Klockworx

Overview

Klockworx (formally THE KLOCKWORX Co., Ltd.) is a Tokyo-based independent film distribution and production company founded on January 24, 1997. The company is headquartered at No. 5 TOC Building 9F, 7-21-1 Nishigotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. Capital stands at 100,000,000 yen. President and CEO Itaru Fujimoto leads the company with 36 employees. Directors include Tetsu Negami (who also heads TV department acquisitions), Tsuneo Takechi, and Kanako Koido.

The company releases international and Japanese films theatrically in Japan, with programming strength across South Korean cinema, European arthouse, American independent productions, and anime. Klockworx also produces anime television series and merchandise, making it a hybrid distributor-production company. Unifrance lists 68 titles in the company's filmography as foreign distributor. The company's business spans film distribution, DVD release and sales, film rights import, film-related merchandise import and sales, and planning and production of film and animation.

Klockworx occupies a commercially oriented position within Japan's specialty distribution sector. The company prioritizes films with genuine crossover potential: accessible enough to attract the broader arthouse audience while offering the quality and distinction that cinephile audiences seek. Recent 2025 releases included Blonde (Andrew Dominik), Die My Love (Lynne Ramsay), My Daughter Is a Zombie, The Shadow's Edge, and Dream Animals: The Movie. The company also handled the Japanese release of I'm Still Here (2025 Academy Award winner for Best International Feature Film) and The Secret Agent (2026 Oscar contender).

2026 Release Slate

Klockworx's 2026 theatrical lineup demonstrates the company's programming range:

• Working Man (January 2)
• Outlaws (January 23)
• The Black Nun (January 30, Korean horror, Japan-Korea cultural collaboration)
• Requiem for a Dream 4K Remaster (February 6)
• Shrine: Devil's Whisper (February 6, horror film starring JAEJOONG, directed by Kumashiri Kazuyoshi, screened at the 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival)
• Alienoid Part 1 (February 13, Korean sci-fi)
• Alienoid Part 2 (February 27)
• The Crow (March 6)
• 90 Meters (March 27)

Additional 2026 titles with release dates to be confirmed include Alpha, Death Stalker, Die My Love, Dirty Angels, First Ride, Frankie Freako, High Five, The Long Walk, and The Woman in the White Car.

The company is also expanding into anime production with television series including The Holy Grail of Eris (2026), The Case Book of Arne (2026), Wash It All Away (2026), Pass the Monster Meat, Milady! (2025), and With You and the Rain (2025).

Korean Cinema Focus

South Korean cinema has been one of the strongest-performing international categories in the Japanese arthouse market, driven by sustained Korean cultural popularity in Japan (the Hallyu or Korean Wave) and by the consistent international critical success of Korean directors including Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, Lee Chang-dong, and Hong Sang-soo. Klockworx's South Korean programming takes advantage of this cultural enthusiasm while serving audiences who seek Korean cinema beyond mainstream Korean commercial entertainment.

The 2026 lineup reflects this strength: The Black Nun (a Korea-Japan horror collaboration starring JAEJOONG, formerly of K-pop group JYJ) and the Alienoid duology (Korean sci-fi directed by Choi Dong-hoon). Shrine: Devil's Whisper is a Japan-Korea cultural project filmed entirely in Kobe with a bilingual cast, screened at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival's Mad Max section.

The Busan International Film Festival in South Korea is the primary platform where Japanese distributors discover new Korean cinema. Klockworx's consistent Busan attendance gives it early access to Korean acquisitions before other international buyers. Tetsu Negami, who serves as Director and head of TV department acquisitions, manages the company's international buying strategy.

Japanese-Korean Cultural Context

The Japan-Korea cultural relationship in cinema is commercially significant. Korean films perform consistently well at the Japanese arthouse box office, with titles by major Korean directors achieving theatrical runs in Japan that rival or exceed their performance in other international markets. Klockworx's consistent acquisition of quality Korean cinema positions it to serve this enthusiastic domestic audience.

Shrine: Devil's Whisper exemplifies the company's Japan-Korea co-production strategy. The film is directed by Japanese director Kumashiri Kazuyoshi, stars Korean actor JAEJOONG, and features a cast blending Japanese and Korean performers. The story involves a Korean shaman investigating disappearances at an abandoned shrine in Kobe. The film was selected for the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, demonstrating its cross-market appeal. Klockworx held premiere stage greetings at Shinjuku Balt 9 with the director and cast, including a JAEJOONG fan event on February 11, 2026.

Co-Production and Original Production

Klockworx is expanding beyond distribution into original production, particularly in anime and Japanese theatrical features. The company is producing I Don't Know You, a Japanese-French co-production directed by Ryota Nakano (Her Love Boils Bathwater) and starring Kentaro Sakaguchi. Kazumi Fukase at Klockworx is lead producing alongside Yusuke Wakabayashi at Pipeline, in co-production with Pyramide Productions (known for the Cannes 2022 Jury Prize winner The Eight Mountains). Klockworx will distribute the film in Japan. The company previously handled Nakano's Her Love Boils Bathwater and Kenji Uchida's Key of Life (later remade across Asia).

The anime production division represents a significant growth area. With five anime series in production or airing between 2025 and 2026, Klockworx is building a pipeline of owned IP that complements its distribution business. The company's merchandise division (planning and sales of film and character goods) supports both its theatrical releases and anime productions.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For international filmmakers seeking Japanese theatrical distribution, Klockworx is a realistic acquisition target. The company acquires finished films at festivals (Busan, Cannes, Berlin, Venice) and through sales agents. Its accessible-arthouse positioning makes it more commercially open than purely formal or experimental distributors, broadening its range of qualifying acquisitions.

Japanese theatrical rights are commercially meaningful. A Klockworx release provides access to Japan's substantial arthouse box office alongside the long-tail home entertainment and streaming revenue that follows Japanese theatrical releases. The company's DVD release and digital distribution capabilities mean it can handle the full window sequence from theatrical through home entertainment.

For Korean and European arthouse filmmakers, Klockworx's established audience channels in Korean cinema and European art film make it a particularly strong partner. The company's track record with Academy Award contenders (I'm Still Here, The Secret Agent) demonstrates its ability to handle prestige international titles with awards-season positioning in Japan.

For Japanese filmmakers, Klockworx's expansion into production offers a potential path beyond distribution. The company's co-production model (demonstrated by I Don't Know You with France's Pyramide Productions) provides access to international co-production financing while maintaining Japanese distribution. Filmmakers should contact the company through sales agents, entertainment lawyers, or directly through the Klockworx website.

See Also

For other major Japanese specialty distributors, see Transformer, Longride, and Imagica Robot in this directory. For how international distribution deals are structured across territories, see Distribution Deals Explained. To model revenue from Japanese theatrical and home entertainment windows, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For understanding how international sales agents package territory deals that include Japan, see What Does a Distributor Keep?.