2002 Great Lakes Independent Film Festival

Ocha Cups for Christmas

Category: Narrative Short  29min 45sec
Director: Michael Fimognari

Ocha Cups for Christmas tells the story of Karen, an American high school student who has left the U.S. for all the wrong reasons to study abroad in Japan .  Frustrated with her average Japanese language skills and disturbed by the new cultural norms, Karen desperately seeks companionship but cannot seem to find it. Karen’s Japanese schoolmates are kind, but they see her either as a threat or an amusement.  Her overbearing host family means well, but Karen can’t see eye to eye with them.  Overcome by the loneliness, Karen gives into her growing frustrations by beginning a habit of desperation: stealing her host family’s precious tea-cups. Karen finds hope in pursuing a flirtatious relationship with the one person with whom she has something in common: her Japanese-English teacher Mr. Tomori.  However, when their connection leads to a forbidden affair outside the school, Karen is forced to hide yet another secret that could either temporarily rescue or permanently ruin her stay.

Principal Cast:
Emily Harrison  ("Food for Thought", "Puppet Master VI")
Tohoru Masamune  ("Chicago Hope", "The Practice", "Mad About You")
Takayo Fischer  ("ER", "Batman Beyond", "Beverly Hills 90210")
Toshi Toda  ("Pearl Harbor", "Godzilla", "Menace II Society")
Kei Ogawa
Noriko Iwasaki

Director: Michael Fimognari
Michael Fimognari, a Pennsylvania native, directed Ocha Cups for Christmas as part of his Masters study at the USC School of Cinema. With numerous independent and student films to his credit, Michael has also established himself as a talented cinematographer, and he was recently awarded an honorable commendation from the American Society of Cinematographers. Michael lives in Los Angeles and is currently preparing his first feature film and second collaboration with Ocha Cups writer Jordan McMullin.