Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival

Last updated
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival
Location Yamagata, Japan
Founded1989
No. of films238
LanguageInternational
Website http://www.yidff.jp/home-e.html

The Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival is a documentary film festival held biennially in Yamagata, Japan ( 38°15′N140°20′E / 38.250°N 140.333°E / 38.250; 140.333 ).

Contents

It was first held in October 1989, which makes it one of the longest- running documentary film festivals in the world and the most distinguished such festival in Asia. Its emphasis is on showcasing the best achievements in documentary filmmaking, as well as promoting and popularizing the genre and documentary filmmaking in the region.

The festival was most recently held in October 2023. 1,633 films from 109 countries were submitted, with 238 films screened as part of the international and regional competitions. The festival attracted an audience of around 23,000 people. [1] Since 2001, the competition includes films shot in DV. In 1991, a Young Asian Talents section was established. [2]

Awards

A number of prizes are awarded at the festival, including:

Award winners

1989 YIDFF

The first festival edition was held 10–15 October 1989. Along with the competition screenings, the festival hosted a retrospective of films by Robert and Frances Flaherty and a comprehensive screening of Japanese documentaries from the first half of the 20th century. In total, 80 films were seen by an audience of around 12,000.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
The Crossroad Street
(Skersiela)
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Ivars Seleckis  [ lv ]
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
Route One USA
Flag of France.svg Robert Kramer
Runner-up Prize
The Eye above the Well
(Het Oog boven de put)
Nobody Listened
(Nadie escuchaba)
Weapons of the Spirit
(Les Armes de l'esprit)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Johan van der Keuken

Flag of Spain.svg Jorge Ulla, &
Flag of Spain.svg Néstor Almendros
Flag of France.svg Pierre Sauvage

Special Jury Prize
Time Has No Name
(Tiden har inget namn)
Flag of Sweden.svg Stefan Jarl
Encouragement Prize
Over the Threshold
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Christine Lloyd-Fitt, &
Flag of Japan.svg Yoshi Tezuka
Citizens' Prize
Weapons of the Spirit
(Les Armes de l'esprit)
Flag of France.svg Pierre Sauvage

1991 YIDFF

The second festival edition was held 7–13 October 1991. Along with the competition screenings, the festival hosted a program devoted solely to Asian films, as well as a selection of Japanese films from the post-WWII period. In total, 153 films were shown, which attracted an audience of around 14,000.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Stubborn Dreams
Flag of Hungary.svg Béla Szobolits  [ hu ]
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
Locked-Up Time
(Ha-Behirah V'Hagoral)
Flag of Germany.svg Sibylle Schönemann  [ de ]
Runner-up Prize
American Dream
OnceThere Were Seven Simeons
(Reiz dzīvoja septiņi Simeoni)
Flag of the United States.svg Barbara Kopple
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Herz Frank  [ lv ], &
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Vladimir Eisner  [ ru ]
Special Jury Prize
Canticle of the Stones
(Le Cantique des pierres)
Flag of Palestine.svg Michel Khleifi
Encouragement Prize
Children of Mini-Japan
(Kutty Japanin Kuzhandaigal)
Flag of India.svg Chalam Bennurkar
Citizens' Prize
Children of Mini-Japan
(Kutty Japanin Kuzhandaigal)
Flag of India.svg Chalam Bennurkar

1993 YIDFF

The third festival edition was held 5–11 October 1993. Along with the competition screenings, the festival hosted a selection of Asian films, as well as a selection of films focusing on native peoples from North and South America, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. The Shinsuke Ogawa Award for most promising Asian film director in the New Asian Currents program was introduced. In total, 139 films were shown. As an illustrative example, one of the official selections, Le pays des sourds ( In the Land of the Deaf ) focused primarily on Deaf communities in France; but the documentary also featured a brief segment identifying commonalities in French Sign Language and Japanese Sign Language. The event attracted an audience of around 20,000 people.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Robin Anderson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Connolly
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
Zoo
Flag of the United States.svg Frederick Wiseman
Runner-up Prize
Living on the River Agano
(Agano ni ikiru)
Loss Is to Be Expected
(Mit Verlust ist zu rechnen)
Flag of Japan.svg Makoto Satō

