Japanese

International Competition Jurors

Here we introduce the five jurors who will decide the destination of awards including The Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize from the fifteen International Competition films for YIDFF 2015.

Thom Andersen (USA)

Born in Chicago in 1943 and based in Los Angeles. He is a filmmaker, film critic and teaches at the California Institute of the Arts. His recent work includes The Thoughts That Once We Had (2015).

Screenings:
The Thoughts That Once We Had  USA / 2015 / English, Chinese, French, German, Italian and others / Color, B&W / Blu-ray / 108 min
• Oct. 13 YC
Double Shadows
Los Angeles Plays Itself  USA / 2003 / 170 min
• Oct. 9 M2

Nicolás Echevarría (MEXICO)

Born in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico in 1947. A filmmaker with a career that spans close to 40 years, during which he has made over 20 films in addition to works for television. His most recent film is Echo of the Mountain (2014).

Screenings:
Echo of the Mountain (“Eco de la montana”)  MEXICO / 2014 / Spanish / Color / Blu-ray / 91 min
• Oct. 14 CL
Latinoamérica
María Sabina, Woman Spirit (“María Sabina, mujer espíritu”)  MEXICO / 1979 / Spanish / DVD (Orginal: 16mm) / 80 min
• Oct. 11 CS

Feng Yan (CHINA)

Feng Yan was born and raised in Tianjin. She lived in Japan for thirteen years beginning in 1988, and she started making documentaries in 1994. The first work she directed, Dreams of Changjiang (1997), was shown at YIDFF ’97. Bingai (2007) won the Ogawa Shinsuke Prize at YIDFF 2007.

Screening:
A Day in Tianjin  CHINA / 2015 / Chinese / Color / Blu-ray / 50 min
• Oct. 13 YC

Gustavo Fontán (ARGENTINA)

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1960. Fontan is a filmmaker, writer and theater director. He also teaches at the National University of La Plata. He explores possibilities in the space between poetry and cinema. His latest film is The Face (2013).

Screenings:
The Face  ARGENTINA / 2013 / No Dialogue / B&W / DCP / 64 min
• Oct. 14 YC
Latinoamérica
The Tree  ARGENTINA / 2006 / Spanish / Color / 35mm / 62 min
• Oct. 10 CS

Makino Takashi (JAPAN)

In 2001, after graduating from the Cinema Department of the Nihon University College of Art, he went to London to apprentice under the Quay Brothers. In addition to working as a colorist, he has also regularly held solo screenings of his work since 2004. His films have shown and won awards at many international film festivals, including the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Screenings:
cinéma concret  JAPAN, THE NETHERLANDS / 2015 / No Dialogue / Color / HD / 24 min
2012  JAPAN / 2013 / No Dialogue / Color / HD / 30 min
• Oct. 14 CL