"We’re thrilled to see further international recognition for James’ work," said Piers Handling, Director & CEO, Toronto International Film Festival Group. "This award from the Japan Foundation helps cement his reputation as one of the world’s leading film scholars, at one of the world’s leading cinematheques."

Quandt’s scholarly work in Japanese cinema has acted as a gateway for cultural institutions across North American and Europe. Cinematheques, film institutes, art galleries, and filmgoers around the world have benefited directly from his impressive work with touring film projects.

In 1996, Quandt was the driving force behind the Kenji Mizoguchi retrospective, which travelled to 18 centres internationally. In 1997, he edited Cinematheque Ontario’s first monograph, on the films of Japanese master Shohei Imamura, and oversaw an international touring retrospective of Imamura’s films. In 2001, Quandt edited Kon Ichikawa, Cinematheque Ontario’s fourth book in its monograph series, and headed up a touring retrospective of Ichikawa’s films in North America that subsequently toured in Europe.

Quandt has also prepared numerous directors’ retrospectives (Yasujiro Ozu, Akira Kurosawa, Yasuzo Masumura, Kinji Fukasaku, and Susumu Hani to name the most recent projects), thematic programmes, as well as a survey of recent Japanese cinema (the film component of Harbourfront Centre’s 1995 Japanese cultural arts exhibition), and helped Toronto audiences gain greater access to the history of Japanese cinema. In November 2004, Quandt will serve on the film jury for Tokyo Filmex, a festival specializing in contemporary Asian cinema.

Quandt served as the founding Director of Cinematheque Ontario from 1990 - 1997, and has been a Senior Programmer from 1997 to the present day. His previous awards include the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government, a Special Citation from the American National Society of Film Critics, and the Clyde Gilmour Life Achievement Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association.