Director Ishii Yuya’s movie ‘Vancouver no Asahi’, a dramatic retelling of the storied pre-Second World War team of Japanese-Canadian baseball players, will hold its world premiere at the 33rd Vancouver International Film Festival. The festival kicks off on September 25. Actor Tsumabuki Satoshi is thrilled that the movie will be screened with the best in the world in Vancouver, which is also the set for the movie. He also added “I want locals to feel the pride that the Asahi army has.”

The movie will be formally exhibited at the festival’s Special Presentation Gala. Director Ishii Yuya, Tsumabuki Satoshi, and Kamenashi Kazuya will be attending its red carpet premiere.

Full trailer was also released. One of the highlights of the movie is the recreation of the pre- World War II setting in Canada.

VIFF has posted the screening schedules of the movie and summarizes the film as follows:

Back in the 1930s, in Vancouver’s old Japantown, a group of Canadian-born kids launched their own baseball team, the Asahi. Ishii’s lavish-scale entertainment chronicles their battles against failure, racism and prejudice—and the brief moment of triumph they enjoyed before Pearl Harbor changed everything. An epic tale, rich in humour and humanity.

View the trailer below or through the movie’s official website.

The cast for the Asahi team is led by Tsumabuki Satoshi who will play a second-generation Japanese immigrant named Reggie Kasahara who works at a sawmill and plays shortstop for the team. Kamenashi Kazuya will play as the team’s ace pitcher Roy Naganishi, Katsuji Ryo as second baseman Kei Kitamoto, Kamiji Yusuke as catcher Tom Miyake, and Sosuke Ikematsu as third baseman Frank Nojima.

Other cast include Mitsuki Takahata who will play as Reiji’s (Tsumabuki) younger sister, Miyazaki Aoi who will play a teacher named Sasaya Toyoko and Kanjiya Shiori as Betty Miyake, Tom’s (Kamiji) wife.

“Vancouver no Asahi” will be released in Japan on December 20.

(via Eiga)