Kaminari Japan Film Festival.

Japan · Years Running: 5 Years

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Why was the Kaminari Film Festival born? In 2015, I suddenly fell seriously ill and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. As I lay in the hospital bed, I thought, "This is it. I've lived selfishly, and now I'm going to die." But I survived. And in that moment, I made a decision: if I had been given more time, I wouldn't waste it. I would pursue what I truly wanted to do. One of those dreams was making a film. Upon my release, I immediately began working on a film project. I raised the funds through crowdfunding, and the film was completed. I wanted as many people as possible to see it. But how could an unknown, low-budget director promote a film without spending money? I thought: what if I submitted it to film festivals? If I could win an award, the media might cover the film without a single advertising yen spent. There are tens of thousands of festivals worldwide. I submitted to several I had heard of. But of course, it wasn't that easy. I couldn't even make it into the top tier, let alone win. Frustrated, I wondered: Are foreign filmmakers in Japan just ignored by the local industry? Through conversations with other directors and friends with festival experience, I learned that timing, jury connections,.

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