Yūbari, Japan / March 2019 / yubarifanta.com
The name Yūbari might sound familiar to Quentin Tarantino fans, for a good reason: He wrote portions of Pulp Fiction while at Yūbari International Fantastic Film Festival in 1993, “and he loved attending so much, he named Kill Bill: Volume 1 antagonist Gogo Yubari after the town,” a panelist reveals. Running since 1990, YIFFF casts a wide net with a broad definition of genre (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Molly’s Game were among the Special Invitation films this year), but has more than enough true blue horror to appeal to the country’s devotees. “Every year, the snowy mountain town of Yūbari is overrun with thousands eager for the latest in horror and science-fiction,” the panelist says. “It’s a distinctly Japanese festival, and their programming tends to lean more toward domestic fare. The wintry vibe gives it a mini-Sundance feel, and the audience is absolutely ravenous.”
Photograph courtesy of Yūbari International Fantastic Film Festival
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Illustrations by Matthew Therrien.
Curious about last year’s list? Read our 2018 list here.
This article originally appears in MovieMaker’s 2019 Guide to Making Horror Movies, featured inside our Fall 2018 issue.
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