The 36th Pia Film Festival (PFF) will be held at the National Museum of Modern Art Film Center Hall in Kyobashi, Tokyo, from September 13th to 25th. PFF, founded in 1977, aims to discover and nurture new talent in the film industry. The main program, the PFF Awards 2014, a competition for independent films, will screen 21 works selected from 528 submissions after a four-month judging period. On the final day, September 25th, the jury, which includes cinematographer Katsumi Yanagishima, producer Akira Morishige, film directors Yang Yong-hi and Kenji Uchida, and actor Hiroki Narimiya, will announce the winning works. Past award winners include Isshin Inudo of "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish," Sion Sono of "Himizu," and Yuya Ishii of "The Boat." Other special features include a special screening of six films by director Susumu Hani, who has pioneered new horizons in the film industry by diversifying documentary techniques into feature films, and a screening of 11 sci-fi and horror films, including John Carpenter's "Dark Star" and George Lucas' debut film "THX 1138." Additionally, a special talk show featuring Isshin Inudo as host and special effects directors Shinji Higuchi and Katsuro Onoue as panelists will be held as part of the invited films section. Also, a specially shot new film will be screened to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the "One Piece" project, a series of short, one-shot, everyday dramas by Shinobu Yaguchi and Takuji Suzuki.

Starting in Tokyo, the festival will be held at Kyoto Cinema from December 13th, Aichi Arts Center Art Space A from December 19th, Kobe Art Village Center in Hyogo from December 20th, and Fukuoka City Public Library Video Hall Cinera from April 2015, and will be held in succession across the country.


[Event Information]
36th Pia Film Festival
Venue: National Film Center Large Hall, Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art
Address: 3-1 Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Dates: September 13th to September 25th
Closed: Mondays