For the second year in a row TIFF is hosting the Amazon Prime Video Take One Awards for new filmmakers. “We want Amazon to be a home for talent — when directors come up with great new ideas, we want them to think Amazon is the place to go,” said Kodama Takashi, country director for Prime Video Japan at a TIFF press event on Monday. “That’s why we are sponsoring the awards.”
Open to filmmakers living in Japan who have yet to be a director, scriptwriter or producer on a commercial film or have their independent films of 40 minutes or longer screen theatrically, the Take One Awards are for short films of 15 minutes or less. This year veteran director Yukisada Isao presided over a jury that sifted through 83 entries to come up with seven finalists. Of this number five are female, including fourteen-year-old Asumi Momoha.
While saying that, in judging the entries, he didn’t make distinctions between sex or age, Yukisada told the press that “Women seem to have more momentum and power these days, as well as more resilience — they will never give up completing their films.” Also, he found entries by women filmmakers more “surprising.” “They’re tackling their themes in a fresh way,” he explained.
Acknowledging that working with new directors, scriptwriters and actors is “important,” Kodama added that it “also carries risk.” By sponsoring the Take One Awards, he explained, Amazon is able to evaluate a large number of new talents with the aid of a veteran filmmaker like Yukisada. “So, we’re more likely to have a success than by randomly working with new directors,” he said.
Last year’s winner, Kim Yunsoo, said that he is working on a screenplay in cooperation with Amazon, but modestly added he feels he is still “at the starting line – not a lot has changed.” “But I’m very grateful I was selected as a finalist,” he continued. “It’s really been a big motivation for me.” His advice for this year’s finalists, six of whom who were present in the audience: “I’d like you to wait for the results with a calm mind. And even if you don’t win the award this year, there’s always next year. So, whatever happens, it’s all right.”
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