Japanese cinema has become increasingly inward-looking of late. Last year, locally-made films accounted for 65.7% of revenue, according to the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. This is the first time it has topped 60% since the late 1960s. But all is not healthy. Though total revenue was up 7.7% in 2011, to $2 billion, the failure of domestic product to attract audiences in other territories has led directors and producers to focus on the local audience, churning out big-screen adaptations of manga and short stories, with characters played by pop stars and idols rather than skilled actors. Producer Kazuyoshi Okuyama however, is attempting to buck the trend.