A Movie Capital 2025 Project
The first Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival took place in 1989. While the 1991 documentary A Movie Capital captured its making, one story was left on the editing floor—the spirited efforts of local volunteers, the “YIDFF Network,” who rallied behind the festival. Today, a legendary 4-hour rough cut featuring this theme is revived in high quality, thanks to the digital restoration of 13 hours of 16mm negative film, previously unseen. Also premiering is Mirror Works ’89, a new film using enhanced Hi-8 video footage of Ogawa Shinsuke, Tamura Masaki, and colleagues at work in Yamagata’s Central Public Hall, testing special effects techniques for additional filming. A post-screening talk, related exhibits, and events at the former Yoshiike Clinic round out the program.
“Movie Capital 2025 Project” is supported by the Foundation for Library Advancement (Digital Archiving Project for YIDFF’s Early Records) and the Kawamura Arts and Cultural Foundation’s Socially Engaged Art Support Grant (A Dialogue with Film Footage from 35 Years Ago).
Special Partner: YOKOCINE D.I.A. Inc.
Special Thanks to: ACT 5 SCENE 1, Documentary Dream Center.
A Movie Capital
(Eiga no miyako: Yamagata kokusai documentary eigasai ’89)
JAPAN / 1991 / Japanese / Color / DCP (Original: 16mm) / 98 min
Director: Iizuka Toshio
Photography: Otsu Koshiro, Kato Takanobu
Technical Advisor: Tamura Masaki
Film Structure: Ogawa Shinsuke
Editing: Ogawa Shinsuke, Tamura Masaki, Iizuka Toshio, Kuribayashi Masashi
Sound: Asanuma Koichi
Production Assistant: Masuya Shuichi
Line Producers (Post-production): Shiraishi Yoko, Abe Hiroko
Producer: Fuseya Hiroo
Production Company: Ogawa Productions
Paying tribute to filmmaker Joris Ivens who passed away just before the first Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 1989, behind-the-scenes preparations, interviews with filmmakers, and statements by Asian filmmakers at a symposium. This record of the inaugural festival vividly captures its time and world. Film structure by Ogawa Shinsuke. The YIDFF 2025 screening will mark the big-screen premiere of the film’s digitally remastered version.
Iizuka Toshio
Born 1947, he joined Ogawa Productions in 1969. After making his directorial debut with A Movie Capital (1991, YIDFF ’91), he turned independent. His filmography includes The Sound of Tiny Wings (1992) and Maebashi Army Airfield (2018).
Mirror Works ’89: Yamagata Central Public Hall
(Mirror Works ’89: Yamagatashi chuo kominkan)
JAPAN / 2025 / Japanese / Color / DCP / 28 min
Structure, Editing: Oe Yuta
Footage filmed by: Ogawa Productions, Masuya Shuichi
Technical Support: YOKOCINE D.I.A. Inc.
Production: Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival
Production Support: Kobe Planet Film Archive
Cooperation: Kato Takanobu; Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts
Using newly digitized footage of negative film shot for A Movie Capital (1991) and behind-the-scenes video recordings, this essay film captures the backdrop from where Yamagata first became a “movie capital” in 1989—poetically, and at the same time emphasizing the physicality of film stock. The beginnings of an international film festival transcend time as we know the event continues to this day.
Oe Yuta
Raised by the movie capital, Yamagata City. After graduating from Nihon University College of Art, he worked in cinemas, film distribution, broadcasting, and post production labs before going freelance. Recent activities include digital archiving, following a strong interest in regional culture, and utilizing film heritage.
Feb 11, 1990 Rough Cut Screening: The Other Version
(1990 nen 2 gatsu 11 nichi rough cut joeikai: Mouhitotsu no Eiga no miyako)
JAPAN / 2025 / Japanese / Color / Digital File / 247 min
Director: Iizuka Toshio
Photography, Footage Source: Masuya Shuichi
Technical Consultation: Kato Takanobu
Cooperation: Oe Yuta, Yasui Yoshio
Production: Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival
Technical Support: YOKOCINE D.I.A. Inc.
During the making of A Movie Capital (1991), director Iizuka Toshio put together a four-and-a-half-hour rough cut initially focusing on the citizen volunteer group YIDFF Network. At its preview screening in 1990, Network member Masuya Shuichi recorded the event on video. From this archive, the rough cut was reconstructed on newly digitized footage using original sound, bringing it back to life.
Projects from Digitized Outtakes
Viewing Party: Outtakes from A Movie Capital
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With the support of many partners, we digitized the outtakes from A Movie Capital. From this material, we selected segments that speak to the origins of YIDFF—such as the inaugural gathering of the YIDFF Network, Ogawa Shinsuke’s speech at that event, the Daily Bulletin debate about quality, and interviews for the YIDFF ’89 trailer. After editing for clarity and adding captions, the footage was screened at three workshops for festival staff and local supporters. Capturing the excitement of the inaugural meeting, Ogawa’s vision as one of the founders, and discussions over how best to launch the festival as the dates loomed near, these screenings became opportunities for intergenerational exchange within the YIDFF community. Some of these outtakes will also be screened at the former Yoshiike Clinic on the dates below. A reading corner, A Movie Capital Library, will be set up in the same venue with related books and materials.
Dates: Oct. 12 (Sun) 17:00–19:00, Oct. 13 (Mon) 17:00–19:00
Venue: The Former Yoshiike Clinic