2023年12月25日月曜日

Kyoto International Film and Art Festival

■ Kyoto International Film and Art Festival

Like a film festival, but not a film festival. It looks like an art exhibition, but it is not. 

When I asked what it was all about,

“It’s all about film, art, and everything else,” was what I got in return. This is the Kyoto International Film and Art Festival.

The festival was held without incident. As the chairman of the executive committee, I would like to express my gratitude.


For two consecutive years since the Pacific War, the Gion Festival had to cancel the Yamahoko Junko procession.

However, in order to keep the culture alive, Yamahoko floats were still constructed.

As in the previous year, there were only six lightings of the Daimonji (in which a Chinese character meaning “large” or “great” is lit on fire on a mountain).

But lit they were.

The Olympics and Paralympics were held under restrictions.

We thought we should follow these examples and do the best we can.


Last year, we followed through with the event online.

This year, we tried a hybrid solution, holding the event both on- and offline.

This year’s theme:

“Face forward.

Forward.”

We want to make shape of the Reiwa era post-COVID.

Let’s face forward.


Including those who visited the stage greetings and exhibitions, as well as online viewers, a total of 110,000 people attended the festival.

58 films and 90 artworks were screened.

Though, we haven’t yet regained the pre-COVID level of enthusiasm.

I hope that we were able to show a sense of forward moment toward a post-COVID period.


The “Toshiro Mifune” award given to actors went to Kenta Kiritani.

The “Shozo Makino Award” honoring filmmakers went to Masaharu for “The Naked Director” and other films.

This time, the award was given to a young filmmaker.

Face forward, face forward.

The ambassador to present the prize was Kana Kurashina. A young woman.

Face forward, face forward.


Online screenings included the specially screened Chinese film “Beyond the Sky” and the physical screenings at Gion Kagetsu, Hulic Hall, and other venues.

There were also efforts such as the Kyoto International Indies-Cinema, as well as works by the Creator’s Factory for human resource development, among others. I was looking most forward to the silent/classic films.  

https://kiff.kyoto.jp/film/


The art was mainly found at the “Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art.”

https://kiff.kyoto.jp/art/

AU x Shozo Shimamoto “A”

Exhibition and performance by AU, a group of avant-garde artists represented by the late Shozo Shimamoto, a founding member of “Gutai.” The members of AU, Tamaya Shimada, Okakenta, and others worked to create a large “A” (hiragana character “あ”), while Shimamoto himself also created a beautiful “A.” 


This is a modified jukebox where you can watch videos of “A” in production.

It’s a huge PC with buttons as the keyboard, and you’re able type on it.

Analog + digital, super inconvenient! Stupid! Cool!

I want to borrow it and display it at my university. 


There’s also art distributed online.

From the Naoko Tosa Laboratory at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Ars Vivendi (Shishukan) Art Innovation Industry-Academia Joint Lecture, where I am a specially-appointed professor. 

https://kiff.kyoto.jp/art/cat6_artinnovation.html


Dr. Heinrich x Marine Nakamura

Collaboration talk project “Let’s make PoeJan bottles”

It was a real pleasure to invite Dr. Heinrich.

“K-Ko Project” at Gion Kagetsu.

New York artist KAORUKO (that’s formal idol Kaoruko Arai!).

Transmitting her signature K-Ko pose (face out from under the crotch) for good luck.

Ultra Boogies, Kuuki Kaidan, Gerrardon, Dansei Blanco, and Kaerutei posed before the King of Conte semi-finals.

https://kiff.kyoto.jp/art/cat5_kaoruko.html

Theme song of the Kyoto International Film and Art Festival “MEMORIES of FILM”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Viu10JhwTeU

Everyone contributed a picture of their favorite movie, coupled with a message.

I was the last one, after Mr. Kukkii.

Thank you, everyone.

After much deliberation, I chose Fellini’s “8 1/2"

The sweet dream of my boyhood.

Fellini’s Rimini is my Kyoto.

Just what is cinema?

Holding hands, making a circle.

“Life is a festival.”

The Kyoto International Film Festival.

In closing, a greeting.

To Hulic Hall, KYOCERA Museum of Art, Tamanoyu, and everyone who provided the venue.

Thank you very much.

To the film art administration, media sponsors, and to the grandparents, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and children who participated on- and offline.

Ookini (Thank you very much).


Next year, we would like to make the entire city of Kyoto—east, west, north, south, and online as well—a much livelier hybrid event.

Yoroshuu otano moushimasu (Thank you very much for your cooperation).


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