Protests and Questions Regarding the “Announcement and Apology of Abolition of Scholarship System” by Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival
Statement
December 17, 2024 / January 11, 2025 Add supporters
On November 22, 2024, Yubari Fanta, a specified non-profit corporation, issued an official statement titled "Announcement and Apology of Abolition of Scholarship System." The announcement declared the termination of the scholarships previously awarded to the grand prize winners in the three categories of the 2023 Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival (hereinafter referred to as "Yubari Film Festival").
We strongly protest the unilateral decision to abolish the scholarship system without providing sufficient notice or consultation with the affected parties. This action not only undermines the trust of filmmakers and participants but also contradicts the festival's longstanding mission of supporting emerging talent in the industry.
What is the Yubari Film Festival Scholarship System?
The Yubari Film Festival scholarship system refers to a benefit awarded to the grand prize winners in the "Full Feature," "Short," and "Animation" categories of the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, organized by the NPO Yubari Fanta. The festival was held in Yubari City, Hokkaido, from June 29 to July 2, 2023.
From January 10 to April 7, 2023, the NPO Yubari Fanta accepted submissions from Japanese and international filmmakers. An entry fee ranging from 2,200 to 3,300 yen was charged per work. Out of a total of 407 submissions, nominated works were selected for competition.
The application guidelines explicitly stated that the Grand Prize winners in each category would be entitled to both a prize and the scholarship right.
The description of the "scholarship system" listed on the 2023 Yubari Film Festival official website is as follows.
What is a scholarship?
The Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival (YIFF) invites film works from both professional and amateur audiences, and awards are determined through careful screening by top-notch selection committee members.
From the 33rd Yubari Film Festival in 2023, we will introduce a scholarship system for producing commercial works.
The produced works will be screened in movie theaters, sold on BD/DVD, and broadcast on television.
YIFF will play a central role in forming a production committee and providing support for production funds, production structure, distribution, etc.
We support commercial film production at the theatrical release level.
*Winners of scholarship rights will be asked to submit a production proposal, and only one work will be eligible.
However, after the festival ended, there was no detailed communication regarding the scholarships to all award winners, and on November 22, 2024, the festival announced the “Announcement and Apology of the Abolition of the Scholarship System'' on their official website.
(Article : https://www.yubari-fanta.com/news/2024/11/1092.html )
We would like to protest that there are false statements regarding this announcement, and that there is a lack of explanation regarding the sudden decision to terminate the scholarship after more than a year of silence after the festival ended.
Statement Regarding Factual Discrepancies in the Scholarship System Communication
The official text released by the Yubari Film Festival claims, "We have contacted those who won the Grand Prix in the three categories, and after selection, we have invited those who have won the rights to apply."
However, as of December 2024, none of the award winners have been officially contacted regarding their scholarship rights.
In January 2024, Masayuki Kuramoto, director of the Grand Prix-winning feature film, was approached by Shinya Sengoku, director of NPO Yubari Fanta, to discuss the project’s concept. He was the only award winner the festival contacted. Despite several exchanges, no concrete details about the scholarship program were provided.
On October 6, 2024, Ms. Mayu Washimi of Japan Production Co., Ltd., who introduced herself as the representative in charge of the Yubari Film Festival volunteer group, reached out to Mr. Kuramoto again with application-related information. However, this communication was limited to him and did not extend to the other winners.
Despite repeated inquiries, critical questions remained unanswered:
• Who is the head of scholarship planning?
• Regarding the length of the project (Are there any rules for short, medium-length, etc.?)
• How much does it cost to produce?
• The basis for the deadline for submission of proposals and scripts in 2024
From October 7, 2024, until the day before the official announcement of the scholarship abolition, Mr. Kuramoto attempted to seek clarification via email and phone. However, the festival provided no official response during this time. The Lithuanian director of the Grand Prix-winning short film and Kanako Fujita, the Japanese contact person for one of the awards, were never contacted by the festival during this time.
Given the lack of formal communication with all winners, the unclear details surrounding the program, and the absence of a legitimate recruitment process, the abolishment of the scholarship system amounts to a unilateral cancellation without sufficient notice. This lack of transparency and disregard for the winners' rights undermines the festival's credibility and raises serious questions about its accountability to its participants and commitments.
Regarding the Lack of Sufficient Accountability from the Yubari Film Festival
The reason cited in the announcement for the abolishment of the scholarship system was, “In response to the review of the management system and the report on July 25 of this year, we are proceeding with various considerations.”
However, this explanation is neither convincing nor transparent for the following reasons:
1. Lack of Communication Prior to the Report
There had been no communication with the scholarship winners regarding their awards even before the July 25 report. This absence of action undermines the claim that the decision to cancel the scholarship system was a result of the report. Moreover, after the report, only Mr. Kuramoto was contacted in October with partial information, while other winners were left uninformed. This raises serious doubts about the report's actual influence on the decision.
