Though he spent decades working his way up as a rakugoka, Shofukutei Tsurube (57) has broadened his appeal way beyond the field of traditional storytelling. And now that he finally has his first leading role in a movie, he hopes to take it all the way to next year’s major awards. The first stop for “Dear Doctor,” directed by Nishikawa Miwa, will be the competition at this summer’s 33rd Montreal World Film Festival. The event will be getting all the more media attention in Japan because the country has claimed the top prize in two of the last three years. In 2006, the Grand Prix win went to Okuda Eiji’s “Nagai Sampo,” while last year Takita Yojiro’s “Okuribito” went one better by also claiming the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. “If it happened twice, Tsurube can make it happen a third time,” the star quipped. In Dear Doctor he plays a physician who has earned the trust of the residents in a remote mountain village, only to suddenly disappear. As the villagers search for him, an unexpected truth emerges. With his distinctive smile, Tsurube is one of the most popular figures in Japanese showbiz, with an appeal that spans all ages. The Montreal festival runs from August 27 to September 7. Also featuring will be “Nisesatsu,” the directorial debut of comedian Kimura Yuichi (46) which has been selected for the First Films World Competition. Based on a major counterfeiting case around the end of World War II, it stars veteran actress Baisho Mitsuko (62).