Yamagata News

Highlighting the “mystique” and “creativity” of the Yamagata City of Film, we have released a new promotional video to attract people to Yamagata – a UNESCO Creative City. Its drone cinematography shows Yamagata’s exquisite scenery, such as the Zao Union in severe winter and the cherry blossoms in full bloom at Mamigasaki River. Please enjoy the Yamagata City of Film … Read More

The Yamagata Creative Cities International Conference was held in the past by inviting focal points of domestic or overseas Creative Cities and various speakers from the film industry, holding symposiums themed on film and creative cities and reflecting on the creativity and possibilities found in film culture and sustainable urban development. For this year’s edition of the conference, people working … Read More

The film “Love Talk (越年 Lovers)” (2019) is a collaborative film project of Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia. A talented Taiwanese female director, Ms. KUO Chen-Ti (郭珍弟), was inspired by the short stories by OKAMOTO Kanoko, wrote and directed this film. This movie is a love story of three men and women in the New Year in  Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia. … Read More

“Yamagata Tea Ceremony – Once in a Lifetime Encounters (一期一会〜山形のお茶文化〜)” (2020 / 24 mins / Dir: SATO Koichi (佐藤広一)) is a short documentary filmed through our local creative project “Yamagata Renaissance Project.” The project produces a series of films that will introduce the appeal of Yamagata’s traditional culture through new and contemporary eyes and offer young local film talent a chance … Read More

Yamagata City will renovate the former Yamagata Municipal Daiichi Elementary School “Yamagata Manabikan” to create a hub for creativity, and the project named “Q1 project” is in progress. Yamagata Manabikan is the former Yamagata Municipal Daiichi Elementary School built in 1927 as the first school constructed with reinforced concrete. It has been designated as a registered tangible cultural property in … Read More

“Yamagata Maiko – Traditional Performing Arts in the Modern Day (やまがた舞子〜受け継がれる伝統芸能〜)” (2019 / 26 mins / Dir: SATO Koichi (佐藤広一)) is a short documentary filmed through our local creative project “Yamagata Renaissance Project.” The project produces a series of films that will introduce the appeal of Yamagata’s traditional culture through new and contemporary eyes and offer young local film talent a chance … Read More

On Tuesday, 25 June 2019, we held the 20th Creative Café on the 3rd floor of Yamagata Manabikan. The theme was “Experience Contemporary Dance, Boost Creativity!“. It is a combination workshop to experience contemporary dance, discover Yamagata’s future hub “Yamagata Manabikan”, and make dance films to express “Colors of Yamagata” using the drone movie of Yamagata. Contemporary dance is a … Read More

The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival (山形花笠まつり) held in summer is one of the representative festivals in Tohoku and attracts many visitors from all over Japan. Unfortunately, the event has been canceled for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention.

Launched in 1989 to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the municipality of Yamagata, the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival (YIDFF) celebrated its 30 years anniversary in 2019. The festival garnered a very good reputation for its program of International Competition, and has been included on the Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival List for the annual Academy Awards®. Grand prize winners … Read More