EST N8, based in the United States and Thailand, has acquired international rights to the Japanese fantasy drama “River Returns.”
The film, which depicts the intersection of tradition, nature, and a young boy’s courage in the face of impending disaster, will premiere this week at the American Film Market, followed by its world premiere in competition at the Gijón International Film Festival. Spain at the end of this month.
Directed by Masakazu Kaneko, River Returns takes place in 1958 and tells the story of Yucha, a boy who lives in a small mountain village that is constantly threatened by typhoons. As a terrifying storm approaches, Yucha learns of Oyo, a spirit of sorrow whose sorrow has caused devastating floods for hundreds of years. A boy embarks on a dangerous journey deep into the mountains to confront the spirits and prevent the destruction of his village. Along the way, Yucha must return a wooden bowl filled with village water to the exact spot where Oyo drowned, while battling the forces of nature and time.
The cast of “River Returns” also includes Asuka Hanamura, who recently appeared in Netflix’s “City Hunter” as Oyo, a sad ghost haunting a mountain. The role of Yucha is played by Sanetoshi Ariyama, who was 8 years old at the time of his appearance. Rounding out the cast is Yo Aoi, known for her roles in A Clock of Sin (2023) and High & Low: The Worst (2019).
Director Kaneko is an acclaimed Japanese filmmaker known for telling deeply human stories intertwined with nature. Studied under director Takahisa Zeze and made his debut in 2016 with “The Albino Tree”. His second feature film “Ring Wandering” in 2021 won the Indian International Film Festival’s Golden Peacock Award and the Ecumenical Jury Award Special Award. Winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the Warsaw International Film Festival (WFF) and the Durban International Film Festival. “River Returns” is his third full-length film.
“Kaneko’s ability to weave folk tales with deeply human themes is extraordinary. This story of a boy who braves nature to save his village is as universal as it is moving. We hope to bring this story to audiences around the world,” said Jason Ma, Chairman of EST Studios.
EST N8 was formed as EST Studio and N8. EST Studios was founded in 2022 by Jaeson Ma and Eric Tu. The company represents Asian content across multiple genres and aims to fund, produce and represent 15 projects a year. Based in Thailand, N8 was founded by Kris Eiamsakulrat and Rachel Wu. Last year, N8 partnered with leading Thai studio GDH559 to co-produce Thai thriller and horror films for a global audience.
