‘Kampai! For the Love of Sake’ Opens Friday

Fifth-generation sake maker Kosuke Kuji at his brewery. (© 2015 Wagamama Media LLC)

Sundance Selects presents “Kampai! For the Love of Sake” (2016, 95 minutes) will be available on demand and shown in selected theaters, including Arena Cinema, 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave. in Hollywood, from Aug. 19 to 25.

For more information on the Hollywood showing, call (323) 306-0676 or visit http://arenascreen.com.

Discover the art of sake. An age-old staple of Japanese culture and cuisine, the fermented rice wine has recently been winning fans all over the world.

Directed by Mirai Konishi and produced by Chiaki Yanagimoto, the documentary journeys from rice paddies in Japan to breweries around the globe as it chronicles three passionate exponents of the increasingly popular beverage:

• Philip Harper, a British expat who has become Japan’s first foreign master brewer;

• John Gauntner, an American journalist known as the “Sake Evangelist”;

• Kosuke Kuji, a fifth-generation Japanese brewer determined to shake up the industry.

British expatriate Philip Harper (center) with other members of Kinoshita Brewery in Kyoto. (© 2015 Wagamama Media LLC)

Together, their stories form a fascinating snapshot of how ancient traditions are adapting to the demands of a growing global market.

“Kampai! For the Love of Sake” has been an official selection of the Tokyo International Film Festival, Independent Film Festival Boston, San Sebastian Film Festival, Hawaii Film Festival, and Buenos Aires Film Festival.

For more information, visit www.ifcfilms.com/films/kampai-for-the-love-of-sake.

American “sake evangelist” John Gauntner (right) at a sake fair in Japan. ( © 2015 Wagamama Media LLC)