Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival

The Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival (ゆうばり国際ファンタスティック映画祭), also sometimes called YIFFF, is held in a resort-like environment in the small town of Yūbari on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaidō. From 1990 to 1999, the festival was known as the Yubari International Fantastic Adventure Film Festival.

History
In 1990, the last coal mine in the Hokkaidō mining town of Yūbari having closed, the city leaders were looking for a way to revitalize the local economy. This was the beginning of the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival. The festival was divided into two main programs, a prestigious international competition for young directors, and an Off Theatre program for mostly Japanese amateur, independent and first-time directors. The first year in 1990 had as a special guest, actor Jon Voight and his daughter, a young starlet named Angelina Jolie. In 1993, Quentin Tarantino was at the festival and wrote part of the screenplay for Pulp Fiction in his hotel room. Some years later, he paid homage to the town in the name of a character in Kill Bill: Volume 1, "Gogo Yubari". In 1996 the festival also had special guest stars, comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short. In 2004 the festival drew a record audience of 27,000.

The festival had always been sponsored financially by the city of Yubari but the town filed for bankruptcy in 2007 and that year's festival had to be cancelled. However, the people of Yubari with the assistance of a number of sponsors were able to group together to revive the festival in 2008. The international competition section of the festival had to be dropped but the Off Theatre program for young Japanese directors was retained with the Grand Prize bringing 2 million yen (about $20,000) to the winner. The new Governor's Award was presented by the Governor of Hokkaidō. In addition to the competition section, the festival continued to screen a number of international films by promising directors. One of the sponsors for the festival is the giant Japanese satellite broadcasting company SKYPerfecTV! which has also broadcast parts of the program. The scaled down 2008 festival drew more than 8,800 fans and attendance increased to over 10,500 in 2009.

The 32nd edition of the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival will be held from July 28 to August 1 2022.

Major awards
Award information from:

1990 Awards
Held February 14–18, 1990.
 * Grand Prize
 * Ofelas – Director: Nils Gaup


 * Special Prize
 * Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds – Director: Alex Proyas

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Takeshita Performance Higei Mito-Komon – Director: Sinya Takesita


 * Special Prize
 * Gig – Director: Kosuke Ienaga


 * Toroma Prize
 * Meilin Adventure – Director: Satoshi Imai

1991 Awards
Held February 15–19, 1991.
 * Grand Prize
 * The Miracle in Valby (Miraklet i Valby) – Director: Åke Sandgren


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Windwalker – Director: Kieth Merrill


 * Critic's Award
 * Miller's Crossing – Director: Joel Coen

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Death Express – Director: Hiroyuki Terada


 * Jury Prize
 * Rice Game – Director: Hideaki Kobayashi

1992 Awards
Held February 14–18, 1992.
 * Grand Prize
 * The Swordsman in Double Flag Town – Director: He Ping


 * Special Jury Prize
 * A Demon in My View (film) – Director:


 * Critic's Award
 * Tetsuo II: Body Hammer – Director: Shinya Tsukamoto

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Diamonds Moon – Director: Akira Nobi


 * Jury Prize
 * Kappas – Director: Katsuya Ohsawa

1993 Awards
Held February 19–23, 1993.
 * Grand Prize
 * Children of Nature – Director: Fridrik Thor Fridriksson


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Winds of God – Director: Yoko Narahashi


 * Critic's Award
 * Reservoir Dogs – Director: Quentin Tarantino


 * Citizen's Award
 * Ninja Scroll – Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Trash – Director: Naoki Kubo


 * Jury Prize
 * My Daddy Long Legs – Director: Shin Yasuhara

1994 Awards
Held February 18–22, 1994.
 * Grand Prize
 * Killing Zoe – Director: Roger Roberts Avary


 * Special Jury Prize
 * C'est arrive pres de chez vous – Director: Rémy Belvaux & André Bonzel


 * Minami Toshiko Award / Critic's Award
 * Carne – Director: Gaspar Noé


 * The Most Entertaining Award
 * El Mariachi – Director: Robert Rodriguez

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Family Time – Director: Ryota Kawaguchi


 * Jury Prize
 * My Favorite "Skyline" – Director: Shin Yasuhara
 * Vending Machine and a Girl – Director: Kiyohide Otani

1995 Awards
Held February 17–21, 1995.
 * Grand Prize
 * Tombés du ciel – Director: Philippe Lioret


 * Special Jury Prize
 * The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb – Director: Dave Borthwick


 * Minami Toshiko Award
 * Wizard of Darkness – Director: Shimako Sato

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * The Incredible Haniwa Man – Director: Shin Yasuhara


 * Jury Prize
 * Anatomia Extinction – Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura
 * A Room Without Wind – Director: Ryuta Miyake

1996 Awards
Held February 18–20, 1996.
 * Grand Prize
 * Accumulator 1 – Director: Jan Svěrák


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Manneken Pis – Director: Frank Van Passel


 * Minami Toshiko Award
 * Secret Waltz – Director: Akira Nobi

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Brain Holiday – Director: Hineki Mito


 * Jury Prize
 * Blood Red Girls – Director: Daisuke Yamanouchi


 * Encouragement Prize
 * Rest Room – Director: Muneyoshi Murakami
 * To Be or Not to Be – Director: Tomoko Matsunashi

1997 Awards
Held February 14–18, 1997.
 * Grand Prize
 * Closing Time – Director: Masahiro Kobayashi


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Little Sister – Director: Robert Jan Westdijk


 * Minami Toshiko Award
 * Drive – Director: Steve Wang

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Party – Director: Mayumi Uchiumi


 * Jury Prize
 * L&D – Director: Hideki Kimura

1998 Awards
Held February 13–17, 1998.
 * Grand Prize
 * Bernie – Director: Albert Dupontel


 * Jean-Hugues Anglade Award
 * Detective Riko – Director: Satoshi Isaka


 * Adventure Film Prize
 * The Ground – Director: Atsushi Muroga


 * Minami Toshiko Award
 * Illtown – Director: Nick Gomez

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Midnight Three – Director: Yasushi Koshizaka


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Variation for Movements – Director: Yoshinao Sato


 * Encouragement Prize
 * Kurushime Girl – Director: Noboru Iguchi

1999 Awards
Held February 19–23, 1999.
 * Grand Prize
 * Bandits – Director: Katja von Garnier


 * Special Jury Prize / Minami Toshiko Award
 * Moonlight Whispers – Director: Akihiko Shiota

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Tel-Club – Director: Kenji Murakami


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Kiadoryoku REAL – Director: Katsushi Boda

2000 Awards
Held February 18–22, 2000.
 * Grand Prize
 * Across a Gold Prairie – Director: Isshin Inudou


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Pups – Director: Ash


 * Minami Toshiko Award
 * Jin-Roh – Director: Hiroyuki Okiura

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Hazy Life – Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Let's Go Strawberry Girl – Director: Shinobu Kuribayashi

2001 Awards
Held February 15–19, 2001.
 * Grand Prize
 * New Year's Day – Director: Suri Krishnamma


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Animals – Director: Michael Di Jiacomo


 * Minami Toshiko Award
 * Siam Sunset – Director: John Polson

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Tokyo A Go Go – Director: Ryuichi Honda


 * Special Jury Prize
 * L'Ilya – Director: Tomoya Sato

2002 Awards
Held February 14–18, 2002.
 * Grand Prize
 * My Sassy Girl – Director: Kwak Jae-yong

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Run! Yamazaki! Run! – Director: Naoko Johnori


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Nuts – Director: Yoko Chukira / Tomokazu / Shu Kageyama

2003 Awards
Held February 13–17, 2003.
 * Grand Prize
 * Battlefield Baseball (Jigoku Koushien) – Director: Yūdai Yamaguchi

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Bijo-can – Director: Masaya Kakei


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Ski Jumping Pairs – Director: Riichiro Mashima

2004 Awards
Held February 19–23, 2004.
 * Grand Prize
 * Mokpo, Gangster's Paradise – Director: Kim Ji-hoon


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Robot Stories – Director: Greg Pak


 * Minami Toshiko Award
 * Better Than Sex – Director: Su Chao-pin & Lee Feng-bor

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * The Far East Apartment – Director: Tetsuya Mariko


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Utsu-musume SAYURI – Director: Takashi Kimura

2005 Awards
Held February 24–28, 2005.
 * Grand Prize
 * My Mother, the Mermaid – Director: Park Heung-sik


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Innocence – Director: Lucile Hadžihalilović


 * Minami Toshiko Award
 * The Neighbor No. Thirteen – Director: Yasuo Inoue

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Mariko's 30 Pirates – Director: Tetsuya Mariko


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Be the World for Her – Director: Daisuke Hosaka

2006 Awards
Held February 23–27, 2006.
 * Grand Prize
 * Blood Rain – Director: Kim Dae-seung


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Never Belongs to Me – Director: Nam Ki-woong


 * Minami Toshiko Award
 * Citizen Dog – Director: Wisit Sasanatieng

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Raw Summer (Nama-natsu) – Director: Keisuke Yoshida


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Hakko – Director: Madoka Kumagai

2007 Awards
No awards - festival cancelled.

2008 Awards
Held March 19–23, 2008.

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * A Woman Who Is Beating the Earth (大地を叩く女) – Director: Tsuki Inoue


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Coming with My Brother (お姉ちゃん、弟といく) – Director: Kouta Yoshida


 * Governor's Award
 * Seikilos and I (セイキロスさんとわたしく) – Director: Kenji Itoso & Hiroshi Kamebuchi

2009 Awards
Held February 26-March 2, 2009.

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * 8000 Miles (SR サイタマノラッパー) – Director: Yū Irie


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Big Gun (大拳銃) – Director: Ōhata Hajime


 * Governor's Award
 * Night Games (夜のゲーム) – Director: Choi Uian (チェ・ウィアン)

2010 Awards
Held February 25-March 1, 2010.

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Hot as Hell: The Deadbeat March (青春墓場～明日と一緒に歩くのだ～) – Director: Yōsuke Okuda


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Footed Tadpoles (脚の生えたおたまじゃくし) – Director: Tomoya Maeno


 * Governor's Award
 * Wall (壁) – Director: ヒョン・スルウ


 * Cinegar Award
 * Footed Tadpoles (脚の生えたおたまじゃくし) – Director: Tomoya Maeno

2011 Awards
Held February 24–28, 2011.

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Invasion of Alien Bikini (겨울냄새) – Director: Oh Young-Doo


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Pink Subaru (ピンク・スバル) – Director: Kazuya Ogawa


 * Governor's Award
 * Violence PM (バイオレンスPM) – Director: Takayuki Ishihara


 * Cinegar Award
 * Pink Subaru (ピンク・スバル) – Director: Kazuya Ogawa

2012 Awards
Held February 23–27, 2012 with a total attendance at 12,500.

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Osaka Violence (大阪外道) – Director: Takahiro Ishihara


 * Special Jury Prize
 * The Brat! (くそガキの告白) – Director: Taichi Suzuki


 * Governor's Award
 * The Beatles (ビートルズ) – Director: Yuichiro Sakashita


 * Cinegar Award
 * The Brat! (くそガキの告白) – Director: Taichi Suzuki


 * Best Actress
 * Nahana for Toilet and Women (どんずまり便器)


 * Best Actor
 * Hiroki Konno for The Brat! (くそガキの告白)


 * Audience Award
 * Ultraman Saga (ウルトラマンサーガ) - Director: Hideki Oka


 * Event Award
 * Namba Kinyu-den Minami no Teio Toichi no Manda Ginjiro - Director: Takaaki Haginiwa


 * Public Award
 * Puss in Boots (長ぐつをはいたネコ)


 * Public People Award
 * The Brat! (くそガキの告白) – Director: Taichi Suzuki

2013 Awards
Held February 21–25, 2013. Attendance was about 12,500.

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * There Is Light - Director: Yukihiro Toda


 * Special Jury Prize
 * A Case of Eggs - Director: Yuri Kanchiku


 * Governor's Award
 * Winter Alpaca - Director: Yuji Harada


 * Cinegar Award
 * There Is Light - Director: Yukihiro Toda

2014 Awards
Announced March 2, 2014

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * The Pinkie - Director: Lisa Takeba


 * Special Jury Prize
 * Gun Woman - Director: Mitsutake Kurando


 * Governor's Award
 * School Girls' Gestation - Director: Ueda Atsushi


 * Cinegar Award
 * The Pinkie - Director: Lisa Takeba


 * Sky Perfect Movie Channel Award
 * Old Men Never Die - Director: Wang Cheol-min (South Korea)

2015 Awards
Announced on February 24, 2015

OFF THEATRE COMPETITION
 * Grand Prize
 * Makeup Room - Director: Kei Morikawa


 * Special Jury Prize
 * The Limit of Sleeping Beauty - Director: Ninomiya Ken


 * Governor's Award
 * Haman - Director: Tetsuya Okabe


 * Cinegar Award
 * Mizo - Director: Nam Ki Woong (South Korea)


 * Sky Perfect Movie Channel Award
 * Luv ya Hun! - Director: Daigo Matsui