Former MEGADETH guitarist MARTY FRIEDMAN has just completed filming for the upcoming Japanese movie, Maebashi Visual Kei. The movie will come out in Japan early 2011 and was directed by Otsuru Gitan. The film is a dramatic and moving look inside the trials and tribulations of a fictitious Visual Kei band in Japan. In 2008, Marty had a role in the Japanese hit, Gugudatte Neko Dearu and a cameo in Detroit Metal City as the guitarist in Gene Simmons' band.

More details to come.

As previously reported, Friedman is now heading the brand new record label, Gokukara Records.

The label is a subsidiary of Japan's major label giant, Avex. Friedman's solo releases will continue with Avex, and new artists that he works with will come out on Gokukara. The first release for the new label will be the result of a nationwide search through NicoNico Douga (Japan's more modern interactive version of YouTube) and its special community devoted to discovering the first artist/band to make its debut on Gokukara Records.

Friedman and his staff are sifting through entrants, and make periodic status updates as well as live UStream broadcasts on NicoNico Douga. Due to the sheer number of entrants, only NicoNico Douga community members may create videos for consideration.

As of now the label is domestic/Japan only and all pertinent information on NicoNico Douga and Gokukara Records websites is in Japanese. If you are outside of Japan and are able to use a computer in Japanese, all musicians/DTM's/arrangers are welcome to create videos for submission to NicoNico Douga. Access to NicoNico Douga may be limited outside of Japan depending on territory.

More info (Japanese only) at this location.