Collection of world's best short films are compiled in "ANNIVERSARY" DVD, now on sale at LOUNGE by Francfranc (Minami Aoyama store) and other locations.
The attractions of Japan,traveling short films.
Official Competition Jury
The Committee has selected five jurors from diverse industry backgrounds with unique points of view. Jurors will award four films:the Best Shorts from each official competition category and the Grand Prix.
(The jurors are listed from the left in order of the Japanese phonetic alphabet.)
Kazuki Kitamura Acter
Born in 1969, actor Kazuki Kitamura won the Kinema Junpo Newcomer Award in 1999 for his roles in the films "Minazuki" and "LEY LINES". Since then he has continued to act in a number of films, with his most prominent roles to date coming from Ryuhei Kitamura’s "Azumi" (2003), Takashi Miike’s"Yakuza:Like a Dragon", and Jinsei Tsuji’s "ACACIA". More recently, Kazuki has starred in director MasahiroKobayashi’s upcoming"NihonnoHigeki". Kazuki’s TV credits are also equally numerous, which include roles in two historical drama series for national broadcaster NHK and the currently airing primetime drama‘ATARU’. He has also worked on a number of international productions, including Hong Kong director Jingle Ma’s ‘Speed Angels and STRANGERS6’, a joint Japan-China- Korea TV drama production. In addition to acting on screen, Kazuki has also taken on stage roles and other various works in media.
Masahiro Kobayashi Film Director
Masahiro was born in 1954 in Tokyo. In 1996 he won the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Grand Prix with his directorial debut "Closing Time". With"Bootleg Film"(1999), "Koroshi" (2000)and "Man Walking on Snow" (2001), his work was shown at Cannes Film Festival for 3 consecutive years. After screening in competition at Cannes,"Bashing" (2005) was winner of the Best Film Award at Tokyo Filmex, and also winner of the Jury Special Prize at Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran."The Rebirth" (2007) won 4 awards at Locarno Film Festival in 2007, including the festival’s topprize,the Golden Leopard Award. In 2010,"Haru’s Journey" began by winning the Best Film prize at the Mainichi Film Awards, going on to win an Audience Award and numerous prizes, including Best Picture and Best Director at home and abroad. His latest film is "Women on the Edge" (to be released in summer 2012).
Mitsuyoshi Takasu Broadcast Writer/ Scriptwriter
Mitsuyoshi was born in 1963 in Amagasaki, Hyōgo prefecture. Since childhood he had been invited by his close friend Hitoshi Matsumoto, of the comedy due "Downtown", to work in entertainment. Then, after graduating from university, he made his debut as a broadcast writer at the age of 24. He has, of course, composed variety programs, such as "Gottsue "A" kanji", "Mecha x2 iketeru" and "London Hearts", but is energetically engaged in movies and drama screenplays too. He has also participated in the organization and the production of the New Year’s Eve special "Waratte-wa-ikenai (LaughingForbidden) series". For much of his planning his emphasis on the production method; "I have something with life in it, and I highlight the realistic movement softheheart". He wroteand directed the shortfilm,"Sainome-zaka", that he announced in 2008. It richly depicts the comical emotions of men who feel as though they are in a last minute situation at the brink of death.
Ludmila Cvikova Head of International Programming, Doha Film Institute
Ludmila holds an M.A. from the University of Amsterdam and Comenius University of Bratislava, as well as a European diploma in Cultural Project Management. She was a programmer for the International Film Festival Rotterdam from 1997-2011, and has experience curating diverse cultural events, programmes and retrospectives within the Netherlands and internationally. Ludmila has served as an advisor for various international festivals (Karlovy Vary, Locarno, Sarajevo, Yerevan, Bratislava) and was programme/artistic director of the Art Film Festival in her native Slovakia for two years. She selects competition films for the Romanian Anonimul IFF, and has also been a member of the Hubert Bals Fund committee, searching out new talents and projects for the fund, as well as for the CineMart market. In July 2011, Ludmila took up the role of Head of International Programming at the Doha Film institute in Qatar, an organization whose diverse activities include the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.
Hisako Manda Actress
Hisako was born in Osaka. While in Tezukayama College, she was selected to represent Japan at the Miss Universe pageant. In 1980, she made her debut in"Natchan no Shashin-kan"(Natchan’s photo studio), a morning TV drama series. Since then, she has appeared in dramas, movies and CMs, and carried out a range of other activities. Her major works include the drama "Suzuran" and "Ikemen Desune", the films"Murder of the Inugami Clan "and" In the City of Dawn", and the stage plays "Tsubakiyamakacho no nanoka-kan" and "Koshino monogatari". She has worked as a Fashion magazine cover girl and dresses chicly in both kimono and current trends, so she has also attracted the support of fashion readers and women of her generation.