UtoPia: an early history of Pia and its role in Japan’s ‘self-made’ film culture

In 1972, the Japanese entertainment listings magazine Pia was established, providing information on film screenings, theatre and concert events happening in Tokyo each month. It quickly cultivated an engaged readership of teenagers young adults. Among this were participants a burgeoning nationwide phenomenon do-it-yourself production, referred to as jishu seisaku eiga (meaning ‘self-made films’), which typically saw young, aspiring filmmakers produce short feature-length narrative works using 8 mm (and sometimes 16 mm) cameras. This article contextualises emergence its role centralising opportunities Japan’s growing ‘self-made’ filmmaking community throughout 1970s, 1980s beyond. can be viewed two fronts: firstly, from within pages itself strategies stimulate reader-to-cinema engagement; and, secondly, through magazine’s organisation annual self-made screening event late 1970s that would come known Film Festival (PFF). PFF remains essential national showcase for new day, but, more importantly, it herald own system independent production form Scholarship. concludes with discussion about Scholarship, importance at time when early career struggling industry.