Bunka-Cho (Agency for Cultural Affairs) is holding the "Bunka-Cho Film Week - Here & There" again this year at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Awards will be presented to excellent documentaries and to individuals in recognition of their long years of distinguished service to the film industry. In addition, projects will be offered with an aim to bring films closer to the audience so that people can enjoy films with greater interest, and also as an opportunity for people involved with films in differing capacities to gather together.

Bunka-Cho Film Awards Ceremony will be held to throw light on the winning films in the Documentary Category and on the people who got commendations for his/her outstanding achievement.

Bunka-Cho (Agency for Cultural Affairs) has established the Bunka-Cho Film Awards in order to contribute to the progress and development of Japanese film. There are two awards: one is the Documentary Film Category, which recognizes outstanding cultural documentary films. The other is the film Merit Category, which recognizes those who have contributed greatly to Japanese cinema. Commemorative screening of this year's award winning documentary films will be held as follow

Newly launched last year, and back by popular demand, "Director's Angle" and "Actor's Angle" are must-see events for all movie fans. Representative Japanese movie artists are invited to appear on stage as part of these all-night talk-and-screening events. Director's Angle this year welcomes Hirokazu Koreeda, one of Japan's most highly acclaimed directors.
Actor's Angle, newly added this year, will bring one of Japan's top actors into the spotlight- Hiroyuki Sanada. No longer just a Japanese actor, Sanada regularly works in Asia and Europe as well as in Hollywood.
We will also be holding a special event commemorating the work of the late actor Yusaku Matsuda: 20 years after his death, he continues to have a strong influence on the Japanese movie industry and is still adored by his many fans.
This series promises three fascinating nights not to be missed!
Each event will consist of two parts. The first part will be the "Conference" session, in which other guests will be invited to discuss the director/actor's legacy, cinematography, techniques, etc. The audience can look forward to the kind of deep and meaningful debate that can only happen with the lineup of guests we have made possible. The second part will be the "Screening" session, in which two or more movies will be shown: one or more chosen by the director/actor himself as one that he would like his fans to see on the big screen; and another selected by fans. (In the case of the Yusaku Matsuda Evening, his affiliates will make the selection.) Some of the selected movies are being screened for the very first time, or perhaps their very last time, making these all-night events unique.
Fans can cast their vote for "the film I want to watch on the big screen" between September 7 (Mon) and September 23 (Wed). Details of the fan ballot will be announced on the TIFF official website.

The World of Hirokazu Koreeda

The World of Hiroyuki Sanada

The World of Yusaku Matsuda" Special Commemorative Event to Mark the 20th Anniversary of His Death

The Convention will publicize the activities of the national film commissions. In addition, a symposium will be held to introduce the production process and the activities of location supported titles.

The Convention will publicize urban development through moving images and screening activities. A symposium to introduce the activities of the Community Cinema Center will also be held.

What is Movie Theater? In the Middle of Changes and Chaotic Situations Japanese film industry is in the middle of a variety of changes -- multi-screen theaters have been built in cities while television networks have entered in film making business, satellite broadcasting channels have been multiplied, films have been exhibited over internet, and digitalization of screening formats has been materialized. These changes have also seriously increased the dimensions of the hardship for independent distribution companies.
The " mini-theaters," independently operated and smaller-scaled theaters, have appeared in many areas in Japan since the 1980s. These mini-theaters have enabled the films from Europe and Asia to be seen which had been unavailable until then. These mini-theaters also have become important bases generating new kinds of culture and art. However, mini-theaters, as well as movie houses inside the towns, have been questioned their meaning of existence in the middle of these changes.
During this convention, we will examine the current situation of the Japanese film industry centering on the distribution and exhibition, and discuss the future of the " movie theaters."