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A mini-documentary on a much-loved 88-year-old local artist has won this winter’s Niseko Shootout Short Film Festival held at Hanazono Ski Resort.

It’s the first time in the event’s five-year history that a non-ski/snowboard-related film has trumped the field.

Painter is an artistic, 4-minute-long film following a day in the life of Shigeru Tokumaru, one of Niseko’s most loved artisans.

Filmmaker Toshi Pander won ¥180,000 in prize money thanks to Niseko Shootout major sponsor Don Julio 1942 Tequila – who also supplied a shot of tequila to festival goers on arrival.

Niseko Shootout founder Winse Heyward said he was excited to see more diversity in the entries this year.

“It’s great to see our film festival growing in size and depth over the years,” Winse said.

“We’ve now got films that are not just about the amazing skiing and snowboarding but also the spirit and uniqueness of the local people, making it a true Niseko cultural event.”

More than 400 people packed Hanazono EDGE – Hanazono Ski Resort’s premier slopeside dining hall – on Friday March 17 for the fun-filled 2-hour event.

Hanazono EDGE also provided food and drink specials for guests, with a roving beer-vendor pouring draught beer from a keg strapped to her back (as is seen at Japanese baseball games).

In all, there were 16 short movies entered by filmmakers from within Japan and internationally from the USA, Austria, New Zealand, Argentina, UK and more.

Judge Ryunosuke Tanaka said the judging was difficult due to the variety and individuality of the entries.

“Among the works that conveyed the charms of Niseko from unique perspectives, Toshi’s Painter stood out from the crowd”, Tanaka-san said.

“Beginning with a quiet but powerful Niseko landscape and moving to focus on the painter, Tokumaru-san, the beauty of the images continues to the point where one can almost feel his breath.

“As the Niseko area has a very high awareness of powder snow, skiing, and snowboarding, exciting powder riding pieces are inspiring, but Painter does not include any skiing scenes.

“However, it gives us a strong sense of the people who live and work here.”

Taking second place Niseko Daydreams, a film by Austrians Bernhard Braun and Mattias Wehinger following skiers exploring the magical Niseko backcountry terrain and enjoying local onsens and hospitality.

In third place was another biographical short documentary, Envision, by Yuichi Ishida and featuring the local legendary calligrapher Yoko Arano.

Ioanna Morelli, Niseko Tourism director and event subcommittee member said it was great to see the return of the festival to Hanazono this season.

“The quality of filming, editing and storytelling in each short showcased Niseko as a visually stunning and culturally rich environment.

“Congratulations to winner Toshi Pander and thank you to everyone who participated to make this year epic.”

All the films can be watched on the Niseko Tourism YouTube channel.

The winners of the Season-long #NisekoShootout Instagram Contest were also announced during the event.

All images uploaded to Instagram and hashtagged #nisekoshootout this winter were eligible, with almost 900 entries in the three categories – Ski, Snowboard, Open.

2022-23 Niseko Shootout Winners (View all photos on Nisekoshoot Instagram)

Make sure to follow Niseko Shootout &  Niseko Tourism social media to find out more about the Niseko Shootout Summer contest.

Thanks again to all our sponsors & partners and until next year.

• Niseko United
• Powderlife
• Don Julio 1942
• Hanazono Niseko
• NISADE
• Gentemstick
• