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Introduction to the film festival

Located in a verdant, rolling valley far north of Tokyo, Yamagata City is the site for Asia’s first international documentary film festival. The first Film Festival (in 1989) was an event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Yamagata City, the sponsor of the festival at the time, and has been held biennially ever since in Yamagata’s best season, October.

The atmosphere of the festival is intimate and affords Asian filmmakers a prime opportunity to meet with their Western counterparts. The reasons for it being a magnet for independent filmmakers are simple.

Until recently, the week-long YIDFF was one of the few film festivals in Asia devoted exclusively to the documentary form. Its scope, however, reaches beyond simply screening recent, ground-breaking work in the International Competition. New Asian Currents, the competition program introducing emerging filmmakers from across Asia, has over the years become one of the Festival’s vibrant centers of attention as a meeting place of raw youthful energy. By featuring special events and programs shedding light on the history and diversity of filmmaking, the YIDFF is working hard to create a new forum for the production of alternative, independent, non-fiction film and the discussion of documentary as a form of expression.

It was in this spirit that the documentarist Ogawa Shinsuke, who passed away in 1992, spearheaded the organization of the first Festival. From the time of his earliest films about the Narita Airport protests in the 1960s to 70s, to his last works produced in Yamagata, Ogawa encouraged filmmakers around Asia to devote their energy to making meaningful documentaries. In honor of this dedicated filmmaker, the Ogawa Shinsuke Prize was established in 1993 to provide encouragement to young Asian documentarists.

Awards

Jury:

An International Competition jury will be assigned, composed of individuals selected by the Festival.

Prizes:

The jury will award the following prizes with remuneration to the directors:

  • The Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize (The Grand Prize): 2,000,000 yen
  • The Mayor’s Prize: 1,000,000 yen
  • Two Awards of Excellence: 300,000 yen each
  • Special Jury Prize: 300,000 yen
  • Ogawa Shinsuke Prize: 500,000 yen
  • Two Awards of Excellence: 300,000 yen each

Rules

Genre ：Action Comedy War Science fiction Ethics Horror Thriller Violence Adventure Crime Family Musical Romance Magical Fantasy Shootout Suspense Youth Inspirational Arthouse Biography Western Drama others Documentary
Subject ：Unlimited
Video Format ：MPEG4 DCP
ELIGIBILITY
  1. Films must have been made in a UNESCO Creative City of Film or made by a filmmaker from a UNESCO Creative City of Film.
    UNESCO Creative Cities of Film are:
    Asaba (Nigeria), Bitola (Macedonia), Bradford (UK), Bristol (UK), Busan (South Korea), Cannes (France), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Galway (Ireland), Gdynia (Poland), Kathmandu (Nepal), Łódź (Poland), Mumbai (India), Ouarzazate (Morocco), Penedo (Brazil), Potsdam (Germany), Qingdao (China), Rome (Italy), Santos (Brazil), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Sofia (Bulgaria), Sydney (Australia), Terrassa (Spain), Valladolid (Spain), Vicente Lopez (Argentina), Wellington (New Zealand), Yamagata (Japan). [as of June 2024]
  2. We welcome all genres including but not limited to narrative, documentary, short, animation, experimental, etc.
  3. Entry films can be any length.
  4. Entry fee is free.

The entrant is responsible for all necessary copyright clearances for material used in their submitted works. The Organizers will not be held responsible for damage resulting from copyright infringement lawsuits from other parties, which are entirely the responsibility of the entrant.

SCREENERS
  1. Secure online screener links should be provided for preview.
  2. Make sure the film is subtitled or captioned in English, and kept accessible until March 2025.

SUPPORT MATERIALS
The following materials should accompany each entry:
  1. Application sheet (credits, concise loglines, synopses)
  2. 1–2 stills from film
  3. 1 photo of filmmaker
  4. Director’s bio/filmography
  5. Trailers if available
= Entry gives the Organizers rights to publish stills from films for promotional purposes. Films/artists will be credited.

PRESENTATION

  1. Selection results will be announced in mid-December 2024.
  2. 3 to 5 selected films will be presented with Japanese subtitles at Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2025 (autumn 2025) through 2–5 public screenings. There will be no screening fee paid to the filmmaker.
  3. Screening copies of the selected works must reach the YIDFF office by January 15, 2025. English subtitles are required for non-English and non-Japanese language films.
  4. Complete dialogue list in original language with an English or Japanese translation also required if the original is in any other language.

