Uplink

Uplink (有限会社アップリンク, UPLINK Company) is a Japanese film-related company founded in 1987 by Takashi Asai. It began as a small film distribution outfit operating out of an apartment in Kamiosaki, Shinagawa, and became known for distributing and screening international art-house and independent cinema that major Japanese chains would not handle. Its first distributed title was Derek Jarman's "The Angelic Conversation," shown at the Baus Theater in Kichijoji. Over the following decades Uplink expanded from distribution into exhibition, co-production, publishing and digital services. It opened its own mini-theater, UPLINK FACTORY, in Shibuya in 1995, and later operated venues including UPLINK X, UPLINK ROOM, UPLINK Shibuya (closed in 2021), UPLINK Kichijoji (opened 2018) and UPLINK Kyoto (opened 2020). The company also co-produced films such as "Bright Future" (Akarui Mirai), which was selected for the competition section of the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, and "Mongol," which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Beyond cinemas, Uplink runs a distribution business, film-rental and DCP production services, workshops on film distribution and digital moviemaking, a web magazine (webDICE), and streaming platforms including UPLINK Cloud (2016) and DICE+ (2022). Its headquarters moved to Kichijoji in 2021 after the closure of UPLINK Shibuya. The company has also faced significant controversy. In 2020, five former employees filed a power-harassment lawsuit against founder Takashi Asai and the company, alleging routine verbal abuse, unpaid overtime and other misconduct. A settlement was reached in October 2020, and the company announced measures including an external harassment hotline and a third-party committee. In 2021, reports emerged that Asai had sent anonymous defamatory emails impersonating others, further damaging the company's reputation.

Uplink was founded in 1987 by Takashi Asai, who had previously worked as a stage director for Shuji Terayama's Tenjo Sajiki theater troupe for about a decade until Terayama's death in 1983. After the troupe disbanded, Asai tried to start his own theater company, then worked in magazine production before entering the film industry. He established a film distribution company in a room of an apartment in Kamiosaki, Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its first distributed film was Derek Jarman's "The Angelic Conversation," screened at the Baus Theater in Kichijoji. In 1990, Asai was credited as a producer on Derek Jarman's "The Garden," which Uplink distributed in Japan. In 1993, the company published the book "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" and used the proceeds to move its office to the third floor of the Yokoyama Building on Fire Street in Jinnan, Shibuya. It participated in the production of Jarman's "Wittgenstein" and "Blue," and in December began publishing the bimonthly/monthly magazine "Dice" (骰子), covering film, music and art, which ran until March 2000. In October 1995, Uplink opened UPLINK FACTORY, a cafe-theater for screenings and events, on the fifth floor of the Yokoyama Building. In 2000, it co-produced the BBC film "Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon," which was officially selected for the Un Certain Regard section of the 51st Cannes Film Festival. Its produced film "I.K.U." was screened at over 20 film festivals worldwide starting with Sundance, and it co-produced "The Two Mermaids" (ふたりの人魚). In 2004, Uplink was a central producer of "Bright Future" (Akarui Mirai), officially selected for the competition section of the 56th Cannes Film Festival. It opened the UPLINK GALLERY in Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku, hosting exhibitions such as the Robert Mapplethorpe photography exhibition. On July 31, it opened the mini-theater UPLINK X in Shibuya. In 2005, it opened the micro cafe-theater UPLINK ROOM on the first floor of the Totsune Building in Udagawacho, Shibuya. In 2006, it consolidated three screens in Udagawacho, renewing the venue as a multi-purpose commercial building with theaters and restaurants. It produced films including "Kono Yoshinori Shintai Sōsajutsu" and "Strawberry Shortcakes." In 2007, Uplink held a 20th-anniversary screening event, the "Music Documentary Film Festival." In 2008, the film "Mongol," which it helped finance, was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 80th Academy Awards as a Kazakhstan entry. It also launched the cultural information site webDICE. In 2011, it released the documentary "Into Eternity" about radioactive waste disposal. In 2014, it produced the documentary "Iwaki Note," filmed by 11 University of Tsukuba students about survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake, screened nationwide. In 2016, Uplink launched the online cinema service UPLINK Cloud and invested in Alejandro Jodorowsky's "Endless Poetry," screened at the 69th Cannes Film Festival Directors' Fortnight. On December 14, 2018, it opened UPLINK Kichijoji in the basement of Kichijoji PARCO. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UPLINK Shibuya and UPLINK Kichijoji temporarily closed in April and reopened on June 1. UPLINK Kyoto opened on June 11, 2020, in the basement of Shin-Puhkan. On June 16, 2020, a power-harassment lawsuit was announced against president Asai. In 2021, UPLINK Kyoto was closed from January 8 to February 25 due to equipment trouble at Shin-Puhkan. UPLINK Shibuya closed on May 20, 2021, and the headquarters moved to Kichijoji during May. In November 2021, reports emerged that the president had sent anonymous defamatory emails. In 2022, partial online payment services resumed on March 24 after being suspended since December 29, 2021, and on April 1, the subscription platform DICE+ was launched.

• 2022

  Launched DICE+ subscription platform on April 1.

• 2021

  UPLINK Shibuya closed May 20; headquarters moved to Kichijoji; anonymous defamatory emails reported in November.

• 2020

  Opened UPLINK Kyoto on June 11; power-harassment lawsuit announced June 16; settlement reached October 30.

• 2018

  Opened UPLINK Kichijoji on December 14.

• 2016

  Launched UPLINK Cloud streaming service; invested in "Endless Poetry."

• 2014

  Produced documentary "Iwaki Note."

• 2011

  Released documentary "Into Eternity."

• 2008

  "Mongol" nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; launched webDICE.

• 2007

  Held 20th-anniversary Music Documentary Film Festival.

• 2006

  Consolidated three screens in Udagawacho into a multi-purpose commercial building.

• 2005

  Opened UPLINK ROOM micro cafe-theater in Shibuya.

• 2004

  "Bright Future" selected for Cannes competition; opened UPLINK X and UPLINK GALLERY.

• 2000

  Co-produced "Love Is the Devil," selected for Cannes Un Certain Regard.

• 1995

  Opened UPLINK FACTORY cafe-theater in Shibuya.

• 1993

  Moved office to Shibuya; began publishing magazine "Dice" (骰子).

• 1990

  Asai credited as producer on Derek Jarman's "The Garden," distributed in Japan.

• 1987

  Founded as a film distribution company in Kamiosaki, Shinagawa, Tokyo.

Independent art-house film distributor and mini-theater operator specializing in international and independent cinema not handled by major Japanese chains.

• UPLINK FACTORY

  Cafe-theater opened in Shibuya in 1995.

• UPLINK X

  Mini-theater opened in Shibuya in 2004.

• UPLINK ROOM

  Micro cafe-theater opened in Shibuya in 2005.

• UPLINK Kichijoji

  Five-screen cinema opened in Kichijoji PARCO in 2018.

• UPLINK Kyoto

  Four-screen cinema opened in Shin-Puhkan in 2020.

• UPLINK Cloud

  Online cinema service launched in 2016.

• DICE+

  Subscription platform for magazine and video streaming launched in 2022.

• webDICE

  Cultural information website successor to the magazine "Dice."

• Power-harassment lawsuit

• Anonymous defamatory emails

Read more

• Settlement measuresOther

• Closure of UPLINK ShibuyaOther

• 2022.02.18

  Reported2022.02.18

  FlourishingAI launches upLink[4]FlourishingAI推出upLinkprnewswire.com

  FlourishingAI launched upLink, a portal for access to DeFi trading that supports purchasing BNB on BNB Chain and moving into a managed FlourishingAI crypto portfolio or other exchanges.

Read more

1. 1UPLINK official websiteuplink.co.jp
2. 2アップリンク (映画会社) - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
3. 3Uplink - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4FlourishingAI推出upLinkprnewswire.com