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The 3rd Okinawa International Movie Festival was held from March 18 to March 27, 2011 and took place at the Okinawa Convention Center in
Ginowan ( ryu, ジノーン, translit=Jinōn) is a city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2012, the city has an estimated population of 94,405, with 40,041 households and a population density of 4,838.8 persons per km2. The total area is 19.5 ...
City and Sakurazaka Theater in
Naha is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area ...
, owned and run by Japanese director
Yuji Nakae is a Japanese film director who specializes in films set in Okinawa, featuring Okinawan music, language, themes and atmosphere. He shared the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for his debut film, ''Pineapple Tours'', which was an om ...
. This was the first
Okinawa International Movie Festival The Okinawa International Movie Festival is an annual Film Festival held in Ginowan City and Naha City on the Japanese island of Okinawa Island. The festival was founded by Japanese century-old comedy-entertainment giant Yoshimoto Kogyo in 2009 ...
to include the 'Contents Bazaar' to promote co-productions between U.S. and Japanese TV companies, though due to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami Yoshimoto's Hollywood partners CAA did not to send representatives. In addition, the festival also launched two new elements in 2001, The Local Origination Project for films made in locations around Japan, from Niigata to Okinawa, and the Jimot CM Competition which received ideas for TV commercials with the aim of publicizing local products and attractions from a round Japan. From 565 ideas, 10 were selected as finalists with the winner receiving a ¥470,000 prize and a terrestrial TV screening. Live music was provided by
Rimi Natsukawa is a Japanese singer. She is best known for her 2001 single "Nada Sōsō." Childhood Natsukawa was born in Ishigaki, the largest city in the Yaeyama Islands chain. From a young age she enjoyed singing, and wanted to be a singer after hearin ...
, Kariyushi 58 and Begin at Ginowan Seaside Park. The Golden Shisa was awarded to Japanese director Yoshishige Miyake for his film
Hankyū Densha is a 2011 Japanese film. It is based on the novel ''Hankyū Densha'' by Hiro Arikawa and directed by Yoshishige Miyake. It was released in cinemas in the Kansai region of Japan on April 23, 2011, and then in other regions of the country from Ap ...
.


2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

The festival was scaled back as a result of the March 11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami with many guests cancelling their visits and attendance down on the previous year from 380,000 to 310,000. Only British comic writer
Tony Hawks Antony Gordon Hawksworth, MBE (born February 27, 1960), known professionally as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author. Early life Born in Brighton, Sussex, Hawks was educated at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School and Bright ...
and Taiwanese director Yeh Tien-lun attended from abroad. The event was instead turned into a fundraiser raising more than US$1 million, including ¥10,949,189 (approx. US$125,000) collected by 550 staff during the event itself. Organizers
Yoshimoto Kogyo is a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in 1912, Osaka, as a traditional theatre, and has since grown to be one of the most influential companies in Japan, employing most of Japan's popular owarai (comedy) talent, produci ...
had a history of assisting in the face of such disasters having set up Osaka's first FM radio network following the
Great Hanshin earthquake The , or Kobe earthquake, occurred on January 17, 1995, at 05:46:53 JST (January 16 at 20:46:53 UTC) in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, including the region known as Hanshin. It measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and ha ...
in Kobe in 1995. The festival started with a minute's silence held on the main stage with Yoshimoto President Hiroshi Osaki, Chairman Isao Yoshino, Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima and Ginowan City Mayor Yoichi Iha addressing the crowd. All of the ¥6,470,000 in prize money was donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society.


Official selection

The official selection was announced at a press conference on Tuesday 22 February 2011, with Hiroshi Shinagawa's "Manzai Gang" as the opening film, one of three directed by
Yoshimoto Kogyo is a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in 1912, Osaka, as a traditional theatre, and has since grown to be one of the most influential companies in Japan, employing most of Japan's popular owarai (comedy) talent, produci ...
talent. A further seven were co-produced by Yoshimoto. 15 foreign titles were announced, including several premieres such as
Ivan Reitman Ivan Reitman (; October 27, 1946February 12, 2022) was a Czechoslovak-born Canadian filmmaker. He was best known for his comedy work, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 1998. Film ...
's comedy '' No Strings Attached (film)'' starring
Natalie Portman Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, he, נטע-לי הרשלג, ) is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving mu ...
and
Ashton Kutcher Christopher Ashton Kutcher (; born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former model. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a People's Choice Award, and nominations for two Young Artist Awards, a ...
.


Competition

The official selection of films was broken into two categories, Laugh and Peace, each with 12 entrants. The former focuses on comedy films, while the latter includes dramas and documentaries with elements of comedy. The Chinese film '' Aftershock'' by
Feng Xiaogang Feng Xiaogang (; born 18 March 1958 in Beijing) is a Chinese film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and politician. He is well known in China as a highly successful commercial filmmaker whose comedy films do consistently well at the box of ...
was dropped out of respect for the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six mi ...
.


Laugh Category

The following films were selected as In Competition for the Laugh


Peace Category

The following films were selected as In Competition for the Peace


Out of Competition

The following films were screened out of competition: ;Special Screening "Okinawa Presentation" ;Project of Local Areas "Films from Local Areas"


Jury

;Competition *Lee Yong Kwan, Chairman of
Busan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF, previously Pusan International Film Festival, PIFF), held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan (''also'' Pusan), South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festiv ...
*Wang Rugang, Chinese comedy actor *Chu Yu-ning, Taiwanese filmmaker *Kiyota Oshiro, Japanese Pointilist


Awards


Official selection

;In Competition The ''Golden Shisa Award'' was won by the Japanese-language film ''
Hankyū Densha is a 2011 Japanese film. It is based on the novel ''Hankyū Densha'' by Hiro Arikawa and directed by Yoshishige Miyake. It was released in cinemas in the Kansai region of Japan on April 23, 2011, and then in other regions of the country from Ap ...
'' directed by Yoshishige Miyake. The ''Laugh Category Uminchu Prize Grand Prix'' went to "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" from Thailand, directed by Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin Pokpong. The ''Peace Category Uminchu Prize Grand Prix'' was won by ''
Hankyū Densha is a 2011 Japanese film. It is based on the novel ''Hankyū Densha'' by Hiro Arikawa and directed by Yoshishige Miyake. It was released in cinemas in the Kansai region of Japan on April 23, 2011, and then in other regions of the country from Ap ...
'' by Yoshishige Miyake. The Jimot CM competition ''Grand Prix Award'' went to Masako Suzuki. The ''Grand Prix Award'' winner in the World Wide Laugh short-film was "Balloon Man the Challenge" by TBS.


See also

*
Okinawa International Movie Festival The Okinawa International Movie Festival is an annual Film Festival held in Ginowan City and Naha City on the Japanese island of Okinawa Island. The festival was founded by Japanese century-old comedy-entertainment giant Yoshimoto Kogyo in 2009 ...


References


External links


Okinawa International Movie Festival official website (in English)Official Okinawa International Movie Festival Facebook Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okinawa International Movie Festival Film festivals in Japan March 2011 events in Japan 2011 in Japanese cinema 2011 film festivals 2011 festivals in Asia ja:沖縄国際映画祭