Between March 16th and 17th, Yoron Island hosted the fourth edition of the Japan World’s Tourism Film Festival. The event awarded tourism videos that stood out for their creative and innovative potential. Countries such as Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Japan, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and Taiwan are among the winners.
This year's competition featured a significant record of entries. The international competition received 1534 submissions from 110 countries, while another 201 videos were submitted for the national competition. These figures reveal that the JWTFF has achieved a greater worldwide projection every year.
Renowned professionals with expertise in Audiovisual, Tourism, and Marketing, were involved in judging the participating productions according to strict evaluation criteria. After the official selection, were defined 47 finalists. The winners were revealed during a virtual award ceremony due to travel restrictions still in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
In the international competition, 22 videos were awarded. The promotional video “Why choose Porto & North of Portugal for your event? - The Majestic Adventures of Ofelia de Souza”, produced by Kobu Agency for Porto and North of Portugal Tourism Board, was awarded the Grand Prix and 1st place in Tourism Products. The Majestic Adventures of Ofelia de Souza focuses on a strong and magnetic character who captures the viewers’ attention with her striking looks and charismatic speech, leading them through a unique travelling experience in Porto & North of Portugal.
The National Grand Prix was assigned to the promotional video “Ukushima”, produced by Tekkou Nogami.
The festival's proposal is also to promote reflection and debate on relevant topics related to the Tourism Industry. During the two days of the event, were held forums on “Tourism for Sustainable Development Goals”, “Travel Video Marketing Trends”, “Tourism Videos in attracting local and international visitors”, in addition to screenings and debates about the videos submitted.
The festival's program still included the innovative competition ART & FACTORY JAPAN, in which audiovisual professionals produced videos that conveyed the appeal of Yoron, a territory with a unique natural and cultural richness, also considered a reference in sustainable development. In 2021, the international certification organization Green Destination selected Yoron as one of the “Top 100 Sustainable Tourism Destinations in the World”.
The event was organized by the Executive Committee of the Japan International Tourism Film Festival (International Center of Tourism Studies, Wakayama University, and Setsunan University), with the support of Yoron Town.
The Japan World's Tourism Film Festival marked the kick-off of CIFFT Circuit 2022, the world's largest and most prestigious competition dedicated to Travel Video Marketing, which brings together tourism film festivals from four continents. The success of JWTFF reveals the quality and competitiveness that can be expected in the upcoming stages.
About CIFFT
The International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals (CIFFT) was established in 1989 in Vienna to recognise, reward and celebrate excellence in Travel Video Marketing.
CIFFT brings together the World’s Best Tourism Film Festivals from four continents in an exclusive competition, the CIFFT Circuit, also recognized as the most prestigious award and recognition initiative for audiovisual tourism communication.
In partnership with the endorsers: UNWTO (World Tourism Organization), ETC (European Travel Commission), CTO (Caribbean Tourism Organization), CATA (Centro America Tourism Association) and Skal International, CIFFT works to encourage tourism destinations to achieve excellence in promoting their products, services, and locations using video.
