Yokohama Film Festival

[Ono Seiko and Aaron Gerow]

Just to give people a slightly different view of the best films of last 
year:

According to the papers, the Yokohama Film Festival, a long-running, 
fan-supported festival that features its own selection of the best films 
of the year, released its 20th annual selection.  The Festival's Best Ten 
and individual awards are as follows:

01. CURE [dir. Kurosawa Kiyoshi]
02. Give It All (Ganbatte ikimasshoi) [dir. Isomura Itsumichi]
03. Hana-bi [dir. Kitano Takeshi]
04. The Goofball (Orokamono, kizudarake no tenshi) [dir: Sakamoto 
Junji]
05. Begging for Love (Ai o kou hito) [dir. Hirayama Hideyuki]
06. DOG RUN (Inu, hashiru) [dir. Sai Yoichi]
07. Love and Pop [dir. Anno Hideaki]
08. Ring [dir. Tanaka Hideo]
09. Odoru daisosasen [dir. Motohiro Katsuyuki]
10. The Bird People of China (Chugoku no chojin) [dir. Miike Takashi]
Runners up: Love Letter [dir. Morisaki Azuma]; Kiriko no fukei [dir. 
Akashi Tomoyuki]

Best Director: Kurosawa Kiyoshi; Isomura Itsumichi
Best New Director: Anno Hideaki 
Best Actor: Nakai Kiichi; Maki Kuroudo
Best Actress: Harada Mieko
Best Supporting Actor: Osugi Ren
Best Supporting Actress: Yoshiyuki Yumi
Best New Face: Tanaka Rena; Aso Kumiko; Minowa Asumi

As you can see, the YFF is oriented towards the popular without feeling 
the need to support the "established" directors that older critics tend 
to favor.  Its decision to give its special award to the comedy director 
Maeda Yoichi, who died last year, instead of Kurosawa, Kinoshita, or 
Yodogawa is a reflection of its biases.

A screening of some of the winners, as well as special previews of 
upcoming films, will be held in Yokohama on February 7.

Aaron Gerow
Yokohama National University
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