DISCLAIMER

By entering this program, you hereby grant Yamagata City permission to screen and otherwise use your film (the “Work”) in connection to this project. You represent and warrant that you have all the rights in and to the Work and /or you have the authority to grant the organizers to screen and otherwise use the Work. You also grant the organizers permission to use stills and excerpts from the Work for promotional and publicity use.
Should unforeseen events alter the format of the event, the organizers will contact and inform filmmakers in selection of how such events may affect and change the nature of their status.

Evaluation

Jury Profile
Jury Name Judge photos Jury Profile

Authorization type

    Proxy Submission

Duration (several sessions)

    19

Film Festival Features

  • Red Carpet
  • Celebrity Guest
  • Filmscreen
  • Cash prize
  • Trophy
  • Certificate

Dates & Deadlines

  • 2024-09-13
    Submission start time

  • 2024-09-28
    Special Deadline

  • 2024-12-13
    Late Deadline

  • 2025-04-13
    International competition deadline

  • 2025-05-13
    Deadline for Asian New Trends

  • 2025-05-13
    Submission end time

  • 2025-07-10
    Finalist notification start time

  • 2025-07-12
    Finalist notification end time

  • 2025-10-09
    Award ceremony start time

  • 2025-10-16
    Award ceremony end time

Categories and fees

  • New Asian Currents Short
    Video length ：1 - 59
    Everyone is welcome to submit their work, provided that the following conditions are met: Filmmakers intend that the work is a documentary. The work is related to Asian regions or made by filmmakers with Asian roots. There are no restrictions on format (film or video/digital), length of work, or production year.

    2024/12/13
    Late Deadline

    Standard: 0 Dollar

    2025/05/13
    Deadline for Asian New Trends

    Standard: 0 Dollar

    Not available
  • New Asian Currents Feature
    Video length ：60 - 200
    Everyone is welcome to submit their work, provided that the following conditions are met: Filmmakers intend that the work is a documentary. The work is related to Asian regions or made by filmmakers with Asian roots. There are no restrictions on format (film or video/digital), length of work, or production year.

    2024/12/13
    Late Deadline

    Standard: 0 Dollar

    2025/05/13
    Deadline for Asian New Trends

    Standard: 0 Dollar

    Not available
  • View People View Cities:Feature
    Video length ：60 - 200
    Films must have been made in a UNESCO Creative City of Film or made by a filmmaker from a UNESCO Creative City of Film. UNESCO Creative Cities of Film are: Asaba (Nigeria), Bitola (Macedonia), Bradford (UK), Bristol (UK), Busan (South Korea), Cannes (France), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Galway (Ireland), Gdynia (Poland), Kathmandu (Nepal), Łódź (Poland), Mumbai (India), Ouarzazate (Morocco), Penedo (Brazil), Potsdam (Germany), Qingdao (China), Rome (Italy), Santos (Brazil), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Sofia (Bulgaria), Sydney (Australia), Terrassa (Spain), Valladolid (Spain), Vicente Lopez (Argentina), Wellington (New Zealand), Yamagata (Japan). [as of June 2024] We welcome all genres including but not limited to narrative, documentary, short, animation, experimental, etc. Entry films can be any length.

    2024/09/28
    Special Deadline

    Standard: 0 Dollar

    Not available
  • View People View Citijavascript:;es:Short
    Video length ：1 - 59
    Films must have been made in a UNESCO Creative City of Film or made by a filmmaker from a UNESCO Creative City of Film. UNESCO Creative Cities of Film are: Asaba (Nigeria), Bitola (Macedonia), Bradford (UK), Bristol (UK), Busan (South Korea), Cannes (France), Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Galway (Ireland), Gdynia (Poland), Kathmandu (Nepal), Łódź (Poland), Mumbai (India), Ouarzazate (Morocco), Penedo (Brazil), Potsdam (Germany), Qingdao (China), Rome (Italy), Santos (Brazil), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Sofia (Bulgaria), Sydney (Australia), Terrassa (Spain), Valladolid (Spain), Vicente Lopez (Argentina), Wellington (New Zealand), Yamagata (Japan). [as of June 2024] We welcome all genres including but not limited to narrative, documentary, short, animation, experimental, etc. Entry films can be any length.

    2024/12/13
    Special Deadline

    Standard: 0 Dollar

    Not available
  • International Competition
    Video length ：60 - 200
    Filmmakers intend that the work is a documentary. The final form of the work is 16mm or 35mm film print, or video/digital format (DCP, Blu-ray, video files etc). The work has not been released publicly in Japan (screenings in theaters or TV broadcast) prior to being presented at YIDFF 2025. Japanese films are exempt from this rule. The work is completed after April 1, 2023. Shorts will not be accepted.

    2024/12/13
    Late Deadline

    Standard: 0 Dollar

    2025/04/13
    International competition deadline

    Standard: 0 Dollar

    Not available

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