JOURNEY OF THE TORTOISE Takes Top Honors at Yubari Festival

Japanese road movie Journey of the Tortoise was awarded the Grand Prix at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival earlier today, bagging its director, Tadashi Nagayama, ¥‎2,000,000 towards his next project, which will then premiere at next year's festival.

 

This year's jury, headed by director Makoto Naito, gave the Special Jury Prize to Lim Choel-min’s Korean comedy Beethoven Medley, while Shoichi Yokoyama’s madcap thriller The Road to Love won the Hokkaido Governor's Award. The critics jury presented its Cinegar Award to Yasushi Koshizaka’s erotic drama Strange Days. In the International Short Film Competition, the Grand Prix went to Kim Hyo-jeong’s M.boy.

 

Now in its 27th edition, the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival runs from 2-6 March in Hokkaido, Japan.

 

 

Fantastic Off-Theater Competition

Grand Prix:

Journey of the Tortoise (dir. Tadashi Nagayama, Japan)

 

Special Mention:

Ochiru (dir. Kazuya Murayama, Japan)

 

Special Jury Prize:

Beethoven Medley (dir. Lim Choel-min, South Korea)

 

Governor of Hokkaido Prize:

The Road to Love (dir. Shoichi Yokoyama, Japan)

 

Cinegar Award:

Strange Days (dir. Yasushi Koshizaka, Japan)

 

International Short Film Competition:

Grand Prix:

M.boy (dir. Kim Hyo-jeong, South Korea)

 

Special Jury Prize: 

“Pearlies” Quenottes (dir. Pascal Thiebaux, France) 

 

Awards for Artistic Contribution:

Look at Me Only (dir. Tomoki Misato, Japan)

Captain Octopus & Treasure (dir. Senri Iida, Japan)

Mizbrük (dir. Daniel Duranleau, Canada)

 

 

Fantastic Off-Theater Competition:

Makoto Naito - Director

Choi Yong-bae - Executive Committee of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival

Dimitri Ianni - Programmer - Kinotayo Film Festival

Kurando Mitsutake - Director

Hotaru - Actress

 

International Short Film Competition:

Takeshi Yoshiro - Director

Daishi Matsunaga - Director

Rina Takeda - Actress