In December 2005, the Korean Entertainment Film Festival was inaugurated in Osaka to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Japan–South Korea relations. In 2016, the festival was renamed Osaka Asian Film Festival to include not only Korean films, but also those from East Asian countries, such as Hong Kong, Japan and China. In addition, Malaysian and Thai films from South Asia were also introduced in the 3rd Festival in 2007.
At the 4th festival in 2009, film critic Sōzō Teruoka was appointed the programming director.[1] "From Osaka, to the whole Japan, then to Asia!" was adopted as the theme in order to introduce premiering films and new directors from Japan.[2] From its 4th edition onwards, the festival was held in March (overlapping the Osaka Cinema Festival) at the ABC Hall of Asahi Broadcasting Building in Hotarumachi, with the exception of the 8th festival in 2013.[2] The Audience Award was introduced.
At the 6th festival in 2011, the competition section was established, which awards the Grand Prix, Most Promising Talent Award and ABC Award. Since the beginning, the Asian Meeting Osaka was set up to handle the release and exchange about the films aided by the Cinema Organisation Osaka (CO2) and produced by new Asian producers. In 2012, the Cinema Organisation Osaka became the Indie Forum as a result of integration of sections, and the organiser was renamed from Osaka Asian Film Festival Executive Committee to Osaka Executive Committee for the Promotion of Moving. In 2015, the Yakushi Pearl Award was established to award the most brilliant performer.
In 2016, the Japan Society (organiser of Japan Cuts festival) from New York City established the JAPAN CUTS Award for films with exceptional excitement and creativity, mainly for Japanese independent films and films screened by Indie Forum.[3]
In 2018, the Housen Short Film Award was established by the Housen Cultural Foundation to award the best short film with length of less than 60 minutes which screen at OAFF as Japan Premieres.
Venuesedit
2005 (1st) – 2006 (2nd): Recital Hall (within Festival Hall)
International Competition Jury: Yvette CHOU (Director, Taiwan), Jakub KROLIKOWSKI (Artistic Director and Co-founder of Five Flavours Film Festival, Poland), Samantha LEE (Director, Philippines)
Housen Short Film Award Jury: Choi Hee-seo (Actor, Korea), Yoshinori SATO (Director, Japan), Kazu WATANABE (Deputy Director of Film at Japan Society, USA)
International Competition Jury: Koyo UDAGAWA (Film Critic, Japan), Urara Matsubayashi (Actor and Producer, Japan)
Housen Short Film Award Jury: Anshul CHAUHAN (Director, Japan), Kiyotaka MORIWAKI (Senior Curator, Chief of Film and Information Room, THE MUSEUM OF KYOTO, Japan)
Most Promising Talent Award: CHOI Jin-young (Director, The Slug)
ABC TV Award: Sister Sister (Vietnam)
Yakushi Pearl Award: Lily LEE (Leading Actor, Born to be Human)
JAPAN CUTS Award: B/B (Director: Kosuke NAKAHAMA)
JAPAN CUTS Award Special Mention: Among Four of Us (Director: Mayu NAKAMURA)
Housen Short Film Award: In-young's Camcorder (Director: OH Jeong-seon)
Audience Award: Ito (Japan)
Competition Jury: Tsukasa ARIYOSHI (Representative of the movie distribution company Magic Hour, Japan), Yuka KIMBARA (Film Journalist, Japan), Takuji SUZUKI (Film Director, Actor, Japan)
Housen Short Film Award Jury: Hiroshi OKUHARA (Director, Japan), Noriko YAMASAKI (Manager of the mini-theater Cine Nouveau), Satoko YOKOHAMA (Director, Japan)
Most Promising Talent Award: Kasho IIZUKA (Director, Angry Son)
Competition Special Mention: Anita (Hong Kong)
ABC TV Award: The First Girl I Loved (Hong Kong)
Yakushi Pearl Award: Bayarjargal BAYARTSETSEG (Leading Actor, The Sales Girl)
JAPAN CUTS Award: Sanka: Nomads of the mountains (Director: Ryohei SASATANI)
Housen Short Film Award: We'll Never Get Lost Together Again (Director: Eugene KOSHIN)
Audience Award: Anita (Hong Kong)
Competition Jury: Shuna IIJIMA (Actress, Japan), Miyuki TAKEI (Representative of the film company MOVIOLA, Japan), Esther YEUNG (COO, We Pictures, Hong Kong)
Housen Short Film Award Jury: Mirai HAYASHI (Manager of the mini-theater Motomachi Cinema, Japan), Takashi KITAKOJI (Film Critic / Professor, Kyoto University of the Arts, Japan), Kousuke ONO (Producer, Japan)
Most Promising Talent Award: Kai KO (Director, Bad Education)
ABC TV Award: Over My Dead Body (Hong Kong)
Yakushi Pearl Award: LU Hsiao-fen (Leading Actor, Day Off)
JAPAN CUTS Award: When Morning Comes, I Feel Empty (Director: Yuho ISHIBASHI)
Housen Short Film Award: Swallow Flying to the South (Director: Mochi LIN)
Housen Short Film Award Special Mention: Daddy-To-Be (Taiwan)
Audience Award: Day Off (Taiwan)
Competition Jury: HO Cheuk Tin (Director, Hong Kong), HSIEH Pei-ju (Director, Taiwan), Rie TSUKINAGA (Journalist, Japan)
Housen Short Film Award Jury: Gina S. NOER (Director, Indonesia), Banjong PISANTHANAKUN (Director, Thailand), Noriko TANAKA (Manager, Kobe Planet Film Archive, Japan), Eric TSANG Hing Weng (Director, Hong Kong)
^"Iza wins acting award in 2017 Osaka Asian Film Fest". ABS-CBN News. March 12, 2017.
^Lee, Samantha (March 13, 2017). "EXCLUSIVE: Iza Calzado on winning her first international acting award". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017.