Kiyotaka Horii

The reason why I get involved in Nara International Film Festival...
That is director Naomi Kawase, herself.
I met her in April, 2004, for an establishment of a NPO group.
Since then, I joined activities with her sometimes, but time passed by without talking to her much since I am not a direct person originally.

I talked with her first time at night of October 9th, 2006.
About herself,
About me,
Things so far.
Things in the future.
Since then, we started an interrelated friendship.

Meanwhile, for me, Naomi Kawase is,
"incredible" person.

"Incredible" means, she sometimes acts and talks in a way
Beyond my understanding because of her strong desire for creating things.

When someone ask me about her, I often answer
"She is a genius."
In fact, she won the "Camera d'Or" as the youngest director in the history of Cannes Film Festival
Also, she is the second Japanese person to win the grand prize in the same film festival.
And she is the first woman in the world to win "Golden Coach Award (Carrose d'Or)".
There are many other prizes from different international film festivals, etc.
She has been getting incredible appraisal in the field of films.

Maybe that is why her words and actions which come from what she saw, heard and experienced abroad make me feel "incredible".

However, anybody cannot live alone.
And the more connection she receives, the more strongly she should feel so.
There could be none more than her who feels the importance of complementing each other and changing it into the motivation.

The Nara International Film Festival which just embarked is in the same situation.
Different kinds of people relate each other and groping in the dark by complementing strengths and weaknesses to make something new happen.

However, whatever the process is, the important thing is to stick to the essence without hesitation.
It is because I think it is impossible to make something new happen if we have discarded something we should stick to.

A film festival which is real and fits this city of Nara.
To make a film festival by revitalizing the world valuable properties of Nara.
I believe it should be "real" for large and small.
That is the mission the land of Nara should accomplish.
That is what the world want Nara to be, and I believe that
Nara will be the key to fly to the world.

Lastly, I think, the Nara International Film Festival for me is to produce interactions of many people by realizing and keeping it, and to make it as a project to lead reactivation of Nara.

I would like to take the first step with lots of people who loves Nara and with the heart for future for Nara.
Thank you ahead for your corporation.

Kiyotaka Horii, President of Kyoei Publishing Co.,Ltd.