1st Annual Japan Documentary Video Festival

The Nippon Foundation is now accepting submissions for the first annual Japan Documentary Video Festival, a competition of YouTube-compatable videos.

The theme for this year's competition, which carries a 500,000 yen grand prize, is "Dreams and Hopes." Even in this time of global conflict and economic difficulty there are those around us who overcome tremendous barriers, such as disaster or disability, filling their world with joy.

The aim of the festival is to help spread that light more broadly throughout Japan by bringing these stories, these heroes, to the attention of society.

Entries, which must be submitted with Japanese subtitles by September 30, 2009, will be displayed on our website and on YouTube. An eminent panel of judges will then select the winner in November.

Four runners up will receive prizes of 100,000 yen each.

Details regarding entries can be found on our Japanese website.