Flag of Austria.svg Ulrich Seidl

Special Jury Prize
Elegy from Russia
(Le Cantique des pierres)
Flag of Russia.svg Aleksandr Sokurov
Shinsuke Ogawa Award
My Time with the Red Guards
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Wu Wenguang
Citizens' Prize
In the Name of God
(Raam Ke Naam)
Flag of India.svg Anand Patwardhan

1995 YIDFF

The fourth festival edition was held 3–9 October 1995. Along with the competition screenings, the festival hosted a retrospective of films from the early days of cinema in honor of the Lumière brothers' cinematograph centennial. In total, 278 films were shown, which attracted an audience of around 21,000 people.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Choice and Destiny
(Ha-Behirah V'Hagoral)
Flag of Israel.svg Tsipi Reibenbach
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
Metal and Melancholy
(Metaal en melancholie)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Heddy Honigmann
Runner-up Prize
Screenplay: The Times
(Drehbuch - Die Zeiten)
Picture of Light
Flag of Germany.svg Barbara Junge  [ de ] &
Flag of Germany.svg Winfried Junge  [ de ]
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Peter Mettler
Special Jury Prize
Father, Son, and Holy War
(Pitra, Putra Aur Dharamyuddha)
Flag of India.svg Anand Patwardhan
Shinsuke Ogawa Award
The Murmuring
(Najeun moksori)
Flag of South Korea.svg Byun Young-Joo
Citizens' Prize
Screenplay: The Times
(Drehbuch - Die Zeiten)
Flag of Germany.svg Barbara Junge, &
Flag of Germany.svg Winfried Junge
FIPRESCI Award
The Square
(Guang Chang)
Last Farewell USSR
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Duan Jinchuan, &
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhang Yuan
Flag of Ukraine.svg Oleksandr Rodnyansky
FIPRESCI
Special Mention
Embracing
(Ni tsutsumarete)
Flag of Japan.svg Naomi Kawase
We Love Cinema Award
Last Farewell USSR
Scenes of Violence
(Katatsumori)
Flag of Ukraine.svg Oleksandr Rodnyansky
Flag of Japan.svg Naomi Kawase

1997 YIDFF

The fifth festival edition was held 6–13 October 1997. In all competitions and programs 187 films were shown, and attendance was around 23,000.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Fragments: Jerusalem
(Shivrei T'munot Yerushalayim)
Flag of Israel.svg Ron Havilio
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
Africa, How Are You with Pain?
(Afriques, comment ça va avec la douleur?)
Flag of France.svg Raymond Depardon
Runner-up Prize
Paper Heads
(Papierové hlavy)
Tu as crié: Let me go
Flag of Slovakia.svg Dušan Hanák

Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Anne Claire Poirier

Special Jury Prize
La Comédie-Française
ou l'amour joué?
Flag of the United States.svg Frederick Wiseman
Shinsuke Ogawa Award
Out of Phoenix Bridge
(Hui dao feng huang qiao)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Li Hong
Citizens' Prize
Private Wars
Flag of the Philippines.svg Nick Deocampo
FIPRESCI Award
Homesick Eyes
(Wang hsiang)
Flag of the Republic of China.svg Hsu Hsiao-ming
FIPRESCI
Special Mention
London Brief
Flag of the United States.svg Jon Jost
We Love Cinema Award
Out of Phoenix Bridge
(Hui dao feng huang qiao)
Neon Goddesses
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Li Hong

Flag of Hong Kong.svg Yu Lik-wai

1999 YIDFF

The sixth festival edition was held 19–25 October 1999. Apart from the usual international and regional competition programs, a retrospective of films by Joris Ivens was shown. In total 188 films were shown, and attendance was around 20,000.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Images of the Absence
(Buenos Aires, meine Geschichte)
Flag of Germany.svg Germán Kral
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
Belfast, Maine
Flag of the United States.svg Frederick Wiseman
Runner-up Prize
Sweep It Up, Swig It Down
(Kehrein, kehraus)
Happy Birthday, Mr. Mograbi
(Yom Huledet Same'ach Mar Mograbi)
Flag of Germany.svg Gerd Kroske  [ de ]

