Art Theatre Guild
| Company type | Film production, film distribution |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film studio |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
The Art Theatre Guild (ATG) was a Japanese film production and distribution company which started in 1961, releasing mostly Japanese New Wave and art films.[1][2] The programming was complemented by a print magazine called Art Theatre containing articles, summaries, and film criticism.[3] From the late 1960s to the mid 1980s, it also often acted as producer.[1][2] In 2018, ATG merged with its parent company Toho.[4][5][6]
History
ATG began as a distributor for foreign art films in Japan,[2] with the Toho studio being its main financier and one of its initiators.[1] By 1967, ATG was assisting with production costs for a number of new Japanese films.[2] Some of the early films released by ATG include Shōhei Imamura's A Man Vanishes (1967), Nagisa Oshima's Diary Of A Shinjuku Thief (1968) and Death by Hanging (1968), Toshio Matsumoto's Funeral Parade of Roses (1969), and Akio Jissoji's Mujo (1970).[2][7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Domenig, Roland (28 June 2004). "The Anticipation of Freedom: Art Theatre Guild and Japanese Independent Cinema". Midnight Eye. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Berra, John (2010). Directory of World Cinema: Japan. Intellect. p. 8. ISBN 9781841503356.
- ^ Masuda, Miki (12 May 2015). "The Dawn of Art Films in Japan, Art Theatre Guild (ATG): Ushering in Innovative Forms". Columbia University Libraries. Archived from the original on 18 March 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ "東宝、日本アートシアターギルド吸収合併へ (Toho to merge with Japan Art Theater Guild)". Bunka Tsushin (in Japanese). 26 September 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ Official Toho press release of the merging with ATG.
- ^ "（株）日本アート・シアター・ギルド（ATG）吸収合併のお知らせ (Notice of Merger with Japan Art Theater Guild (ATG) )". JPubb (in Japanese). 25 September 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ Standish, Isolde (2005). A New History of Japanese Cinema. New York: Continuum. ISBN 9780826417091.
Further reading
- Domenig, Roland; Stern, Michael (trans.); Maffre, Frédéric (trans.); Vieillot, Martin (trans.). "Cinéma indépendant & Art Theatre Guild" (in French). EigaGoGo!. Retrieved 6 June 2006. (orig. English article from Minikoni (N°70))
- Mes, Thomas (28 June 2004). "Art Theatre Guild: Unabhängiges Japanisches Kino 1962-1984 (Book Review)". Midnight Eye. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
- Alekseyeva, Julia (22 November 2021). "'Self-revolutions of everyday life': the politics of ATG". The Sixties: 1–18. doi:10.1080/17541328.2021.1996793. ISSN 1754-1328 – via Taylor & Francis.