Film festival in Japan
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Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Location Yūbari, Hokkaidō Founded 1990 Festival date Opening: 28 July 2022 (2022-07-28 ) Closing: 1 August 2022 (2022-08-01 ) Language International Website Yubari 33rd
31st
The Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival (ゆうばり国際ファンタスティック映画祭 , Yūbari kokusai fantasutikku eiga sai ) , also sometimes called YIFFF , is held in a resort-like environment in the small town of Yūbari on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaidō . From 1990 to 1999, the festival was known as the Yubari International Fantastic Adventure Film Festival.[ 1]
History
In 1990, the last coal mine in the Hokkaidō mining town of Yūbari having closed, the city leaders were looking for a way to revitalize the local economy. This was the beginning of the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival.[ 2] The festival was divided into two main programs, a prestigious international competition for young directors, and an Off Theatre program for mostly Japanese amateur, independent and first-time directors. The first year in 1990 had as a special guest, actor Jon Voight and his daughter, a young starlet named Angelina Jolie . In 1993, Quentin Tarantino was at the festival and wrote part of the screenplay for Pulp Fiction in his hotel room. Some years later, he paid homage to the town in the name of a character in Kill Bill: Volume 1 , "Gogo Yubari" .[ 3] In 1996 the festival also had special guest stars, comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short . In 2004 the festival drew a record audience of 27,000.[ 2]
The festival had always been sponsored financially by the city of Yubari but the town filed for bankruptcy in 2007 and that year's festival had to be cancelled. However, the people of Yubari with the assistance of a number of sponsors were able to group together to revive the festival in 2008. The international competition section of the festival had to be dropped but the Off Theatre program for young Japanese directors was retained with the Grand Prize bringing 2 million yen (about $20,000) to the winner. The new Governor's Award was presented by the Governor of Hokkaidō. In addition to the competition section, the festival continued to screen a number of international films by promising directors.[ 3] One of the sponsors for the festival is the giant Japanese satellite broadcasting company SKYPerfecTV! which has also broadcast parts of the program.[ 4] The scaled down 2008 festival drew more than 8,800 fans and attendance increased to over 10,500 in 2009.[ 5]
The 32nd edition of the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival will be held from July 28 to August 1 2022.[ 6]
Major awards
Award information from:[ 7]
1990 Awards
Held February 14–18, 1990.
Ofelas – Director: Nils Gaup
Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds – Director: Alex Proyas
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Takeshita Performance Higei Mito-Komon – Director: Sinya Takesita
Gig – Director: Kosuke Ienaga
Meilin Adventure – Director: Satoshi Imai
1991 Awards
Held February 15–19, 1991.
The Miracle in Valby (Miraklet i Valby) – Director: Åke Sandgren
Windwalker – Director: Kieth Merrill
Miller's Crossing – Director: Joel Coen
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Death Express – Director: Hiroyuki Terada
Rice Game – Director: Hideaki Kobayashi
1992 Awards
Held February 14–18, 1992.
The Swordsman in Double Flag Town – Director: He Ping
A Demon in My View [fr ] – Director: Petra Haffter [de ]
Tetsuo II: Body Hammer – Director: Shinya Tsukamoto
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Diamonds Moon – Director: Akira Nobi
Kappas – Director: Katsuya Ohsawa
1993 Awards
Held February 19–23, 1993.
Children of Nature – Director: Fridrik Thor Fridriksson
Winds of God – Director: Yoko Narahashi
Reservoir Dogs – Director: Quentin Tarantino
Ninja Scroll – Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Trash – Director: Naoki Kubo
My Daddy Long Legs – Director: Shin Yasuhara
1994 Awards
Held February 18–22, 1994.
Killing Zoe – Director: Roger Roberts Avary
C'est arrive pres de chez vous – Director: Rémy Belvaux & André Bonzel
Minami Toshiko Award / Critic's Award
Carne – Director: Gaspar Noé
The Most Entertaining Award
El Mariachi – Director: Robert Rodriguez
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Family Time – Director: Ryota Kawaguchi
My Favorite "Skyline" – Director: Shin Yasuhara
Vending Machine and a Girl – Director: Kiyohide Otani
1995 Awards
Held February 17–21, 1995.
Tombés du ciel – Director: Philippe Lioret
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb – Director: Dave Borthwick
Wizard of Darkness – Director: Shimako Sato
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
The Incredible Haniwa Man – Director: Shin Yasuhara
Anatomia Extinction – Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura
A Room Without Wind – Director: Ryuta Miyake
1996 Awards
Held February 18–20, 1996.
