidelines, it became a perfect fit.

The Kyoto Filmmakers Lab is a wonderful program that aims to provide an international networking place for young filmmakers, where they receive guidance from leading directors and professionals working in Kyoto’s rich filmmaking heritage. In the twelve-year history of Kyoto Filmmakers Lab, there has been a total of 287 participants from 49 countries.

GEROU was filmed by DP Lukas Milota with a CANON DSLR over the course of 2 days at TOEI STUDIOS, Kyoto, Japan.

directed by Justin Ambrosino

produced by Forerunner Films

SCREENINGS:

I.F.P. Buzz Cuts Series

directed by Justin Ambrosino

Screenings:

2003 New York Independent Film & Video Festival.

NORTH AMERICA:

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: SAMURAI TOPS LA SHORTS FEST

ASIAN CINE FEST: FIRST SAMURAI REVIEW

PBS: ‘BEHIND THE LENS’ HUNGRY FOR LOVE Q&A

MSN: THE 8TH EDITION OF THE FASHION FILM FESTIVAL

GETTY IMAGES: JUSTIN AMBROSINO @ SUNDANCE

FILM THREAT: FIRST SAMURAI REVIEW

ASIAN CINE FEST: 8TH SAMURAI REVIEW

IONCINEMA: 8TH SAMURAI REVIEW

IONCINEMA: AMBROSINO TAKES LA SHORTS

IONCINEMA: STREET KID

IITALY.ORG: 8TH SAMURAI ELIGIBLE FOR OSCAR

SILIVE: FIRST SAMURAI FILMING

EUROPE:

AKIRA KUROSAWA INFO: FIRST SAMURAI REVIEW

AKIRA KUROSAWA INFO: THE 8TH SAMURAI REVIEW

KALTBLUT MAGAZINE: ASVOFF WINNERS

HUNGER TV: HUNGRY FOR LOVE INTERVIEW

JAPAN:

YOOSEKU: 8TH SAMURAI REVIEW

CINEMA REPORT: 8TH SAMURAI REVIEW

FELLINI AWARD BEST DIRECTOR: MOVIEVALLEY BAZZACINEMA FESTIVAL

"The director narrates this drama with artistry, utilizing a style and technique capable of making us empathize with the psychological dynamics of every sequence. The film reminds us of Greek tragedies, with the addition of the theme of preserving the story of the family and the roots. The film also deals with the drama of having to migrate to another country, racism, relationships among different generations, the limits of self-defense, while creating a reflection about violence. The Fellini prize for best directing goes to Justin Ambrosino for "The First Samurai in New York"

FINALIST: PBS ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL

GRAND PRIX: SHADED VIEW ON FASHION FILM FESTIVAL

BEST HOKKAIDO SHORT: SAPPORO SHORTS FESTIVAL

BEST OF FEST: L.A. SHORTS FESTIVAL

BEST STUDENT DIRECTOR: SAPPORO SHORTS FESTIVAL

SPECIAL JURY AWARD: SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

BEST DIRECTOR: STATEN ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT: DETROIT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

SPECIAL PRIZE: JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL

BEST SHORT FILM: SEATTLE TRUE INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

AUDIENCE AWARD: BIG MUDDY FILM FESTIVAL

BEST DIRECTOR: SHOW OFF SHORTS FESTIVAL

BEST STUDENT FILM: SHOW OFF YOUR SHORTS FESTIVAL

GOLDEN KAHUNA AWARD: HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

BEST FIGHT WITH WEAPONS: ARTEMIS ‘WOMEN IN ACTION’ FILM FESTIVAL

FINALIST: OAXACA FILM FESTIVAL GLOBAL SCRIPT CHALLENGE: DRAMA SECTION