'Final Fantasy' wins Media Arts Festival grand prize

Asian Economic News, Dec 29, 2003

TOKYO, Dec. 24 Kyodo

The video game software ''Final Fantasy'' will share one of four grand prizes at the Cultural Affairs Agency's seventh Media Arts Festival in February, the agency said Wednesday.

The annual event aims to honor ''creative works of media art that explore new techniques of artistic expression,'' according to the executive committee. The prizes come with a certificate from the minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology, a trophy and 600,000 yen.

There are four categories of prizes -- ''Entertainment'' and ''Art'' for works employing digital technology, as well as ''Animation'' and ''Manga'' (Japanese comic books).

Akitoshi Kawazu's video game ''Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles'' was chosen in the entertainment category. The executive committee said the software is ''a first-class work in its pictures and music.''

The animation film ''Winter Days'' directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto was awarded the prize in the animation division.

Susumu Higa's ''Kajimunugatai: The Wind Tells the Battle of Okinawa'' was selected as winner in the manga category.

Ryota Kuwakubo's interactive art ''Digital Gadgets #6,8,9'' won the art prize.

Aside from the grand prizes, the committee also named 16 recipients of excellence awards, which come with 300,000 yen, a trophy and a certificate from the minister.

An awards ceremony will be held Feb. 26 at Yebisu Garden Place in Tokyo's Meguro Ward, and the winning materials will be exhibited from Feb. 27 to March 7 at the neighboring Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.