Hiroshima International Film Festival

The Damah Film Festival, a festival of short films focused on spirituality was established in Seattle, United States, in 2001, before relocating to Culver City, California. Damah is a Hebrew word sometimes translated as "metaphor". The Damah Film Festival in Hiroshima was held annually from 2009 until 2013, with the theme "Connecting our hearts together", in some years also being presented in Fukuyama. In 2019, the Damah Film Festival began as a separate festival in Tokyo, focusing on short films, with Mayumi Fukuhara as the inaugural director. It continues today, with a 2025 festival planned in the spring. Mark Joseph, co-founder, is president of the festival ==Description==

It is a three-day film festival held annually in November Hiroshima. Films are submitted from around the world, subtitled in Japanese and English, and the program is bilingual. Its focus is on "positive and inspirational films". The festival is presented by the Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and various other bodies. ==People==

The president of the festival is production designer Kyoko Heya. Kazutaka Yamamoto is chairman of the executive committee of the festival, while the secretary general of the festival is Hitoshi Kono. ==Past festivals==

The inaugural Damah Film Festival in Hiroshima in 2009 included past winners of the U.S. festival, new nominees from Asian countries, and a special showing of the thriller The Least of These, executive produced by Ralph Winter. Supported by the Hiroshima Film Commission, the festival relied on around 100 volunteers to stage the event. Prizes awarded were the Hiroshima Grand Prix Award, Jury Award, and Audience Award were elected by audience voting and five jury members. In 2018, the festival presented Swiss films selected by the newly created Helvetica Swiss Film Festival. In 2023, the festival opened with The Village, directed by Michihito Fujii Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Evil Does Not Exist had its Japanese premiere at the festival. The short film competition was held for the first time in four years, and there was a special program dedicated to Yoji Yamada, who has made many films in Hiroshima Prefecture. ==Footnotes==