| 2020-05-22 | | | Message from the New Director of Yamagata Office |
It’s a pleasure to greet you as the new Director of YIDFF Yamagata Office starting April 1st, following the departure of Kusakabe Katsuyoshi. Over the years, my work with YIDFF has covered international liaison, coordinating the International Competition, managing guest services, and more. Now I will be overseeing the management of the non-profit organization and the overview of operations. Together with your support, I promise my commitment to sustain what the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival stands for, a special place which upholds trust in the possibilities of cinema.
The current COVID-19 crisis has cast its shadow over the film industry, and we too have been forced to cancel a part of planned film events this year. Our film festival is particularly rooted in a web of friendships and collaborations with film and culture partnerships across Japan and beyond. Thus we feel these times of unpredictable future demand that we, more than ever before, support each other, share ideas, and find slow but sure ways to break through these dire straits. Our preparations for YIDFF 2021 will proceed as scheduled, while keeping vigilant watch for new developments.
I thank you in advance for your continued kind support of our activities.