The Scape City International Digital Film Festival outside Tokyo concluded its 19th edition Sunday with prizes going to “Softie by French director Samuel Theis” and “Double Life” by Chinese director Enen Yu in a separate Japanese film competition.
The festival, which has long been a springboard for emerging Japanese and international filmmakers, held in-person screenings from July 16-24, 2022, at venues in Kawaguchi, and an online segment from July 21-27.
“Softie” won the grand prize at the international competition. Vincent Mile Cardona’s “Magnetic Beats” won Best Director, while Alejandro Luiza Gracie’s “Utama” took home a Special Jury Prize in the same section. In addition, the film “Her Way”, directed by Cecile Ducruc, was selected for the Audience Award.
Trip Director Kiryu Shoujo at Skip City FF.
Courtesy of Skip City FF.
The Skip City Award was selected from among all Japanese films in both the International Competition and the Japanese Film Competition, and was awarded to Musashino Art University’s graduation film “Journey” by Shogo Kiriu.
While “Double Life” won the feature length award in the Japanese competition, the black and white animation “3 Intestine, Fish Island” won the short film award.
The audience award for a feature film went to “Fata,” a Japanese film shot entirely in Madagascar and directed by Kami Takeshi.
The jury of the international competition was presided over by Tarajima Shinobu, winner of the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 2010 Berlinale for her performance in the WWII drama “Caterpillar” by Wakamatsu Koji. The head of the Japanese Film Competition jury was cinematographer Ashizawa Akiko.
Launched in 2004 to showcase movies shot in the then new digital format, Skip City has since shifted its focus to features and short films by up-and-coming filmmakers. Previous winners who have moved on to major jobs include three-time Cannes Best Director, Nuri Bilge Gilan, as well as Japanese directors Shirashi Kazuya (“Blood of Wolves”), Nakano Ryota (“The Asadas”) and Ueda Shinichiro (” One “cutting the dead”).
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