The Osaka Asian Film Festival is held for the purposes of developing Osaka's moving image culture, presenting the city as a cultural center and facilitating exchange and human resources development. Our events offer an opportunity to watch excellent Asian films, and our activities support filmmaking in Osaka.

Marking its 8th edition this year, the OAFF, under the direction of Programming Director Sozo Teruoka, will select high-quality Asian films, and will hold a competition section with newly-released films, special screenings and other special programs. We will screen many Japan-premiere films at the competition section here in Osaka to introduce new films to the rest of Japan and to all of Asia. In addition, we will hold the Indie Forum section again this year, to develop networks in Asia through the screenings of CO2 grant-recipient films and the work of young Asian filmmakers.

Additionally, we will hold various events including a special symposium about potential future developments in Asian film with guest filmmakers. We will concurrently host the Osaka Cinema Festival featuring the screenings of Osaka-related films and an announcement of this year's best ten films as chosen by Osaka film experts and fans.

Name

OSAKA ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2013

Theme

From Osaka to All of Asia !

Presented by

Osaka Executive Committee for the Promotion of Moving Image Culture

Dates

March 8 (Fri) - 17 (Sun) , 2013

Programs

Competition section
Latest Asian films will have their Japan Premieres and compete for the Grand Prix!
This section will present films from among Asian films completed on or after 2011 and unreleased in Japan as of March 17, 2013. The international jurors will choose the winners of the Grand Prix (JPY500,000 as prize money) and Most Promising Talent Award (JPY200,000). The winners will be announced at the closing ceremony on March 17.

Special Screenings Section
Enjoy the wide variety of OAFF2013's film line-up, from the first Iranian film ever shown at OAFF to films by Pang Ho-cheung, a HK director well-known to OAFF audiences.

[Special Programs]
Special Focus on Hong Kong
Hong Kong – a booming cosmopolis where economy, tourism and culture keep evolving. With support from Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Tokyo of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Tourism Board, OAFF2013 will screen the hottest Hong Kong films and invite a number of guests for the purpose of promoting further relationships between Hong Kong and Japan.

Director in Focus: Li Yu's Cinema World
The second Director in Focus program, the first of which featured Koji Fukada. Director Li Yu rapidly established herself as a leading new-generation filmmaker in China. In recent years, she has been working with the Chinese star actress Fan Bingbing. This program will focus on Li Yu and screen her films including her latest, Double Xposure.

Celebrating Seven-something Years of GTH:
New Miracle of Thai Cinema
Thai film is known worldwide for its exciting action stars such as Tony Jaa and Jeeja, but Thai production company GTH's works have sophisticated urban air. This will be the world's first retrospective program featuring GTH, and look back at its path to one of Thailand's biggest major film companies in just over seven years since its founding, showcasing some of their films from "My Girl", which led to the company's formation, to one of their newest films.

New Frontier of Japanese Filmmakers
While major film companies in Japan retreat to safe themes and a conservative business model, many filmmakers on the periphery of the film industry are trying to explore new expression and new ideas. This program will focus on these edgy filmmakers to introduce them to the wider world.

Memorial 3.11 – Two Years from Great East Japan Earthquake
It has been two years since the unprecedented earthquake and recovery is proceeding slowly. We have chosen three films among many films which deal with the disaster, and we will also hold a talk event.

Indie Forum section
Cineastes Organization Osaka (CO2) as Osaka's independent film festival leads a creative scene in the Kansai area. One of last year's CO2 grant-recipient films, "A Pale Woman", starring Kim Kkobbi from "Breathless", attracted wide attention. This section will hold the premiere screenings of this year's CO2 grant-recipient films and a talk event with CO2 selection board members and guests.

Event

Welcome Party
OAFF2013 will hold a Welcome Party for our guests, sponsors / supporters and the public.

Special Symposium
In rapidly-growing Asian countries, many young people nowadays travel to other Asian countries to study and to gain new experiences. How does the world look to these Asian travelers jumping into different cultures and customs? Travel provides opportunities not only to experience something new but also to realize who one is. This symposium will explore new ways of enjoying Asian films, with director Bernard Chauly and producer Lina Tan of "Istanbul Here I Come", a Malaysian film set in Istanbul.
Date & Time: March 15 (Fri) 13:00-15:00
Venue: Osaka Museum of History, Training Room 1
Admission: Free
Hosted by Center for Integrated Area Studies (CIAS), Kyoto University / Malaysian Film Culture Research Center / Osaka Museum of History / Osaka Executive Committee for the Promotion of Moving Image Culture (Osaka Asian Film Festival)

Special Fan Events
OAFF2013 will hold a wide variety of events including talk events with filmmakers.