Flag of Israel.svg Avi Mograbi

Special Jury Prize
The Underground Orchestra
(Het Ondergrondse orkest)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Heddy Honigmann
Shinsuke Ogawa Award
Swimming on the Highway
(Hui dao feng huang qiao)
Flag of the Republic of China.svg Wu Yao-tung
Citizens' Prize
Living Amongst Lions
(Leve blant løver)
Flag of Norway.svg Sigve Endresen
FIPRESCI Award
Divorce Iranian Style
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Kim Longinotto
Flag of Iran.svg Ziba Mir-Hosseini
FIPRESCI
Special Mention
The New God
(Atarashii kamisama)
Flag of Japan.svg Yutaka Tsuchiya
NETPAC Award
Shiro the White
Flag of Japan.svg Katsuyuki Hirano
NETPAC
Special Mention
Annyong-Kimchi
I Love (080)
Flag of Japan.svg Tetsuaki Matsue
Flag of the Republic of China.svg Yang Li-chou

2001 YIDFF

The seventh festival edition was held 3–9 October 2001. Apart from the usual international and regional competition programs, retrospectives of films by Robert Kramer and Fumio Kamei were shown. In total 183 films were shown, and attendance was around 18,000.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
The Land of the Wandering Souls
(La Terre des âmes errantes)
Flag of Cambodia.svg Rithy Panh
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
In Vanda’s Room
(No Quarto da Vanda)
Flag of Portugal.svg Pedro Costa
Runner-up Prize
Mysterious Object at Noon
(Dokfa nai meuman)
6 Easy Pieces
Flag of Thailand.svg Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Flag of the United States.svg Jon Jost

Special Jury Prize
A2
Flag of Japan.svg Tatsuya Mori
Shinsuke Ogawa Award
Soshin: In Your Dreams
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melissa Kyu-Jung Lee
Citizens' Prize
A2
Flag of Japan.svg Tatsuya Mori
FIPRESCI Award
In Vanda’s Room
(No Quarto da Vanda)
My Friend Su
Flag of Portugal.svg Pedro Costa

Flag of India.svg Neeraj Bhasin

NETPAC Award
My Migrant Soul
Flag of Bangladesh.svg Yasmine Kabir
NETPAC
Special Mention
Pansy & Ivy
Mysterious Object at Noon
(Dokfa nai meuman)
Flag of South Korea.svg Kye Un-kyoung
Flag of Thailand.svg Apichatpong Weerasethakul

2003 YIDFF

The eighth festival edition was held 10–16 October 2003. In total 177 films were shown, and attendance was around 19,000.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Wang Bing
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
Flag of the United States.svg Steve James
Runner-up Prize
Gift of Life
S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine
(S-21, la machine de mort Khmère rouge)
Flag of the Republic of China.svg Wu Yii-feng
Flag of Cambodia.svg Rithy Panh
Special Jury Prize
Purity
(Tehora)
Flag of Israel.svg Anat Zuria
Shinsuke Ogawa Award
Wellspring
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Qing Sha
Citizens' Prize
Purity
(Tehora)
Flag of Israel.svg Anat Zuria
FIPRESCI Award
Three-Five People
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Li Lin
FIPRESCI Award
Special Mention
A Short Journey
Flag of Thailand.svg Tanon Sattarujawong

2005 YIDFF

The ninth festival edition was held 7–13 October 2005. Apart from the usual regional and international competition programs, the festival screened a selection of films about Zainichi Koreans, as well as screenings of personal documentaries in collaboration with Visions du réel. In total 145 films were shown, and attendance was around 20,000.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Before the Flood
(Yan mo)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Yifan Li
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Yu Yan
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
Route 181: Fragments of a
Journey in Palestine-Israel
Flag of Palestine.svg Michel Khleifi
Flag of Israel.svg Eyal Sivan
Runner-up Prize
Foreland
(Voorland)
About a Farm
(Hiljainen tila)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Albert Elings, Eugenie Jansen

Flag of Finland.svg Mervi Junkkonen  [ fi ]

Special Jury Prize
Flag of Austria.svg Hubert Sauper
Shinsuke Ogawa Award
The Cheese and the Worms
(Chīzu to ujimushi)
Flag of Japan.svg Haruyo Kato
Citizens' Prize
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Coles-Janess
FIPRESCI Award
The Cheese and the Worms
(Chīzu to ujimushi)
Flag of Japan.svg Haruyo Kato
Community Cinema Award
Flag of Austria.svg Hubert Sauper

2007 YIDFF

The tenth festival edition was held 4–11 October 2007. Apart from the usual regional and international competition programs, the festival also screened a program devoted to German documentaries focused on German history. In total 238 films were shown, and attendance was around 23,000.

