Awards
International Competition
The International Competition, a core program of the festival, has renewed its rules and is open to theatrical feature films over 60 minutes in length, which were shot and edited digitally by directors with fewer than 3 feature film credits to their name. This year, we received 656 entries from 98 countries and regions, the highest record of countries and regions to date. Among them a total of the very best 10 films, which reflect the modern society of our time, will screen in the competition including a first-time nominee from Kosovo (co-produced by the Netherlands). After the final round of judging by four international jury members, awards are given to the winners including the Grand Prize. In addition, the SKIP CITY AWARD will be given to one Japanese director in the International Competition or the Japanese Film Competition categories, providing access to SKIP City facilities for a limited time.
International Competition Awards Details
| Grand Prize |
Certificate and trophy are given by the festival organizers. Cash prize of 1,000,000 yen is given by Sony PCL. |
| Best Director |
Certificate and trophy are given by the festival organizers. Cash prize of 500,000 yen is given by the Citizens' Circle to Support SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL. |
| Special Jury Prize |
Certificate and trophy are given by the festival organizers. Cash prize of 300,000 yen is given by the Citizens' Circle to Support SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL. |
| SKIP CITY AWARD |
*Given to a Japanese filmmaker, whose next feature project is highly anticipated. Certificate and trophy are given by the festival organizers. The SKIP CITY AWARD grants the recipient free access to the audio and video facilities at Sai-no-Kuni Visual Plaza for a limited time. |
| Audience Award |
Determined by the votes received during the festival Certificate and trophy are given by the festival organizers. Gift produced in Saitama Prefecture is given by Saitama Keizai Doyukai |
Japanese Film Competition
In this 15th milestone edition, the festival is to further serve its goal to become the gateway to success for emerging talent and has renewed its rules and categories. For features, we accepted entries completed in 2017 and 2018 over 60 minutes in length. For shorts, we accepted entries over 15 minutes and less than 60 minutes in length. This year, we received 67 features and 176 shorts, with 4 features and 9 shorts being nominated. After the final round of judging by three jury members who are experts in Japanese cinema, the Best Japanese Film Prize and the Audience Prize are given to winners in both the Feature and Short categories. In addition, the SKIP CITY AWARD will be given to one Japanese director in the International Competition or the Japanese Film Competition.
Japanese Film Competition Awards Details
| Best Picture (Japanese Feature category) |
Certificate and trophy are given by the festival organizers. Cash prize of 300,000 yen is given by the Citizens' Circle to Support SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL. |
| Best Picture (Japanese Short category) |
Certificate and trophy are given by the festival organizers. Cash prize of 200,000 yen is given by the Saitama Foundation for Culture and Industry. |
| SKIP CITY AWARD |
*Given to a Japanese filmmaker, whose next feature project is highly anticipated. Certificate and trophy are given by the festival organizers. The SKIP CITY AWARD grants the recipient free access to the audio and video facilities at Sai-no-Kuni Visual Plaza for a limited time. |
| Audience Award (in Feature and Short categories) |
Determined by the votes received during the festival Certificate and trophy are given by the festival organizers. Gift produced in Saitama Prefecture is given by Saitama Keizai Doyukai |