Accumulator 1 – Director: Jan Svěrák
Manneken Pis – Director: Frank Van Passel
Secret Waltz – Director: Akira Nobi
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Brain Holiday – Director: Hineki Mito
Blood Red Girls – Director: Daisuke Yamanouchi
Rest Room – Director: Muneyoshi Murakami
To Be or Not to Be – Director: Tomoko Matsunashi
1997 Awards
Held February 14–18, 1997.
Closing Time – Director: Masahiro Kobayashi
Little Sister – Director: Robert Jan Westdijk
Drive – Director: Steve Wang
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Party – Director: Mayumi Uchiumi
L&D – Director: Hideki Kimura
1998 Awards
Held February 13–17, 1998.
Bernie – Director: Albert Dupontel
Jean-Hugues Anglade Award
Detective Riko – Director: Satoshi Isaka
The Ground – Director: Atsushi Muroga
Illtown – Director: Nick Gomez
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Midnight Three – Director: Yasushi Koshizaka
Variation for Movements – Director: Yoshinao Sato
Kurushime Girl – Director: Noboru Iguchi
1999 Awards
Held February 19–23, 1999.
Bandits – Director: Katja von Garnier
Special Jury Prize / Minami Toshiko Award
Moonlight Whispers – Director: Akihiko Shiota
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Tel-Club – Director: Kenji Murakami
Kiadoryoku REAL – Director: Katsushi Boda
2000 Awards
Held February 18–22, 2000.
Across a Gold Prairie – Director: Isshin Inudou
Pups – Director: Ash
Jin-Roh – Director: Hiroyuki Okiura
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Hazy Life – Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita
Let's Go Strawberry Girl – Director: Shinobu Kuribayashi
2001 Awards
Held February 15–19, 2001.
New Year's Day – Director: Suri Krishnamma
Animals – Director: Michael Di Jiacomo
Siam Sunset – Director: John Polson
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Tokyo A Go Go – Director: Ryuichi Honda
L'Ilya – Director: Tomoya Sato
2002 Awards
Held February 14–18, 2002.
My Sassy Girl – Director: Kwak Jae-yong
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Run! Yamazaki! Run! – Director: Naoko Johnori
Nuts – Director: Yoko Chukira / Tomokazu / Shu Kageyama
2003 Awards
Held February 13–17, 2003.
Battlefield Baseball (Jigoku Koushien) – Director: Yūdai Yamaguchi
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Bijo-can – Director: Masaya Kakei
Ski Jumping Pairs – Director: Riichiro Mashima
2004 Awards
Held February 19–23, 2004.
Mokpo, Gangster's Paradise – Director: Kim Ji-hoon
Robot Stories – Director: Greg Pak
Better Than Sex – Director: Su Chao-pin & Lee Feng-bor
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
The Far East Apartment – Director: Tetsuya Mariko
Utsu-musume SAYURI – Director: Takashi Kimura
2005 Awards
Held February 24–28, 2005.
My Mother, the Mermaid – Director: Park Heung-sik
Innocence – Director: Lucile Hadžihalilović
The Neighbor No. Thirteen – Director: Yasuo Inoue
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Mariko's 30 Pirates – Director: Tetsuya Mariko
Be the World for Her – Director: Daisuke Hosaka
2006 Awards
Held February 23–27, 2006.
Blood Rain – Director: Kim Dae-seung
Never Belongs to Me – Director: Nam Ki-woong
Citizen Dog – Director: Wisit Sasanatieng
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Raw Summer (Nama-natsu) – Director: Keisuke Yoshida
Hakko – Director: Madoka Kumagai
2007 Awards
No awards - festival cancelled.
2008 Awards
Held March 19–23, 2008.
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
A Woman Who Is Beating the Earth (大地を叩く女 , Daichi o tataku onna ) – Director: Tsuki Inoue
Coming with My Brother (お姉ちゃん、弟といく , One-chan, otōto to iku ) – Director: Kouta Yoshida
Seikilos and I (セイキロスさんとわたしく , Seikilos-san to Watashi ) – Director: Kenji Itoso & Hiroshi Kamebuchi
2009 Awards
Held February 26-March 2, 2009.
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
8000 Miles (SR サイタマノラッパー , SR: Saitama no rappā ) – Director: Yū Irie
Big Gun (大拳銃 , Dai kenjū ) – Director: Ōhata Hajime
Night Games (夜のゲーム , Yoru no geemu ) – Director: Choi Uian (チェ・ウィアン)
2010 Awards
Held February 25-March 1, 2010.
