Featured Program

“Laugh Category” and “Peace Category”

This section reflects the most of the spirit in this movie festival, “Laugh & Peace”. The Category is placed as the core of this festival focused on the comedy.

The good comedy works like “laugh” heals the human mind, are gathered in this festival. A lot of works were raised from inside and outside country. Comedy is a genre that has many forms--a traditional slapstick comedy, a situation comedy that is fixed on a main situation, a romantic comedy that is popular among women, a heartfelt comedy that combines tears and smiles, a black comedy that is satiric and ironic, and so on. So the program is divided into 2 categories “Laugh” and “Peace”. Comedy is one of the common languages of the world, yet at the same time it demonstrates a culture, the individuality, and the national character of a country. This category, which is a showcase of comedy, was set up for conveying the wonderfulness of the comedy works widely from Okinawa, because the comedy makes people happy any time.

Films showing in the "Laugh Category"   Films showing in the "Peace Category"

Awards for 2nd Okinawa International Movie Festival

"Laugh Category Uminchu Prize Grand Prix" "Peace Category Uminchu Prize Grand Prix"
General juries and the audience will vote to select two awards of "Laugh Category Uminchu Prize Grand Prix" and "Peace Category Uminchu Prize Grand Prix" from the 13 works in the Laugh Category and 13 works in the Peace Category.

Golden SHISA Award
Furthermore, 5 internationally renowned juries will select one work from among both categories to be awarded the Golden SHISA Award, regarded as a special jury prize.

Award Ceremony:March 28 6 p.m.~

Announcements of the winners of each award will be made at an Award Ceremony held in Theater 1 from 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 28, the final day of the Second Okinawa International Movie Festival.

Featured Program / Juries

KIM Dong-Ho

President of Jury KIM Dong-Ho(Executive Chairman of Pusan International Film Festival)

Majored in Law at the Seoul National University and received MA in Administration at the Hanyang University. Mr.Kim had consecutively filled various government posts at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (formerly known as Ministry of Culture and Information) for 27 years. In addition, he served as the president at the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation and at the Seoul Arts Center. He worked as the vice-Minister at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Now KIM Dong-Ho is the Director at the Pusan International Film Festival and vice-chairman at the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema. KIM Dong-Ho has been awarded many cultural medals in recognition of his achievements and efforts in the cultural development in South Korea as well as in the international society. The Director has served as the jury in the many other prestigious film festivals such as the Rotterdam, India and the Seattle International Film Festival. His recent book, ‘History of Korean Cinema Policy’ (written by KIM Dong-Ho et al.) was published in 2005.

Lee Chi Ngai

Lee Chi Ngai(Director)

Born in Hong Kong. Received Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees at the University of Alberta, Canada. Studied filmmaking at the London International Film School, UK. Directed and wrote first film in 1988.
Co-found the film company United Filmmakers Organization (UFO) with five fellow Hong Kong directors and producers in 1992. UFO has since produced numerous award-winning films as well as box office hits, and has thereby become a label for high quality films in the Hong Kong film industry. First Hong Kong Director to be invited to direct a Japanese feature film: SLEEPLESS TOWN "Fuyajo" (1998) Served in the jury for the competition program of The Tokyo International Film Festival, 2002.

Lee Khan

Lee Khan(Producer)

Lee Khan is an active figure within Taiwanese movie circles whose resume includes multiple careers as a screenplay writer, director, producer and distributor. He made his feature-length directorial debut with "Tiao zi a bu la (Cop Abula)". During his movie career, he has distributed over 50 independent movies from around the world in Taiwan, and in 2007 began working as a producer, producing such movies as "STARS" "Yang Yang" and "Juliet". Lee Khan is the younger brother of Ang Lee, the director famous for such works as "Lust, Caution" "Juliet" is currently in production.

Christoph TERHECHTE

Christoph TERHECHTE(Director International Forum of New Cinema Berlin)

Born in 1961 in the city of Münster, Germany. Studied political science and journalism at the University of Hamburg and has worked as a film journalist since 1984. Became an editor for the daily newspaper "taz" in 1987. In 1988 he moved to Paris for two years, working as a freelance journalist. Up until 1990, he also worked on the film selection of the European Low Budget Film Forum in Hamburg. From 1991 to 1997 he edited the film section at the Berlin city magazine "tip". In 2001 he was appointed head of the International Forum of New Cinema, an independent section of the Berlin International Film Festival.

Eiki Matayoshi

Eiki Matayoshi(Novelist)

Eiki Matayoshi was born in Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture in 1947.
He graduated from the Department of History at the University of the Ryukyus. He was awarded the Kyusyu Art Festival Prize for Literature, the Subaru Prize for Literature and the Akutagawa Prize. His recent works include "Natsu Yasumi no Kari" [Kobunsha], "Yobiyoseru Shima" [Kobunsha] and "Ryoshi to Utahime" [Usio]. "Buta no Mukui" [Directed by Yoichi Sai] and "Nami no Ue no Maria" [Directed by Amon Miyamoto, based on the story "Beat"] have been made into a movie. "Jinkotsu Tenjikan" and “Kaho wa Umi kara" have been translated into French, Italian and English. He is the juror for the Minami Nippon Literature Award.

Program

1st Okinawa International Movie Festival (2009)