This is the first annual Ishinomaki International Film Festival 2017 (IIFF 2017). We are welcoming submissions of Music Videos and Documentary Shorts with special awards for films made in the Tohoku area of Japan, music videos made on smartphones and films produced by students. Ishinomaki is a town in Northeastern Japan that was devastated by the March 11, 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami. We have created this festival to bring together musicians and filmmakers from Ishinomaki, the rest of Japan and the world, to help us build a community of art and communication, and to inspire young people to create their own films and music and find expression for their voices.

Ishinomaki has a history of movie theaters and music. People would come from far and wide to enjoy films at the town's many movie theaters. It is also a place that has been the focus of many films shot after the Tsunami. Before the Tsunami, Ishinomaki used to be the town with the most live music venues in the Tohoku area. This is why we choose the focus of this festival to be Music Videos and Short Documentaries. We want to bring back some of the excitement of times gone by and invite people to come to Ishinomaki to experience the post tsunami renaissance that is happening right now in Ishinomaki. This festival will also feature films made by participants in the Ishinomaki Documentary Filmmaking Course taking place this July.

Winning films will be shown IIFF 2017 on July 29th at the Purena Hall in Ishinomaki. There will also be a party at Hashidori Common in downtown Ishinomaki after the Festival. Guests at the festival will select the film to receive the “Ishinomaki Award”.

Non-Japanese films that win awards in this festival will be sub-titled in Japanese by the Ishinomaki Film translation team and filmmakers will be provided with the subtitle data. Japanese films that win awards for this festival will be sub-titled in English by the Ishinomaki Film translation team and filmmakers will be provided with the subtitle data. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce your work to Japan and see how Japanese people like your work.

If you can make it to Ishinomaki this summer, it is a great time to be there! IIFF 2017 happens right in the middle of Ishinomaki Stand Up Week and the Reborn Art Festival and is followed by the Ishinomaki Kawabiraki Festival and Fireworks on July 31st and August 1st.

Awards & Prizes

All winners will receive a hand made plaque made by local Ishinomaki artists. Winners of the "Ishinomaki Award", films selected by the people of Ishinomaki, will receive a special prize of local Ishinomaki products.

Non-Japanese films that win awards in this festival will be sub-titled in Japanese by the Ishinomaki Film translation team and filmmakers will be provided with the subtitle data. Japanese films that win awards for this festival will be sub-titled in English by the Ishinomaki Film translation team and filmmakers will be provided with the subtitle data.

Rules & Terms

IIFF 2017 COMPETITION RULES

General Eligibility
1. All films must be in English or Japanese or have English and/or Japanese subtitles at the time submitted. Nominated films will be subtitled into Japanese or English, as needed by IIFF.

2. Films must be submitted as an online streaming video via a participating submission platform (FilmFreeway) or a password-protected streaming URL.

3. IMPORTANT NOTE: The Ishinomaki International Film Festival (“IIFF”) is not responsible for the streaming quality of online screeners. If you choose to submit an online screener and would like to guarantee the quality of your submission, IIFF strongly suggests you send a high quality MP4 file to info@ishinomaki-film.com in addition to your online streaming submission.

4. In the event of a password change or link change after submitting, you must email IIFF immediately with that change so we may update your record. If IIFF is not notified of the change and the link is found to be inactive or the password to be incorrect the IIFF will send an email to the submitter’s address on file to follow up. If a response with the correct information is not received within forty-eight (48) hours, the submission may be deemed ineligible.

5. IIFF screens films as digital files during the Festival and does NOT screen films on Blu-Ray, HD-CAM, or DCP. If you are unable or unwilling to provide us your film as a digital file for exhibition, please DO NOT SUBMIT your film.

6. IIFF reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject or disqualify any ineligible entries, without a refund.

Originality and Permissions

1. Films must be the original work of the applicants. If a film is based upon another person’s life or upon a book or other underlying work, applicant(s) must secure any necessary rights to make such adaptations. However, it is not necessary to submit the adaptation rights agreements to IIFF. Neither the IIFF nor its judges investigates or attests to the authenticity of an applicant’s statement of authorship or rights secured. By entering the competition, you are acknowledging that you have secured all necessary rights.

2. Applicants are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary rights and permissions for third-party materials included in the film, including but not limited to music, trademarks, logos, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights. IIFF expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility for any violations of the foregoing.

3. BY SUBMITTING THE MATERIAL, THE APPLICANT HEREBY AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, HOLD HARMLESS, AND DEFEND IIFF, ITS EMPLOYEES, DIRECTORS, REPRESENTATIVES, AND AFFILIATES FROM ANY LIABILITY, CLAIMS, AND DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE SUBMISSION AND FROM ANY FEES AND EXPENSES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES, THAT ANY OF THEM MAY INCUR IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.

Additional Information
1. We strongly encourage filmmakers to submit their film only after it is fully finished and will judge each submission as a completed work, whether it is or not. Once a film is entered, we will not update the submission with a more recent cut. If your film is selected to play during IIFF 2017, you will have the opportunity to supply IIFF with the most recent version of your film.

2. IIFF reserves the right to switch the entry category to fit programming needs and interests and films will not be penalized for the original submission selection.

3. Once an entry payment has been received we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed by an entrant for any reason, the entrant may be subject to any transaction fees or similar amounts incurred by IIFF in connection with the dispute.

4. Please include your physical address in your application. Please do not submit a film without giving us your address, which we need for our records.

5. If you are submitting your film as a student, please include the name of your school in your application.

6. Please include in your application if your film was shot in the TOHOKU REGION of JAPAN (include locations) or made by TOHOKU FILMMAKERS.

7. Selected films will be screened at IIFF 2017 and may be screened at future IIFF related events. You will be notified in advance of all screening dates and locations.

8. IIFF is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.