San Sebastian Film Festival World Premiere Report ndjc graduate director Yukari Sakamoto’s debut feature film “White Flower Fruit” captivated an audience of approximately 600 people as the final film!

[San Sebastian Film Festival World Premiere Report] NDJC alumna Yukari Sakamoto’s debut feature film, “White Flower Fruit,” captivated an audience of approximately 600 people as the finale! ​
Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO) Press Release: October 2, 2025 [San Sebastian Film Festival World Premiere Report] ndjc alumna Yukari Sakamoto’s feature debut, “White Flower Fruit,” captivated an audience of approximately 600 people as the final film! “White Flowers,” directed by Yukari Sakamoto, developed through the ndjc2022 “Feature Film Planning and Script Development Support” program, will have its world premiere at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and its Asian premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2025! “White Flower Fruit” by director Yukari Sakamoto , developed as part of the Agency for Cultural Affairs-commissioned “ndjc: Young Filmmakers Development Project” (NDJC), run by the Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO), Chairman: Takayuki Matsutani, Chuo-ku, Tokyo), was officially invited to the New Directors category at the 73rd San Sebastian International Film Festival (held September 19th (Friday) – 27th (Saturday) *Spain local time), where it had its world premiere screening and a Q&A session. This commemorative work, the first to be adapted into a film in this project, marks Director Sakamoto’s feature-length debut. As part of the project, Director Sakamoto developed a plan and script, produced a pilot video, and used these to present to filmmakers. From there, instructor Akihisa Yamamoto became producer, and the project continued on its path toward adapting the work, resulting in this major achievement.
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From left: lead actress Miro and director Sakamoto The New Directors category is known as a stepping stone for renowned film directors such as Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Jonathan Glazer (Area of ​​Interest). This film, invited as the closing film, attracted particular attention as the final work in the category. Director Sakamoto and lead actress Miro attended the film festival, and after the screening, the audience of approximately 600 people gave them a standing ovation and thunderous applause, with comments such as “A new kind of girls’ movie like no other I’ve ever seen,” and “It’s so beautiful it brings me to tears!”, proving that the film was well received and successfully conveyed its worldview. 《Comment from Director Yukari Sakamoto》 When I was thinking about this project, I never imagined that it would be made into a film and go to the San Sebastian International Film Festival. I am truly grateful to the people who helped make it a reality. After the screening, as I received warm applause along with lead actress Miro, the faces of the staff, cast, and everyone who helped me flashed through my mind, and I savored the fact that I was there. Seeing the end credits appear on the screen through the spotlight is an unforgettable sight. This project started as a competition at ndjc. I’m truly glad that I didn’t give up and submitted it back then. I hope you’ll be interested in the Japanese release on December 26th!
The Asian premiere of the film will also be held on Nippon Cinema Now at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2025 (held from Monday, October 27th to Wednesday, November 5th)! “White Flower Fruit,” which has been attracting attention both domestically and internationally, will be released on Friday, December 26th at Shinjuku Musashino-kan, Human Trust Cinema Shibuya, and other theaters nationwide. “White Flower Fruit” 【STORY】 Anna, a girl who couldn’t fit in with her peers, repeatedly transferred schools. She ended up at a boarding school for girls deep in a quiet forest. Her new roommate there was Rika, a beautiful, perfect girl who was well-liked by everyone. However, shortly after, Rika threw herself off the roof and took her own life. All that was left behind was a diary. It contained the anguish, anger, and pain hidden behind her smile—as well as memories of her childhood friend, Shiori, and a certain feeling she hadn’t been able to put into words. As Anna continues to read the diary, a pale, flickering will-o’-the-wisp “soul” appears. It quietly enters Anna, almost as if it were Rika’s very soul. Meanwhile, Shiori distances herself from Anna, calling her a “strange girl.” But as if guided by Rika’s soul through Anna, the two gradually begin to draw closer. “Why did the perfect girl jump?” This question soon seeps deep into the hearts of the surviving girls, and each of their “selves” begins to quietly waver. Director, Screenwriter, and Editor: Yukari Sakamoto Cast: Miro, Anji Ikebata, Nijiko Aoto Aoba Kawai, Ryo Iwase, Takako Yamamura Munenori Nagano, Saki Tanaka Ayumi Ito, Mitsuo Yoshihara / Mugi Kadowaki Producer: Akihisa Yamamoto Produced and distributed by: Bitters End Production: Chiaroscuro English title: White Flowers and Fruits (C)2025 BITTERS END/CHIAROSCURO
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/103029/160/103029-160-55de8c74f4ebd4f171c3df91c1832a8b-224×140.jpg (C)2025 BITTERS END/CHIAROSCURO 2025 / Japan / Color / DCP / 5.1ch / Vista / 110 minutes “Shiro no Hana Mi” Official Website
“Shiro no Hanami” Official December 26th (Friday) at Shinjuku Musashinokan, Human Trust Cinema Shibuya, and other theaters nationwide ndjc (New Directions in Japanese Cinema): Project to Develop Young Filmmakers Official website: ndjc.bunka.go.jp We aim to discover and nurture the next generation of feature film directors by publicly recruiting talented young filmmakers and conducting workshops and hands-on production training to pass on the knowledge and skills necessary to hone professional filmmaking techniques and hone their creativity. At the same time, we provide a venue for them to present their work.
ndjc Secretariat (Visual Industry Promotion Organization [VIPO]) ndjc@ndjc.bunka.go.jp
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/103029/160/103029-160-6df8f3ddbded59abb618d6b932cbbb8b-567×238.jpg For more information about this release