2. Unclear Management Structure
Despite referencing a “review of the management system,” the announcement does not clarify:
Who were the other members involved in the scholarship project besides Ms. Mayu Washimi?
Who are the board members responsible for deciding to abolish the scholarship?
The lack of transparency regarding the personnel involved makes it difficult to believe that a meaningful review of the system has been conducted. How can an effective review be carried out when the roles and responsibilities of those involved remain undefined and unclear?
3. Absence of English Communication
As an international film festival, it is troubling that significant announcements, including the abolishment of the scholarship system, were made solely in Japanese. This exclusion fails to accommodate the many international participants, including the Grand Prix-winning short film director. The absence of an English version of the announcement demonstrates a lack of consideration for the global audience and undermines the festival's reputation as an inclusive international platform.
Questions Regarding the Abolishment of the Scholarship System
We respectfully request responses to the following questions from key individuals involved in the scholarship system of the Yubari Film Festival 2023. The lack of transparency and accountability regarding this issue has raised significant concerns, and we request a detailed explanation by December 21, 2024.
1. Mr. Hirokazu Ueda
Chairman of the NPO Yubari Fanta and Executive Committee Chairman of the Yubari Film Festival 2023
Disclosure of Attendees:
Please disclose the names of the attendees present at the NPO Yubari Fanta Board of Directors meeting where the decision to abolish the scholarship system was made.History and Circumstances:
What is your understanding of the history of the scholarship system? Please explain the circumstances leading to the decision to abolish it.Future Plans:
Are there any future plans to review and improve the operational system of the NPO Yubari Fanta to prevent similar issues in the future?
2. Mr. Shinya Sengoku
Director of the NPO Yubari Fanta and key decision-maker in implementing the Yubari Film Festival 2023 scholarship system
Disclosure of Attendees:
Please disclose the names of the attendees at the NPO Yubari Fanta Board of Directors meeting where the announcement regarding the scholarship abolishment was decided.Contacting Mr. Kuramoto:
Why was only Mr. Kuramoto contacted in January 2024? What were your intentions in hinting at the existence of a scholarship director by stating, "If we don't proceed with things carefully, it will end up being rejected?"Scholarship Director:
Please disclose the name of the scholarship director who made this statement.
3. Ms. Mayu Washimi
Scholarship representative, Japan Production Co., Ltd.
Disclosure of Attendees:
Please disclose the attendees at the NPO Yubari Fanta Board of Directors meeting where the scholarship abolishment was decided.October 2024 Communication:
Why was only Mr. Kuramoto contacted in October 2024 regarding the scholarship system?
Regarding the Response
Please send your responses to the secretariat's email address below:
yubarifanta.creativity@gmail.com
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the same address.
This statement, along with the responses we receive, will be publicly posted on our website:
https://note.com/yubarifanta_ship
We find it extremely regrettable that such an issue has arisen at the historic Yubari Film Festival, causing hardship to creators who placed their trust in the festival. We strongly protest to ensure that future creators are not subjected to the same challenges we faced.
<Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival/Scholarship Issue Pursuit Group>
Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival 2023 Feature Grand Prix Winner
Masayuki Kuramoto
Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival 2023 Short Film Grand Prix Winner Japan Representative
Kanako Fujita
Former staff of Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival 2023
Kenji Sato
All supporters <in Japanese alphabetical order> *As of 2025/1/11
Ryou Akamatsu (Film producer)
Takashi Iiduka (Film director)
Yujin Iwai (animation artist)
Tomohiko Iwasaki (Film director)
Misako Unakami (Film director)
Kenichi Ebisawa (Film director)
Hiroki Obata (Film director)
Yohei Oyama (Photographer)
Yuya Kudo
KOU (Youtuber)
Keisuke Sawada (Businessman)
Shoko. F (Calligrapher)
Hideo Shimamura (Musician)
Reimi Tanaka (BAR manager)
Yoshihiko Tanaka (Representative Director of Cinema Supporters Alliance)
Naoko Teduka(Former staff of Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival)
Naoyuki Niiya(Videographer)
Tomoko Nishijima(fire dancer)
Megumi Haga (Korean-Japanese translator/Former Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival translation/interpretation volunteer)
Etsuo Hiratani (Screenwriter)
Hiroyasu Hirano (Movie distribution company)
Tomomi Furuyama (Producer)
Kentaro Miura (Film director)
Airi Miyamoto (Video production company)
Testuya Miwa (Yubari Film Festival fans will not be participating due to problems with the 2024 management system)
Naoya Ryujin (Film activist)
Yuka Yamagishi (Korean-Japanese translator)
Kiyotaka Yamada (Self-employed)
Kazuki Watanabe (Video director)
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