Mothra

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The Way of the Sword Presents: Kaiju Summer, Vol. 4 !

Hosted by Ryan Ferguson and Aaron Allen!

Shipwreck survivors are found on Infant Island, which was presumed uninhabited due to Rolisican atomic tests. Investigating the case is reporter Zenichiro “Snapping Turtle” Fukuda and his photographer Michi. The castaways attribute their survival to a special juice created by the natives of the island which leads to a joint expedition of Rolisican and Japanese scientists. Fukuda stows away on the expedition, which is headed by linguist Shinichi Chujo and Clark Nelson, an exploitative Rolisican businessman. The group encounters two tiny twin girls that Fukuda dubs the Shobijin, who worship the island’s mythical deity named Mothra. After Nelson kidnaps the tiny fairies and begins to exploit them for profit, Mothra sets out on a journey to rescue them.

Presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

Schedule*:

7:00pm – Introduction to the film by hosts Ryan Ferguson and Aaron Allen

7:15pm – Film screening

8:45pm – Post-film presentation and discussion

9:30pm – Event concludes

*Times are approximate.

Ryan Ferguson

Ryan Ferguson is a film programmer and musician based in Hamilton, ON. He was the lead programmer of the AGH Film Festival between 2014 and 2021 and is the former Curator of Film at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Ryan currently programs the theatrical and special event film screenings at The Westdale. Japanese historical and contemporary cinema is Ryan’s primary area of interest, and ‘The Way of the Sword’ is part of a series of film programs he is developing to provide more exposure to the lesser seen corners of Japanese Cinema.

Aaron Allen

Aaron Allen is a lifelong fan of horror, exploitation, and cult genre film with a special love for Japanese giant monster movies. From 2012 to 2024, he was the director and lead programmer of the Hexploitation Film Festival in Hamilton, ON. Currently, he co-hosts The Way of the Sword’s annual Kaiju Summer programme.