Youthful Innovation and Passion: Let’s Join the 28th Kyoto International Student Film & Video Festival!

The 28th Kyoto International Student Film & Video Festival will be held from February 20th to February 23rd, 2026. The venue is The Museum of Kyoto. During the festival, visitors can enjoy film screenings as well as various special programs featuring guest speakers.

This event has been held every February since 1997. In this article, we will look back at last year’s highlights while sharing details to help you get the most out of this year’s festival.

What is the Kyoto International Student Film & Video Festival?

The Kyoto International Student Film & Video 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. The Kyoto International Student Film Festival aims to introduce student films from around the world, which hold a lot of potential, provide opportunities
for international exchange and mutual understanding, and contribute to the revitalization of Kyoto and the region through collaborative activities.

As a partner, KYOTO CMEX supports the festival through promotional activities to help revitalize Kyoto’s film culture.

Four awarded screening programs

Films screened in 2025

The selected films are divided into four programs. Entries come from all over the world, often reflecting unique themes from their respective countries. The way these programs are categorized is also intentional—thinking about the meaning behind the groupings is part of the fun of watching the films.

Program details are as follows:

Program A

『Ru Guo Dang Shi』 / WHAT IF	王子愚 / Wang, Ziyu	China
『米米的猜想』 / MIMI	杨苗婧 / Yang, Miaojing	China
『Au Calme Des Cigales』 / The Calm of the Cicadas	Sarah Deredec / Camille Collins / Clémence Ansquer / Juliette Le Hir / Chun-i Cheng / Ambre Muamba / Salomé Leroy / Deredec, Sarah / Collins, Camille / Ansquer, Clémence / Le Hir, Juliette / Cheng, Chun-i / Muamba, Ambre / Leroy, Salomé	France
『お笑えない芸人』 /chuckle chuckle	西田祐香 / Nishida, Yuka	Japan

Program B

『クナマノブ』 / Kuna-manobu	佐藤優希 / Sato, Yuki	Japan
『Fuck the Cistem』	Tajo Hurrle / Hurrle, Tajo	Germany
『Welcome Home Freckles』	박 희주 / Park, Huiju	UK and South Korea
『Paradox』	吉澤太陽 / Yoshizawa, Taiyo	Japan

Program C

『时空裂缝』 / Time Lapse	Chen, Unity	China
『白卷』 / Unanswered	叶尔肯娜孜丽克 / Like	China
『보다 보다』 / Looky-Loo	정 지원 / Jung, Jiwon	South Korea
『今日も咲く花のように / The Bloom Beyond Time	因幡大輝 / Inaba, Taiki	Japan

Program D

『沉没』 / IN THE MIST	刘人铭 / Liu, Renming	China
『모범상』 / The Good Student	박 호범 / Park, Hobeom	South Korea
『Landflucht』 / Fleeing from the Farm	Anna Dokuchaeva / Sine Juhl / Dokuchaeva, Anna / Juhl, Sine	Germany
『イマジナリーライン』 / Imaginary Line	坂本憲翔 / Sakamoto, Kensho	Japan

For more information: https://www.kisfvf.com/news/news/news-3743-2/

Special programs by film professionals

In addition to the student film screenings, the festival hosts events featuring professional guests. Last year, for example, the festival recreated a traditional screening style by adding live narration (Benshi) and musical performances to a silent film.

This year, the schedule includes screenings of works by guest directors followed by talk shows. Be sure to check the programs that interest you. For more information: https://www.kisfvf.com/news/news/news-3743-2/

Entirely ran by students from universities in Kyoto

Mr. Nagata (Former committee’s president)

The festival is made possible by the hard work of the student executive committee. They handle everything from judging entries to coordinating with volunteer translators—challenging tasks that offer unique experience rarely found elsewhere.

While the work is demanding, the joy of a successful festival is immense. Last year, the committee members were full of smiles and clearly took great pride in their work. Judging is the most time-consuming part of their role. In 2025, they received over 500 entries, reviewing each one carefully from a uniquely student-oriented perspective.

Read another KYOTO CMEX’s articles

KYOTO CMEX supports the festival as an event partner. We publish various articles about related events and conduct interviews with past award-winning directors to provide insights that help audiences enjoy the films on a deeper level.

Notably, a pre-event, “Shouji”, held this January at Kiyomizu-dera Temple offered a profound experience, where many participants reflected on the theme of “life and death”.

Read event report: Thinking about Life and Death Through Films at Kiyomizu-dera Temple: Report on the 28th Kyoto International Student Film & Video Festival Pre-event “Shoji”

Read interview with award-winning director: Exclusive Interview with Director Yuri Kurihara on The Hen Lays Its First Egg [Winner for the 27th Kyoto International Student Film & Video Festival]

Join us at the Festival!

The Museum of Kyoto

The 28th Kyoto International Student Film & Video Festival will soon come!

Dates: February 20th – 23rd, 2026
Venue: The Museum of Kyoto access: https://www.bunpaku.or.jp/en/visitor_guide/access/

Experience a diverse range of films from around the world, alongside screenings and talk programs featuring famous directors. If you are planning to be in Kyoto during this time, why don’t you come and discover the next generation of cinema?

Kyoto International Student Film & Video Festival
HP: https://www.kisfvf.com/
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