Legendary Pictures will be presented with the Japan Cool Content Contribution (J3C) Award for producing for “Godzilla” (2014) from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Consulate General of Japan, Los Angeles.
The second annual Japan Cool Content Contribution Awards Ceremony will be held on Sept. 13 at the consul general’s official residence in Los Angeles.
The J3C Awards honor Hollywood creators for their use of Japanese content. “Godzilla” producer and Legendary Entertainment’s executive vice president of production, Alex Garcia, will accept the award on Legendary Picture’s behalf.
Garcia will join “Edge of Tomorrow” director Doug Liman, who is being honored with the J3C Award for directing, at the ceremony. For the first time, the J3C Awards will be held in conjunction with the LA EigaFest (Japan Film Festival). The fourth annual LA EigaFest, presented by the Japan Film Society, will be held Sept. 12-14 at the Egyptian Theater.
One of the most distinguishable symbols of Japanese pop culture, Godzilla is celebrating its 60th anniversary, having made its onscreen debut in 1954. Legendary Pictures’ 2014 adaptation, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Aaron Taylor Johnson, Bryan Cranston, and Ken Watanabe, was met with critical and commercial success, grossing more than $500 million at the worldwide box office. In honor of Godzilla’s 60th anniversary, LA EigaFest 2014 will hold a special screening of the original “Godzilla.”
Last year’s J3C honorees were “Pacific Rim” director Guillermo Del Toro, “Heroes” creator Tim Kring, “Spirited Away” producer John Lasseter, “Transformers” producer Don Murphy, and “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” producer Vicki Shigekuni Wong.
The J3C Awards, part of the Japanese government’s “Cool Japan” initiative, is an opportunity to support the needs of co-production or development of Japanese content in Hollywood. The initiative seeks to globalize Japan’s creative business exportation and expand the country’s entertainment content opportunities in Hollywood.
Prior to the awards ceremony, the organizing sponsors will provide a networking reception opportunity for Japanese entertainment companies who are already aggressively entering the Hollywood market with their American counterparts. Attendees at this year’s award ceremony will include prominent Japanese government officials who are in charge of content policy, Japanese entertainment companies, and U.S. entertainment industry representatives.