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Hot as Hell: The Deadbeat March (青春墓場~明日と一緒に歩くのだ~ , Seishun Hakaba Ashita to Issho ni Aruku no da ) – Director: Yōsuke Okuda
Footed Tadpoles (脚の生えたおたまじゃくし , Ashi no maeta otamajakushi ) – Director: Tomoya Maeno
Wall (壁 , Kabe ) – Director: ヒョン・スルウ
Footed Tadpoles (脚の生えたおたまじゃくし , Ashi no maeta otamajakushi ) – Director: Tomoya Maeno
2011 Awards
Held February 24–28, 2011.
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Invasion of Alien Bikini (겨울냄새) – Director: Oh Young-Doo
Pink Subaru (ピンク・スバル , Pinku Subaru ) – Director: Kazuya Ogawa
Violence PM (バイオレンスPM , Baiorensu PM ) – Director: Takayuki Ishihara
Pink Subaru (ピンク・スバル , Pinku Subaru ) – Director: Kazuya Ogawa
2012 Awards
Held February 23–27, 2012 with a total attendance at 12,500.
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Osaka Violence (大阪外道 , Ōsaka gedō ) – Director: Takahiro Ishihara
The Brat! (くそガキの告白 , Kusogaki no kokuhaku ) – Director: Taichi Suzuki
The Beatles (ビートルズ , Bītoruzu ) – Director: Yuichiro Sakashita
The Brat! (くそガキの告白 , Kusogaki no kokuhaku ) – Director: Taichi Suzuki
Nahana for Toilet and Women (どんずまり便器 , Donzumari Benki )
Hiroki Konno for The Brat! (くそガキの告白 , Kusogaki no kokuhaku )
Ultraman Saga (ウルトラマンサーガ , Urutoramansāga ) - Director: Hideki Oka
Namba Kinyu-den Minami no Teio Toichi no Manda Ginjiro - Director: Takaaki Haginiwa
Puss in Boots (長ぐつをはいたネコ , Nagagutsu o Haita Neko )
The Brat! (くそガキの告白 , Kusogaki no kokuhaku ) – Director: Taichi Suzuki
2013 Awards
Held February 21–25, 2013. Attendance was about 12,500.[ 9] [ 10]
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
There Is Light - Director: Yukihiro Toda
A Case of Eggs - Director: Yuri Kanchiku
Winter Alpaca - Director: Yuji Harada
There Is Light - Director: Yukihiro Toda
2014 Awards
Announced March 2, 2014[ 11]
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
The Pinkie - Director: Lisa Takeba
Gun Woman - Director: Mitsutake Kurando
School Girls' Gestation - Director: Ueda Atsushi
The Pinkie - Director: Lisa Takeba
Sky Perfect Movie Channel Award
Old Men Never Die - Director: Wang Cheol-min (South Korea)
2015 Awards
Announced on February 24, 2015[ 12]
OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
Makeup Room - Director: Kei Morikawa
The Limit of Sleeping Beauty - Director: Ninomiya Ken
Haman - Director: Tetsuya Okabe
Mizo - Director: Nam Ki Woong (South Korea)
Sky Perfect Movie Channel Award
Luv ya Hun! - Director: Daigo Matsui
References
^ "Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Information" . [yubarifanta.com]. Archived from the original on 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2009-09-17 .
^ a b "ACTING LOCAL" . [web-japan.org]. January 13, 2005. Retrieved 2009-09-18 .
^ a b Mes, Tom (June 17, 2008). "Go! Go! Yubari" . [Midnight Eye]. Retrieved 2009-09-17 .
^ "SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation News Release" (PDF) . www.sptvjsat.com/. January 14, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-18 .
^ "Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival" . [UniJapan]. Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2015-11-09 .
^ Lee Jae-lim (July 7, 2022). "Black comedy 'Anemone' invited to Yubari Film Festival" . Korea Joong-Ang Daily . Retrieved July 14, 2022 .
^ "Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Archive" . [yubarifanta.com]. Retrieved 2009-09-17 .
^ "YUBARI INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL" . [yubarifanta.com]. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2015-11-09 .
^ "「ゆうばり映画祭2013」グランプリは『暗闇から手をのばせ』" (in Japanese). cinema.pia.co.jp. Retrieved 2015-02-26 .
^ "【ゆうばり国際映画祭】さよならビュッフェと「いってらっしゃい!」でお別れ" (in Japanese). CinemaCafe. Retrieved 2015-02-26 .
^ Marsh, James (March 4, 2014). "Yubari 2014: THE PINKIE Takes Grand Prix In Fantastic Off Theater Competition" . Twitch Film. Retrieved 2015-02-25 .
^ O'Keeffe, Christopher (February 25, 2015). "Yubari 2015: MAKEUP ROOM Takes Top Award In Fantastic Off Theatre Competition" . Twitch Film. Retrieved 2015-02-25 .
Sources