Tulsa, OK (PRWEB) September 08, 2014
Acclaimed Oklahoma filmmakers James Payne (director/producer) and Matt Leach (producer) have produced such works as Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo (HBO), This May Be the Last Time (Sundance Channel) and Winnebago Man (Kino International). Their new documentary Far Western has one week remaining on a Kickstarter campaign raising funds to complete filming in Japan this fall.
Far Western is the feature documentary film that tells the story of the transplant and wild success of American country music in Japan immediately following WWII. Nearly 70 years later, for a dedicated group of musicians, fans and bar owners the music has become a lifelong obsession. It’s a story about the uncanny ability of music to transcend boundaries and take root in the most unlikely places. This character-driven film, set in music festivals and honky-tonks of modern Japan and the American south, tells this lost chapter of music history.
Charlie Nagatani, one of the film’s main characters, is the founder of the Country Gold International Country Music Festival in Kumamoto, Japan. He has performed country music for over 60 years and has taken on the mantle of Japan’s ambassador of country music. His lifelong passion has taken him to the Clinton White House, made him an honorary Colonel in Kentucky, and found him playing the country music mainstay The Grand Ole Opry over 20 years in a row. “Country Music is most of my body inside. Without this I can’t live on,” Nagatani said.
Over 3 years in the making, Far Western is nearing completion. Filming from Tokyo, Yokohama, Kumamoto to Austin, TX, Guthrie, OK and Nashville, TN, the film will open the door to a fantastic untold chapter of popular music with captivating personal stories.
The Kickstarter campaign is offering rewards varying from copies of the completed film, to live recordings from Tokyo honky-tonkys and hand made western leather wallets, belt buckles and Ipad cases.
For more information and to support the film visit the:
Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1647613452/far-western
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farwesternmovie
Twitter @farwesternmovie