This year marks the 13th Aichi International Women's Film Festival, an annual event that commenced in May 1996 to celebrate the opening of Will Aichi, a center established by Aichi Prefecture as part of its efforts to realize a gender-equal society.

This year's Festival featured 21 films mainly by women filmmakers who work actively around the globe and in Japan, and invited seven guests from abroad. We also invited emerging female Japanese directors who are receiving increasing attention in recent years. It was a really exciting and powerful year.

During the five days from September 3, we had many events including the Symposium where our special guest was Festival Director of International Women's Film Festival in Seoul, the Party where you can communicate directly with directors and actors from home and abroad, the award presentation of 2008 Audience Award (Forever the Moment by Yim Soon-rye), and other events mainly run by volunteers. The Festival ended successfully.

With the cooperation of surrounding cities of Komaki, Nisshin, Tahara, Kitanagoya, and Yatomi, this year's events reached out to cover a wider range of areas across Aichi Prefecture. We would like to thank all those concerned for their support and cooperation in realizing those events.

It is our dearest wish that this film festival should promote international awareness of women's participation in society and serve as a foundation for the realization of gender-equal society. As always, we appreciate your continuing support for our activities.

Copyright (C) 2008 Aichi Gender Equality Foundation All Rights Reserved.