Fantasy Drama ‘River Returns’ Picked Up by EST N8 Ahead of AFM Debut, Gijon Competition

U.S. and Thailand-based EST N8 has picked up the international rights to Japanese fantasy drama “River Returns.”

The film which explores the intersection of tradition, nature, and a young boy’s bravery in the face of impending disaster will be given its market debut at the American Film Market this week before heading to a world premiere in competition at the Gijon International Film Festival in Spain later this month.

Directed by Kaneko Masakazu, “River Returns” unfolds in 1958 and follows Yucha, a boy who lives in a small mountain village constantly threatened by typhoons. As a deadly storm approaches, Yucha learns of a sorrowful spirit, Oyo, whose grief has been causing devastating floods for hundreds of years. The young boy embarks on a perilous journey deep into the mountains to confront the spirit and prevent the destruction of his village. Along the way, Yucha must return a wooden bowl filled with the village’s water to the exact spot where Oyo drowned, all while battling the forces of nature and time.

The cast of “River Returns” includes Hanamura Asuka, recently seen in Netflix’s “City Hunter” as Oyo, the sorrowful spirit haunting the mountains. Sanetoshi Ariyama, 8 years old at the time of his appearance, is an experienced child actor who stars as Yucha. Rounding out the cast is Aoi Yo, known for his roles in “Sin Clock” (2023) and “High & Low: The Worst” (2019).

Kaneko is an acclaimed Japanese filmmaker known for telling deeply human stories intertwined with nature. He studied under director Zeze Takahisa and debuted with “The Albino’s Trees” in 2016. His second feature, “Ring Wandering” in 2021, won the Golden Peacock Award at the International Film Festival of India, a special mention in Ecumenical Jury Award at the Warsaw International Film Festival (WFF), and best screenplay at the Durban International Film Festival. “River Returns” is his third feature.

“Kaneko’s ability to weave folklore with deeply human themes is exceptional. This story of a young boy confronting nature to save his village is both poignant and universal. We’re eager to bring this beautiful piece of Japanese storytelling to global audiences,” said Jaeson Ma, chairman of EST Studios.

EST N8 was formed EST Studios and N8. EST Studios was launched in 2022 by Jaeson Ma and Eric Tu. It represents Asian content across multiple genres and seeks an annual slate of 15 projects that it can finance, produce and represent. Thailand-based, N8 was founded by Kris Eiamsakulrat and Rachel Wu. Last year N8 formed a partnership with leading Thai studio GDH559, to co-produce a slate of Thai thriller and horror films aimed at the global audience.