Japan Film Festival - Los Angeles – 2009 Closing

Los Angeles, California—
Japan Film Festival Los Angeles 2009- is proud to announce our closing lineup. The closing award party was held at Downtown Independent theater (Downtown L.A.) last night (Apr. 19th(Sun.). Guests included JFF festival staff, JVTA staff, JAMA members, submission film directors, producers, crew and general attendies. The following films received awards. Thank you so much for supporting our festival.


<<Submission Award>>

Best Feature Film: LEFT HANDED Director: Laurence Thrush
http://www.jffla.org/films/submissions/left-handed
A disaffected teen locks himself in his room, where he stays for two years. Explores the uniquely Japanese phenomenon of hikikomori (social withdrawal).

Best Documentary Film : WHALE Director: Danny Samit
http://www.jffla.org/films/submissions/Whale
An unprecedented, explicit and evenhanded investigation of fishing practices in one of Japan's few remaining traditional whaling villages.

Best Short Film : CANNIBALIEN Director: David Kame Tsai
http://www.jffla.org/films/submissions/shorts#cannibalian
Twisted!! Socially conscious. Delicious! In the not-too-distant future, humans are dinner for a race of greedy aliens.

Audience Award <Feature Film> : BLITZKRIEG BOP Director: Kakuei Shimada
http://www.jffla.org/films/submissions/blitzkrieg-bop
This 16mm splatter-punk conflagration from Ramones fanatic Kakuei Shimada is like nothing you've ever seen. Or probably should see.

Audience Award <Short Film> : DIARY OF THE DOROBO Director: Devi Kobayashi
http://www.jffla.org/films/submissions/shorts#dorobo
A thief breaks into a house where he encounters a young wife wearing an elaborate steel mask.