Pre-event

Osaka Cinema Festival
Osaka Cinema Festival introduces excellent Japanese films, focusing on films related to Osaka. The event also holds the award ceremony for the Best Picture and Individual from the Osaka Cinema Festival Best 10 which will be determined by moviegoers' voting.
Date: March 3 (Sun), 2013
Venue: Osaka Museum of History

OAFF Pre-opening Screenings
Prior to the grand opening of OAFF2013, we will hold pre-opening screenings at ABC Hall.
Schedule:
March 4 (Mon), 2013, Special Screening "Warriors of the Rainbow – The Sun Flag"
March 5 (Tue), 2013, Preview Screening "Daijobu Sankumi"

Film Seminars
We will hold special seminars including the Asian film seminars by the OAFF Programming Director Sozo Teruoka, a seminar on film subtitling and a seminar for deeper understanding of Japanese films.
Dates: September, 2012 – February, 2013

OAFF Poster Exhibition
We will exhibit posters of selected films from OAFF 2013 and past OAFFs. The trailers of selected films and OAFF PR videos will also be shown at the venues.
Dates: February 26 (Tue) – March 17 (Sun)
Venue: Umeda, E-ma, South entrance atrium on the 1st floor

Asian Film Book Fair
Collaboration: MARUZEN & JUNKUDO Umeda with OAFF2013
In collaboration with the mega bookstore MARUZEN & JUNKUDO Umeda, OAFF2013 will hold an Asian Film Book Fair. Books about Asian films as well as other related books featuring a wide variety of the charms of Asian films will be found at this fair!
OAFF Official catalogues from previous editions will also be on sale.
Dates: February 18 (Mon) – March 31 (Sun)
Venue: MARUZEN & JUNKUDO Umeda, 5F Art Book section (CHASKA CHAYAMACHI, 7-20 Chayamachi, Kita-ku, Osaka)
Dates: February 25 (Mon) – March 6 (Wed)
Venue: Yodoyabashi, Osaka City Hall entrance hall

Allied Event

Screenings of past CO2 grant-recipient films

Schedule (TBC)

Osaka Cinema Festival—March 3 (Sun)
Pre-Opening Screening— March 4 (Mon), 5 (Tue)
Opening Ceremony—March 8 (Fri)
Competition section, Special Screenings section and other special programs—March 8 (Fri)-17 (Sun)
Indie Forum section—March 12 (Tue)-17 (Sun)
Hong Kong Night —March 14 (Thu)
Welcome Party—March 15 (Fri)
Special Symposium—March 15 (Fri)
Closing Ceremony—March 17 (Sun)

Venues

Umeda Burg7 (Umeda)
E-MA Building 7F,1-12-6, Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka
TEL.06-4795-7602 Theater1: 441seats/Theater3: 242seats
Umeda Garden Cinema (Umeda)
Umeda Sky Building Tower East 4F, 1-1-88, Oyodonaka, Kita-ku, Osaka
TEL.06-6440-5977 111seats
Cine Nouveau (Kujo)
1-20-24, Kujo, Nishi-ku, Osaka
TEL 06-6311-1416 69seats
The Seventh Art Theater (juso)
Sanpord City. 6F. 1-7-27 jusohonmachi, yodogawa-ku, Osaka
TEL 06-6302-2073 96seats
Planet Studyo Plus One (Umeda/Nakazakicho)
Pilot Bldg. 2F, 2-3-12, Nakazaki-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka
TEL 06-6377-0023 43seats
Osaka Museum of History (Tanimachi 4)
4-1-32, Otemae, Chuo-ku, Osaka
TEL 06-6946-5728 280seats
ABC Hall (Fukushima)
1-1-30, Fukushima, Fukushima-ku, Osaka
TEL 06-6451-6573 294 seats
Osaka City Central Public Hall (Nakanoshima/Yodoyabashi)
1-1-27, Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka
TEL 06-6208-2003

Contact

Osaka Executive Committee for the Promotion of Moving Image Culture
4-B-801, Tsuruno-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka 5300014 C/O NPO Community Cinema Osaka
phone. +81-(0)6-6373-1211
fax. +81-(0)6-6373-1213
e.mail: info@oaff.jp
Website. http://www.oaff.jp

Organized by

Osaka Executive Committee for the Promotion of Moving Image Culture
- Osaka City
- NPO Community Cinema Osaka
- Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau
- Asahi Broadcasting Corporation
- Osaka Association of Theater Owners

Presented under the auspices of

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Agency for Cultural Affairs (under application)
Federation of Japanese Films Industry, Inc.
Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc.
Foreign Film Importer – Distributors Association of Japan
Japan Association of Theatre Owners
FM OSAKA

Supported by

Japan Arts Council

Sponsors

DHL Japan, Inc
Panasonic Corporation

Special sponsors

Hong Kong Special Administration Region Economic and Trade Office Tokyo
Hong Kong Tourism Board
Athenee Francais Cultural Center
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
Center for Integrated Area Studies (CIAS), Kyoto University
XYMAX CUBE corporation
Suntory Publicity Service Limited
T-JOY
Toyosu Co.Ltd.
Nakanoshima Club
Wise Infinity Inc.
FM COCOLO