Last year we commemorated 20 years of the SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL. This 21st year is poised to launch us into the future.

At 21, SKIP CITY IDCF may seem very young in terms of the history of cinema, but over the years the festival has made its contribution, however modest, to the Japanese film industry.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Kazuya Shiraishi as president of the International Competition Jury. Shiraishi received the SKIP CITY AWARD in 2009 for his debut feature film, Lost Paradise in Tokyo. Since then, he has gone on to win multiple awards, for works such as The Devil’s Path (13), Birds Without Names (17), and The Blood of Wolves (18), and established himself as one of the most noteworthy directors in Japanese cinema today. We are also delighted to have Satoko Yokohama join us as president of the Japanese Film Competition Jury. Yokohama made her commercial debut in 2009 with Bare Essence of Life, and won numerous awards for Ito (21), a vibrant portrayal of youth set in her native Aomori.

We are also planning to present two lively talk events by the jury presidents  for the young aspiring directors with their films in competition, so we hope that you will attend.

Both competitions feature a strong lineup again this year, and we heartily recommend that you attend SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL 2024.

Last but by no means least, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for their generous support of all competition jury members, festival staff, and each and every person who has made this year’s festival possible. 

 

Tsutomu TSUCHIKAWA

Director, SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL