Kyoto International Student Film Festival is Japan’s largest international student film festival. Organized by the Consortium of Universities in Kyoto, it is planned and managed by university students from Kyoto and other cities in the Kansai region as the festival’s executive committee members. The festival gathers independent films produced by students from around the world, discovers the talent that will lead the future of cinema, and promotes the appeal of student films.
Historically, Kyoto is a “film city” that still carries on the cultural legacy of the early days of Japanese cinema, and it is also a “university town and student town” where students account for 10% of the population of Kyoto City. Kyoto Film Festival aims to create opportunities for international exchange and mutual understanding by discovering and introducing talents who could add new areas to film from among the many potential works worldwide. It also aims to revitalize Kyoto through activities in association with the community.