AwardFilmDirector
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Wang Bing
Mayor's Prize
(Award of Excellence)
Encounters
(Encontros)
Flag of France.svg Pierre-Marie Goulet
Runner-up Prize
Potosi: The Journey
(Potosi, le temps du voyage)
M
Flag of Israel.svg Ron Havilio

Flag of Argentina.svg Nicolás Prividera

Special Jury Prize
Tarachime birth/mother
(Tarachime)
Flag of Japan.svg Naomi Kawase
Shinsuke Ogawa Award
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Feng Yan
Citizens' Prize
Mr. Pilipenko and His Submarine
(Herr Pilipenko und sein U-Boot)
Back Drop Kurdistan
Flag of Germany.svg René Harder  [ de ], &
Flag of Germany.svg Jan Hinrik Drevs
Flag of Japan.svg Masaru Nomoto
Community Cinema Award
Bingai
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Feng Yan

2009 YIDFF

October 8–15, 2009 [3]

AwardFilmDirector
Prizes for the International Competition
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Encirclement—Neo-Liberalism Ensnares Democracy Richard Brouillette (Canada)
Mayor's Prize
Oblivion Heddy Honigmann (Netherlands/Germany)
Special Jury PrizeJapan: A Story of Love and Hate Sean McAllister (UK/Japan)
New Asian Currents Awards
Shinsuke Ogawa AwardAmerican Alley Kim Dong-ryung (Korea)
Citizens' PrizeJapan: A Story of Love and Hate Sean McAllister (UK/Japan)
Yuri—About LovingAzuma Mieko (Germany)
Community Cinema AwardBilalSourav Sarangi (India)
Directors' Guild of Japan AwardDoctor Ma’s Country ClinicCong Feng (China)

2011 YIDFF

October 6–13, 2011 [4]

AwardFilmDirector
Prizes for the International Competition
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
The Collaborator and His FamilyRuthie Shatz, Adi Barash (USA/Israel/France)
Mayor's Prize
Nostalgia for the Light (Nostalgia de la luz)Patricio Guzmán (France/Germany/Chile)
Awards of ExcellenceApudaHe Yuan (China)
The Woman with the 5 Elephants (Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten)Vadim Jendreyko (Switzerland/Germany)
Special Jury PrizeDistinguished Flying Cross Travis Wilkerson (USA)
New Asian Currents Awards
Shinsuke Ogawa AwardYuguo and His MotherGu Tao (China)
Citizens' PrizeThe Woman with the 5 Elephants (Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten)Vadim Jendreyko (Switzerland/Germany)
Iranian CookbookMohammad Shirvani (Iran)
Community Cinema AwardIranian CookbookMohammad Shirvani (Iran)
Directors' Guild of Japan AwardPrison and Paradise Daniel Rudi Haryanto  [ id ] (Indonesia)

2013 YIDFF

October 10–17, 2013 [5]

AwardFilmDirector
Prizes for the International Competition
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
A World Not Ours Mahdi Fleifel (Denmark)
Mayor's Prize
The Act of Killing Joshua Oppenheimer (Denmark)
Awards of Excellence Revision  [ de ] Philip Scheffner  [ de ] (Germany)
The Other Day (El otro día) Ignacio Agüero (Chile)
Special Jury PrizeTour of DutyKim Dong-ryung, Park Kyoung-tae (Korea)
New Asian Currents Awards
Shinsuke Ogawa AwardMrs. Bua’s CarpetDương Mộng Thu (Vietnam)
Awards of ExcellenceRaging Land 3: Three ValleysChan Yin Kai, Choi Yuen Villagers (Hong Kong)
Mohtarama Malek Shafi’i, Diana Saqeb (Afghanistan)
Special MentionsWar Is a Tender ThingAdjani Arumpac (Philippines)
Citizens' Prize The Punk Syndrome (Kovasikajuttu) Jukka Kärkkäinen  [ fi ], J-P Passi  [ fi ] (Finland)
The Targeted VillageMikami Chie (Japan)
Community Cinema AwardWe Want (U) to KnowElla Pugliese, Nou Va, The people of Thnol Lok (Germany/Cambodia)
Directors' Guild of Japan AwardThe Targeted VillageMikami Chie (Japan)

