Thank You for Attending the Film Festival
Thank you for attending the film festival or considering watching it online. This film festival is organized by a volunteer group that includes students from the Faculty of Tourism at Wakayama University. If you have any concerns or feedback, please contact the festival director, Tsuyoshi Kigawa. We appreciate your cooperation.
The festival venues are located around Kuse, Maniwa City.
March 17: A sawmill for online streaming
March 18: Espace Hall
March 19: Former Senkyo Elementary School:
Additionally, we have included information about the festival schedule and important notes. Please take a moment to read them when you have time.
Important Notices – Former Senkyo Elementary School
The Former Senkyo Elementary School prohibits wearing shoes indoors and consuming food or drinks. Slippers will be provided at the venue. However, if you need to wear shoes for photography purposes, please bring either unused shoes or clean indoor shoes that have been washed in advance.
As a special exception, we have obtained permission for attendees to drink bottled water inside the venue.
March 17, 2025 – Pre-Event Night
Time: 19:00–21:00
Venue: Sawmill (Chugoku Forestry Co., Ltd.)
The pre-event night will be streamed online from the sawmill of Chugoku Forestry Co., Ltd., located near JR Kuse Station. The event will serve as a relaxed gathering for film festival jurors and staff, also doubling as a streaming test. The streaming site will be accessible from the festival’s official webpage.
Walk-in participants are welcome, and you may introduce your own works as well.
March 18, 2025 – Opening Ceremony
Time: 10:00–11:00
Venue: Espace Hall
The opening ceremony will take place at Ikoro Theater. As the event will begin in darkness, please be seated before the scheduled time. The stage of Ikoro Theater is a no-shoes area, so attendees are requested to either remove their shoes or walk on the red carpet prepared by the festival.
Speakers:
Noboru Ota (Mayor of Maniwa City)
Hiroki Iwanaga (Mayor of Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, next festival host)
Alexander Kammel (CIFFT Director)
Kyung Wook Seo (Jury President, International Section)
Maki Fukushima (Jury President, Japan Section)
Opening Declaration:
Tsuyoshi Kigawa (Festival Director)
Forum 1: “Tourism Duet – The Dialogue Between Economic Activity and the Path of Life”
Time: 11:00–12:00
Venue: Espace Hall
Forums will be held on March 18 and 19. These are open forums where questions, discussions, and walk-in participation are welcomed. Each forum will have a moderator. The sessions will be streamed on YouTube and archived. Please be mindful of this when joining as a speaker.
Forum 1 is an international session conducted primarily in English, with occasional interpretation into Japanese. Jurors will each introduce a film that caught their attention, followed by discussions on the definition and purpose of tourism films.
Speakers:
Alexander Kammel
Don Falsario II
Kyung Wook Seo (Jury President, International Section)
Jay Chern
Kumiko Kato
Moderators:
Makoto Matsuzaki (Chief Moderator)
Tomomi Duquette
Ikko Okakita
Forum 2: “Understanding This Year’s Tourism Films – Japan Section”
Time: 13:00–14:00
Venue: Espace Hall
Speakers:
Maki Fukushima (Jury President, Japan Section)
Masuhiko Ikada
Hiroshi Takashima
Moderator:
Makoto Matsuzaki
Forum 3: “ART & FACTORY JAPAN”
Time: 14:30–16:00
Venue: Espace Hall
Speakers:
Tsuyoshi Kumeda
Kentaro Kusunoki
Moderator:
Tsuyoshi Kigawa
Forum 4: “Student Films – Japan-China Student Tourism Films”
Time: 16:30–17:30
Venue: Espace Hall
Featuring Films
GO TO QUANZHOU 来去泉州
Quanzhou Know-It-All 我泉知道
龍神村移住促進映像
Speakers:
Fangzhong Xu (Huaqiao University, China)
Noriyuki Iwahashi (Kinokuni Shinkin Bank)
Kaori Matsubara (Nihon Bunri University)
Kazuhiko Ikada
Moderator:
Makoto Matsuzaki (Chief Moderator)
Reception Party
Time: 18:30–21:00
Venue: Maniwa City (details provided to participants)
This is an invitation-only reception for festival participants. The participation fee is 5,000 yen, to be paid at the venue (exact amount required). Limited seating is available. Shuttle service to Tsuyama Station will be provided after the event. Please contact the festival office if you need transportation.
March 19, 2025 – Master Classes
Master Class A: “English Class”
Time: 10:00–12:00
Venue: Former Senkyo Elementary School (Classroom)
A free discussion session focusing on self-introductions and the future of tourism films, conducted in English.
Coordinators:
Akihiro Kashima
Ikko Okakita
Master Class B: “Japanese Class”
Time: 10:00–12:00
Venue: Former Senkyo Elementary School (Auditorium)
Schedule:
10:00–10:30: Self-introductions & Icebreaker
10:30–11:00: “What is a Killer Photo?” by Masaki Aihara
11:00–12:00: Discussion
Coordinators:
Kentaro Kusunoki
Makoto Matsuzaki
Forum 5: “Reading Current Tourism Films” 13:00 – 14:00
Speakers
“Falling for Autumn” – Paolo Lunardi (Switzerland Tourism)
“GEN – ROOTS OF JAPAN: Exploring the Traditional Landscape of the Eigenji Area” – Jiho Mori (Eigenji)
Kyung Wook Seo
Kousuke Miyata
Shunsaku Hashimoto
Moderators
Makoto Matsuzaki (General Moderator)
Tomomi Duquette
Kazutaka Okakita
Awards Ceremony
Time: 14:30–18:00
Venue: Former Senkyo Elementary School (Auditorium)
Speakers:
Alexander Kammel (CIFFT Director)
Kyung Wook Seo (Jury President, International Section)
Maki Fukushima (Jury President, Japan Section)
Awards will be announced in the following order:
Audience Award
Project Section
Vertical Video Section
Vlog Section
Travel Movie Section
City Promotion Section
Tourism Service Section
Tourism Product Section
Tourism Destination (Regions)
Tourism Destination (Cities)
Documentary Section
Special Award by JWTFF Director
Okayama Section
ART & FACTORY
Grand Prix Categories:
Asian Grand Prix
Japan Grand Prix
International Grand Prix
The Grand Prix-winning films may be screened depending on time constraints.
Excursions
March 18: Special excursion for international guests
March 19: A short student-led trip from Kuse to Katsuyama for interested participants