{"rewrite":{"id":"r_8b00821dbf009cf2bcaea195","clusterId":"c_1acf4b631112ea407bb957d5","slug":"director-toshiro-ito-screens-stageiv-after-stage-4-lung-cancer-diagnosis","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Director Toshiro Ito Screens 'StageIV' After Stage 4 Lung Cancer Diagnosis","summary":"Director Toshiro Ito, known for the 1987 independent film 'Gondola,' will hold an emergency screening of his second directorial work 'StageIV' on June 26, 2026 at Theatre Shinjuku. The film follows his real battle with stage 4 lung cancer alongside his wife, actress Mirei Asaoka, and is funded through a crowdfunding campaign on CAMPFIRE.","whyItMatters":"The screening presents Ito's second feature in 40 years, made under the direct circumstance of his terminal diagnosis, with his wife as lead actress and producer.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eDirector Toshiro Ito, who made the independent film 'Gondola' in 1987, will screen his second directorial work 'StageIV' on June 26, 2026 at Theatre Shinjuku. The film began production after Ito was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He continued filming during chemotherapy and brain radiation against his doctor's advice. His wife, actress Mirei Asaoka, is the lead actress and producer. The story centers on the couple's conflict over dietary therapy, which eliminated beef, sugar, and salt. Ito said he wanted to depict 'not death, but my wife's vitality and feelings.' Tickets are available only through a crowdfunding campaign on CAMPFIRE, running until July 31, 2026.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Director Toshiro Ito's 'StageIV' is his second film, 40 years after 'Gondola.' The crowdfunding model and emergency screening reflect a filmmaker working outside conventional distribution, even for a deeply personal project.","twitterPost":"Ito's 'StageIV' is his second film in 40 years, funded by crowdfunding, not a studio.","threadsPost":"Toshiro Ito directed 'Gondola' in 1987. His second film 'StageIV' arrives 40 years later, funded by a CAMPFIRE crowdfunding campaign, not a studio. The emergency screening at Theatre Shinjuku on June 26 suggests a release strategy built around direct audience engagement rather than traditional distribution.","newsletterBlurb":"Director Toshiro Ito, known for the 1987 independent film 'Gondola,' will hold an emergency screening of his second feature 'StageIV' on June 26 at Theatre Shinjuku. The film follows his battle with stage 4 lung cancer alongside his wife, actress Mirei Asaoka, who stars and produces. Tickets are available only through a crowdfunding campaign on CAMPFIRE.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"ASCII.jp\",\"url\":\"https://ascii.jp/elem/000/004/409/4409091/?rss\",\"title\":\"40 Years After 'Gondola', Director Toshiro Ito, Diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer, and His Wife Mirei Asaoka Carve Their Battle and Love into Film. Latest Work 'StageIV' Emergency Screening to Be Held on Friday, June 26 at Theatre Shinjuku.\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4356,"outputTokens":665,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1780975630,"createdAt":"2026-06-09T03:18:00.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-09T03:22:07.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-09T03:22:07.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_1acf4b631112ea407bb957d5","canonicalTitle":"『ゴンドラ』から40年、ステージ4の肺がんを宣告された伊藤智生監督が、妻・朝岡実嶺とともに闘病と愛を映画に刻む。最新作『StageIV』緊急試写会を6月26日（金）テアトル新宿にて開催。","representativeArticleId":"a_d997ca2abe434597038575b2","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Gondola\",\"StageIV\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Tomoo Ito\",\"Mine Asaoka\"],\"type\":\"event\",\"domain\":\"other\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-09T01:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-09T01:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-09T03:22:07.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"ASCII.jp","url":"https://ascii.jp/elem/000/004/409/4409091/?rss","title":"『ゴンドラ』から40年、ステージ4の肺がんを宣告された伊藤智生監督が、妻・朝岡実嶺とともに闘病と愛を映画に刻む。最新作『StageIV』緊急試写会を6月26日（金）テアトル新宿にて開催。"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Gondola","StageIV"],"studios":[],"people":["Tomoo Ito","Mine Asaoka"],"type":"event","domain":"other","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Director Toshiro Ito will screen his second directorial work 'StageIV' on June 26, 2026 at Theatre Shinjuku.","Ito was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer before production began and continued filming during chemotherapy and brain radiation against his doctor's advice.","His wife, actress Mirei Asaoka, is the lead actress and producer of the film.","The story centers on the couple's conflict over dietary therapy that eliminated beef, sugar, and salt.","Tickets are available only through a crowdfunding campaign on CAMPFIRE, running until July 31, 2026."]}