2015 YIDFF

October 8–15, 2015 [6]

AwardFilmDirector
Prizes for the International Competition
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Horse Money (Cavalo dinheiro) Pedro Costa (Portugal)
Mayor's Prize
The Pearl Button (El botón de nácar)Patricio Guzmán (Chile)
Awards of Excellence Homeland: Iraq Year Zero Abbas Fahdel (Iraq)
Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait Ossama Mohammed, Wiam Simav Bedirxan (Syria)
Special Jury PrizeUs Women/Them Women (Nosotras/ellas)Julia Pesce (Argentina)
New Asian Currents Awards
Shinsuke Ogawa AwardStanding Men (Des hommes debout)Maya Abdul-Malak (Lebanon)
Awards of ExcellenceSnakeskinDaniel Hui (Singapore)
Each StoryOkuma Katsuya (Japan)
Citizens' PrizeHomeland: Iraq Year Zero Abbas Fahdel (Iraq)
Directors' Guild of Japan AwardMy No-Mercy HomeAori (Korea)

2017 YIDFF

October 5–12, 2017 [7]

AwardFilmDirector
Prizes for the International Competition
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Communion (Komunia) Anna Zamecka  [ pl ] (Poland)
Mayor's Prize
A Memory in KhakiAlfoz Tanjour (Syria)
Awards of ExcellenceLone ExistenceSha Qing (China)
I Am Not Your Negro Raoul Peck (USA)
Special Jury PrizeIn the Intense Now (No intenso agora) João Moreira Salles (Brazil)
New Asian Currents Awards
Shinsuke Ogawa AwardYellowingChan Tze-Woon (Hong Kong)
Awards of ExcellenceThe Slice RoomSong Yun-hyeok (Korea)
Up Down & SidewaysAnushka Meenakshi, Iswar Srikumar (India)
Special MentionsBamseom Pirates, Seoul InfernoJung Yoon-suk (Korea)
City of Jade (Fei cui zhi cheng) Midi Z (Taiwan)
Citizens' PrizeSennan Asbestos DisasterHara Kazuo (Japan)
Directors' Guild of Japan AwardUp Down & SidewaysAnushka Meenakshi, Iswar Srikumar (India)

2019 YIDFF

October 10-17, 2019 "YIDFF: Past Festivals: 2019". www.yidff.jp.</ref>

AwardFilmDirector
Prizes for the International Competition
Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
(The Grand Prize)
Dead SoulsWang Bing (China)
Mayor's Prize
The Crosses (Las cruces)Teresa Arredondo, Carlos Vásquez Méndez (Chile)
Awards of ExcellenceMidnight TravelerHassan Fazili (USA)
Your Turn (Espero tua (re)volta)Eliza Capai (Brazil)
Special Jury PrizeMonrovia, IndianaFrederick Wiseman (USA)
New Asian Currents Awards
Shinsuke Ogawa AwardErased,___Ascent of the InvisibleGhassan Halwani (Lebanon)
Awards of ExcellenceXalkoSami Mermer, Hind Benchekroun (Canada)
ExodusBahman Kiarostami (Iran)
Citizens' PrizeDead SoulsWang Bing (China)
Directors' Guild of Japan AwardGracefullyArash Eshaghi (Iran)

References

  1. "YIDFF 2007 Information". Yamagata IDFF. 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  2. Lamant, Ludovic. "Words from a festival programmer". Cahiers du cinéma (May 2008 Special Issue). Cannes: 20. ISSN   0008-011X.
  3. "YIDFF: Past Festivals: 2009". www.yidff.jp. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  4. "YIDFF: Past Festivals: 2011". www.yidff.jp. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  5. "YIDFF: Past Festivals: 2013". www.yidff.jp. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  6. "YIDFF: Past Festivals: 2013". www.yidff.jp. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  7. "YIDFF: Past Festivals: 2017". www.yidff.jp. Retrieved 2019-08-21.