Yamagata and Film
Introducing films related to Yamagata, this program unpacks the rich and diverse film culture and history rooted in our prefecture, deepening our understanding of the region’s cinematic legacy.
- A Movie Capital 2025 Project
- Approximately 13 hours of unused footage from the 1991 documentary A Movie Capital (dir: Iizuka Toshio), which documented the first Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival (YIDFF) in 1989, was digitized this year. Using this previously unreleased material from the early days of YIDFF as a starting point, and considering the decades of having carried on the festival, the project aims to reflect on what international arts initiatives mean for the future of regional cities far from the capital. One highlight will be the digital restoration of a rough cut “phantom” film which was never completed, featuring the YIDFF Network—the group of local citizen volunteers who supported the festival’s launch. Additionally, a new work (title TBD, composed by Oe Yuta, 2025) presents footage of filmmaker Ogawa Shinsuke shooting an additional scene for A Movie Capital in the Yamagata Central Public Hall’s main auditorium. A screening of the original A Movie Capital (1991) and a talk event will also be held.
- Home Movies
- 8mm films from the 1950s and 60s discovered in Yamagata households will be projected on reels using a film projector, with the accompaniment of commentary by the film owners. This program highlights the multifaceted value of home movies, where personal memories become important records of regional history.
- Early Festival Films, Digitally Remastered
- Screenings of digitally remastered versions of films shown in the early years of the YIDFF.