We at the Film Festival try and select films which have diversity in style. Perhaps this reflected the world in an impasse but films in 2019 stood out as having a bitter aftertaste. Nevertheless, we were able to select excellent films where “regional” locations with unique cultural areas are joined together with a keen sense of cinematic expression.
　In 2019, our special feature with the Japan Foundation Asia Center as our co-organizer, did not focus on a specific country. Instead, we named the special feature “To Be Regional” and introduced Asian films exhibiting the distinctive nature of Asia with a unique diversity of small to big cultural areas. In our special feature related symposiums “New Waves in Asia-Are They Doing Well?” and “Not Global but Regional!”, we asked each film director guest about how to send films from such unique cultural areas to the outside world. We also inquired about new cinematic movements in their country. Through these symposiums, a first step was taken in Fukuoka, a “regional” location as such, to search for and designate a direction to hold film festivals of the future.
　“Fukuoka”, our Opening Film in 2019 was a motion picture shot almost entirely in
Fukuoka during its film location in 2018. It is a superb film which integrates the poetry of the film director with a place called Fukuoka. The film received the all-out support of the Film Festival, the Fukuoka Film Commission, volunteers as well as the City of Fukuoka. The decade-long warm bond of friendship between Zhang Lu, the film director, and our Film Festival, finally bore fruit with this motion picture. In this context, we held the symposium “Film Director Zhang Lu: The Secret Recipe for Making Fukuoka’”, where secret episodes on the production of the film were discussed.
　For our special feature on Japanese films in 2019, we screened 3 films directed by Koreyoshi Kurahata, who demonstrated an astonishingly modern approach to filmmaking in post-war Japan and who depicted a sharp sense of critique of the period.
　The Fukuoka Audience Award in 2019 went to the Indian film, “Sivaranjani and Two Other Women”. The Kumamoto City Award, the runner-up prize, went to the Filipino film, “Alpha, The Right To Kill”.
　In its 4th year, “Fukuoka Panorama”, our program supporting visual artists shouldering the next generation, gathered an air of momentum.
　As a first for the Film Festival, “A Master Class in Filmmaking” for filmmakers was held. This was a precious opportunity for filmmakers to learn filmmaking techniques and philosophy, from Filipino film maestro Brillante Ma. Mendoza, who taught the class.
　It was the 5th year of “Neo Cinemap Fukuoka”, our film market for Asian films and video content. In addition to active negotiations as in previous years, project pitching sessions were held. Furthermore, the Moca Chai Award was established through the cooperation of Moca Chai Laboratories of Singapore. Also, film director Brillante Ma. Mendoza selected winners to the newly established Encourage Young Talent Award. Entry level submissions received precious critique on their films.