by Chris MaGeeThis a festival that I would have given my right arm to have been at. The PIA Film Festival is the place to catch new upcoming and independent film talent in Japan and from the reports being posted online this year continues that great tradition.
Although the 30th annual offering of the fest has still got five more days of showcasing new cinematic talent this year's competition wrapped up Friday with the award winners announced in a ceremony held in Shibuya. The top prize went to Masahide Ichii's "Naked Of Defenses (Mubôbi)", the dramatic story of a young woman who is struggling to get over a traumatic miscarriage while she develops a friendship with a pregnant co-worker. Ichii (pictured above center) previously won the runner up prize in 2006 for his debut feature "Dog Days Dream". This year the runner-up honours went to Yukiko Sode for her film "Mime-Mime".
Whether we'll get a chance to see "Naked of Defenses" or any other of these indie auteur's works here in North America remains to be seen, but I would love to have the chance.
For a full list of this year's winners head over to Jason Gray's blog and while you're at it check out the PIA official site here.
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1 comment:
The PFF special program (July 26- Aug 31) is just an extension of the Douglas Sirk retrospective that ran during the fest with the addition of a Milos Forman retrospective. The festival proper is finished.
Ichii's Dog Days Dream screened in Vancouver and there's a good chance Naked of Defenses, and maybe others, will too. The PFF scholarship film will most likely get around as well. It marks a new talent on the scene.
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