The (also known as the PIA Film Festival or PFF for short) is an annual

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theater, cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent ...

established in 1977. According to film scholar Jasper Sharp, the festival "not only ranks as a vital hotbed from which the careers of some of Japan's most talented young filmmakers have been launched, but it also lays claim to being the first ever film festival in Japan."

History

The festival was first held in 1977 as the ''Off Theater Film Festival'' by the Tokyo listings magazine ''Pia'' and initially functioned as one-off screening of independent movies made by young directors. Early jury members included

Nagisa Oshima is a Japanese name, Japanese given name used by either sex and is occasionally used as a surname. Written forms Nagisa can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *渚, "beach, strand" *汀, "water's edge/shore" *凪砂, "lu ...

and Shuji Terayama, and the second festival featured such later star directors as

Sogo Ishii is a department store chain with a significant presence in Japan. It operates a network of branches in various countries and has a long history dating back to 1830 when it was founded in Osaka by Ihei Sogō. The company is known for its retail ...

Yoshimitsu Morita was a Japanese film director. He was known for his versatility, having directed satires, melodramas, crime thrillers, and pinku films. His most acclaimed films include The Family Game (1983), Sorekara (1985), Haru (1996), and Lost Parad ...

, and

Shunichi Nagasaki is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Filmography Director *1982 '' Yamiutsu shinzo'' ''Heart, Beating in the Dark'' *1988 '' Rock yo shizukani nagareyo'' *1988 '' Yojo no jidai'' *1989 ''Yuwakusha'' ''The Enchantment'' *1991 ''Yoru ...

. According to Bryan Hartzheim writing in 2010, "many of the biggest directors of the last 20 years had their debuts at Pia." Other filmmakers who were screened at the PFF before making their professional debut include Joji Iida,

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic, author, actor, and a former professor at Tokyo University of the Arts (2005-2023). Noted for his psychological films that often focus on ambiguous narratives and on their characters' i ...

Akihiko Shiota (born 11 September 1961, Maizuru, Kyoto) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Career Shiota attended Rikkyo University, where he was in a film club with other students such as Makoto Shinozaki and Shinji Aoyama and began making 8mm fi ...

, Ryosuke Hashiguchi,

Shinobu Yaguchi is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He specializes in feel-good "zero to hero" films, where a group of people take up an unlikely activity, face a number of obstacles, but finally succeed. His film '' Waterboys'' was particularly succ ...

Lee Sang-il Lee Sang-il () is a Korean name consisting of the family name Lee and the given name Sang-il. It may refer to: * Lee Sang-il (footballer) (born 1979) * Lee Sang-il (film director) is a Korean-Japanese film director and screenwriter. Life ...

Naoko Ogigami is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. She first began gaining attention after winning several prizes at the PIA Film Festival for her short film ''Hoshino-Kun, Yumeno-Kun'' (2001). Among her most notable works are her f ...

Kazuyoshi Kumakiri is a Japanese film director. Career Kumakiri debuted with ''Kichiku'' in 1997. His 2001 film, ''Hole in the Sky'', starred Susumu Terajima and Yuriko Kikuchi. His 2004 film, ''Green Mind, Metal Bats'', screened at the International Film Fest ...

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Naomi Kawase is a Japanese film director. She was also known as , with her former husband's surname. Many of her works have been documentaries, including ''Embracing'', about her search for the father who abandoned her as a child, and ''Katatsumori'', about ...

, and Yuya Ishii.

PFF Award

The PFF Award Competition accepts submissions with "no restrictions whatsoever on the eligibility of its entrants" with no regard to whether the work is on film of video, is long or short, is fiction, documentary, or animation. For the 39th festival in 2017, 548 entries were received. Films in the Competition compete for several prizes, including the Grand Prize and the Runner-up Prize, awarded by a jury. The festival also features retrospectives of international filmmakers such as

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes (December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American filmmaker and actor. He began as an actor in film and television before helping to pioneer modern American independent cinema as a writer and director, often self- ...

and

Lee Sang-woo Lee Sang-woo (; born February 13, 1980) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame in the 2007 television drama ''First Wives' Club'', and has since played leading roles on '' The Road Home'' (2009), '' Don't Hesitate'' (2009), '' Life Is Beautif ...

PFF Scholarship

Award winners at the PFF are eligible for the PFF Scholarship, which supports the production of one film for theatrical release each year. Begun in 1984, PFF Scholarship films include ''

A Touch of Fever is a Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi, starring Yoshihiko Hakamada and Masashi Endō. It was released in 1993. It was shot on 16 millimeter film with a small budget and no payment for the actors or the director. It was awarded ...

'' (1992), ''Down the Drain'' (1993), ''Hole in the Sky'' (2001), '' Border Line'' (2002), ''Yoshino's Barber Shop'' (2003), ''Park and Love Hotel'' (2007), ''

A Stranger of Mine is a 2005 Japanese film by Kenji Uchida (film director), Kenji Uchida, starring Yasuhi Nakamura, Reika Kirishima, Sō Yamanaka and Yuka Itaya Plot In one long Friday evening, Takeshi Miyata (Yasuhi Nakamura), a straight-arrow businessman, will e ...

'', ''

Sawako Decides is a 2009 Japanese comedy-drama film directed by Yuya Ishii. The film stars Hikari Mitsushima as Sawako. ''Sawako Decides'' premiered at Tokyo at the PIA Film Festival in 2009. At the Fantasia Film Festival, the film won the award for Best Fea ...

'', and ''

Household X is a 2010 Japanese film directed by Kōki Yoshida. It was shown at the Forum section of the 61st Berlin International Film Festival The 61st annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 10 to 20 February 2011, with actress Isabella ...

''.Jasper Sharp

References

Literature

* * * *

External links

*{{Official site, https://pff.jp/jp/ Film festivals in Tokyo Film festivals established in 1977 1977 establishments in Japan