3rd Okinawa International Movie Festival

The 3rd Okinawa International Movie Festival was held from March 18 to March 27, 2011 and took place at the Okinawa Convention Center in Ginowan City and Sakurazaka Theater in Naha, owned and run by Japanese director Yuji Nakae.[1]

3rd Okinawa International Movie Festival
Main stage of 3rd Okinawa International Movie Festival,
Opening filmManzai Gang
Closing filmForgotten Silver
LocationOkinawa Island, Japan
Founded2009
AwardsGolden Shisa Award (Hankyū Densha)
Festival dateMarch 18 – 27, 2011
Websitehttp://www.oimf.jp

This was the first Okinawa International Movie Festival to include the 'Contents Bazaar' to promote co-productions between U.S. and Japanese TV companies,[2] though due to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami Yoshimoto's Hollywood partners CAA did not to send representatives.[3]

In addition, the festival also launched two new elements in 2001, The Local Origination Project for films made in locations around Japan, from Niigata to Okinawa, and the Jimot CM Competition which received ideas for TV commercials with the aim of publicizing local products and attractions from a round Japan. From 565 ideas, 10 were selected as finalists with the winner receiving a ¥470,000 prize and a terrestrial TV screening. Live music was provided by Rimi Natsukawa, Kariyushi 58 and Begin at Ginowan Seaside Park.[4]

The Golden Shisa was awarded to Japanese director Yoshishige Miyake for his film Hankyū Densha.

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

The festival was scaled back as a result of the March 11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami with many guests cancelling their visits and attendance down on the previous year from 380,000 to 310,000.[5] Only British comic writer Tony Hawks and Taiwanese director Yeh Tien-lun attended from abroad.[3] The event was instead turned into a fundraiser raising more than US$1 million,[6] including ¥10,949,189 (approx. US$125,000) collected by 550 staff during the event itself.[7] Organizers Yoshimoto Kogyo had a history of assisting in the face of such disasters having set up Osaka's first FM radio network following the Great Hanshin earthquake in Kobe in 1995.[8]

The festival started with a minute's silence held on the main stage with Yoshimoto President Hiroshi Osaki, Chairman Isao Yoshino, Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima and Ginowan City Mayor Yoichi Iha addressing the crowd.[3]

All of the ¥6,470,000 in prize money was donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society.[7]

Official selection
Performers included girl groups NMB48 and AKB48

The official selection was announced at a press conference on Tuesday 22 February 2011, with Hiroshi Shinagawa's "Manzai Gang" as the opening film, one of three directed by Yoshimoto Kogyo talent. A further seven were co-produced by Yoshimoto.[4] 15 foreign titles were announced, including several premieres such as Ivan Reitman's comedy No Strings Attached (film) starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.[4]

Competition

The official selection of films was broken into two categories, Laugh and Peace, each with 12 entrants. The former focuses on comedy films, while the latter includes dramas and documentaries with elements of comedy. The Chinese film Aftershock by Feng Xiaogang was dropped out of respect for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[3]

Laugh Category

The following films were selected as In Competition for the Laugh Category:

English title Original title Director(s) Production country/countries
Omelette RiceオムライスYuichi KimuraJapan
Miss Kurosawa Film 2クロサワ映画2Taku WatanabeJapan
Mask of Moonlight月光ノ仮面Itsuji ItaoJapan
The Pot of Good Fortune幸運の壺 Good FortuneMichihito OgawaJapan
High School Debut (film)高校デビューTsutomu HanabasaJapan
Karate-Robo Zaborgar電人ザボーガーNoboru IguchiJapan
MistakenミステイクンTakayuki ItoJapan
A Little Thing Called Loveสิ่งเล็กๆ ที่เรียกว่า...รักPuttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin PokpongThailand
The Last Godfather라스트 갓파더Shim Hyung-raeSouth Korea
Love Policeラブポリス～ニート達の挽歌～Yoshihiro SakataJapan
Night Market Hero鸡排英雄 (Ji pai ying xiong)Tien-Lun YehTaiwan

Peace Category

The following films were selected as In Competition for the Peace Category:

English title Original title Director(s) Production country
With the Dog Tag and the Croquette犬の首輪とコロッケとSeiki NagaharaJapan
Ghostwriter HotelゴーストライターホテルHiroaki ItoJapan
Tsugaru津軽百年食堂Kazuki ŌmoriJapan
TSYTSYMichinari NakagawaJapan
Hankyū Densha阪急電車　片道15分の奇跡Yoshishige MiyakeJapan
Fly!ＦＬＹ！～平凡なキセキ～Masahiro KondoJapan
Bruce Lee, My Brother李小龍Raymond Yip & Manfred ManHong Kong
Skyline (film)—Greg Strause & Colin StrauseUnited States
I Hate Luv Storysआई हेट लव स्टोरीPunit MalhotraIndia
Round Ireland with a Fridge—Ed ByeUnited Kingdom
Simple SimonI rymden finns inga känslorAndreas OhmanSweden
Six Degrees of CelebrationЁлкиTimur BekmambetovRussia

Out of Competition

The following films were screened out of competition:

Special Screening "Okinawa Presentation"
English title Original title Director(s) Production country
A Yell from Heaven天国からのエールChikato KumazawaJapan
Project of Local Areas "Films from Local Areas"
English title Original title Director(s) Production country
When You Wish Upon A StarほしのふるまちKoji KawanoJapan

Jury
Main stage of 3rd Okinawa International Movie Festival, 2011
Competition

Awards

Official selection
In Competition

The Golden Shisa Award was won by the Japanese-language film Hankyū Densha directed by Yoshishige Miyake.[7]

The Laugh Category Uminchu Prize Grand Prix went to "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" from Thailand, directed by Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin Pokpong.[7]

The Peace Category Uminchu Prize Grand Prix was won by Hankyū Densha by Yoshishige Miyake.[7]

The Jimot CM competition Grand Prix Award went to Masako Suzuki. The Grand Prix Award winner in the World Wide Laugh short-film was "Balloon Man the Challenge" by TBS.

See also

References
  1. Darrell Nelson (2012-03-28). "Fourth Okinawa International Movie Festival". Shift East. Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  2. Gavin J. Blair (2011-03-23). "Okinawa Intl Movie Fest to Open for Fun in the Sun". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  3. Mark Schilling (2011-03-24). "Laughs, tears at comedy film fest". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  4. Mark Schilling (2011-02-25). "Sun, sea and celluloid in Okinawa". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  5. Robert Michael Poole (2012-03-21). "Laughter Rules at Okinawa's Movie Fest". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  6. Liza Foreman (2012-03-25). "Okinawa International Movie Festival Celebrates Comedians". Thompson on Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  7. Mark Schilling (2011-04-01). "Okinawa laughs till it cries at benefit fest". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  8. Kaori Shoji (2011-03-18). "Stars certain movie business will bounce back". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
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