KYOTO INTERNATIONAL FILM AND ART FESTIVAL 2017

Creators Factory Awards Recognizes 4 Upcoming Artists in Film and Art

2017/10/14　Report

This year’s Creator’s Factory section, initially launched at the Okinawa International Movie Festival and now held at both KIFF and OIMF, awarded four upcoming talents at an event held at Aeon Cinema Kyoto Katsuragawa.

The “Entertainment Video Category” saw entries of movies and videos of various lengths to a maximum 60 minutes, with most being short films around 20 to 30 minutes. They were submitted in the hope of finding success in the film industry or as commercial works.
With no genre restrictions, applicants could submit works including dramatic films, period dramas, animation and music videos.
Selected entrants works have been screened at venues during this year’s KIFF　with three works chosen for the Creator’s Factory Excellence Awards.

The first winner announced was Junta Yamaguchi for his work “Shall We go for Dinner Tonight. “ I’ve been creating my work in Kyoto so I am delighted received those honorable award,” said Yamaguchi.
Discussing Mika Akizuki, the heroine of the story, Yamaguchi explained that “I asked her not to show off, and to holding back her beauty so that she could show her natural charm.”

“The film is focused on the conversations between characters that seems simple but is actually very difficult to do,” said Kotaro Temmyo, broadcast writer and jury member.

The second winner was announced as Takeshi Kobahara for his work “Nagisa” (“Beach). “They are independent artists with a lot of creativity, with a lot of entrants we released these two created things more freely, most applicants lack creativity with visual images” said film historian Kasuga Taichi. “Kogahara did a great job developing the character even without much a story in his work.”

For the Grand Prix, second place went to Kazuya Murayama for his 32-minute work “Fallen”.

“One of the points to select a winner is to understand the works can be in a big screen with an excellent sound system. Bad works looks worse but good works look better. The technical quality of his movie was excellent,” said Jury member and film critic Takeo Matsuzaki.

“The lead actor doesn’t speak for the whole movie but the way the camera moves to show what he’s looking at, or leads the audience, through this the story and feeling can be understood, it’s very innovative,” added Takeo.

Murayama said he was disappointed not to win the Grand Prix and is motivated to work harder.

The Grand Prix winner was announced as Shun Nakagawa for “Kalanchoe.” “I am extremely happy so I forgot what I prepared to say!” he said. “I am now 30 and have made three works so far, the previous two didn’t gain a good reputation so I decided I will quit if this one is not recognized. So now that I won this award I have to think about the future!”

Nakagawa received a trophy, a prize of 1 million yen, and support for his next production, after which he said “I will do my best to continue.”

Kasuga Taichi said “the scriptwriting of this movie is so fantastic, with excellent foreshadowing and a great atmosphere that is technically impressive, while human relationships are expressed delicately.”

In the Art Section, applications could be made by artists in a variety of genres, including paintings, sculpture and videos. The Creator’s Factory Excellence Award winner was selected from exhibited works, with a prize of 500,000 yen.

Artist Hiroko Ichihara, whose work “Art Taxi” can be seen across Kyoto, presented the section. The winner was announced as Yoshinori Tanaka for his work ‘This wave continues to another wave.’

As the artist is in Taipei, he sent a message: “My words are being delivered to you by sound waves, and Japan and Taiwan are also connected by waves. My words now are being delivered by internet waves,” expressing the meaning of his work.

In the Children’s Category, works which draw on the free imagination of children under the age of 15 are selected from a wide range of submitted paintings and sculptures. After a preliminary screening of the entries, several were exhibited at KIFF for the jury’s selection.

Michitaka Nakamura was announced as the winner for his “Dwarf Planet Eris and Satellite Morpho.”

“I am now seven years old, in the first grade of elementary school. I am so happy. I carefully choose the color of the satellite and that was the hardest part!” he said.

Ichihara said “I understand that he likes stars and his artwork of Eris, the dwarf planet and could get his feeling of excitement through his art!”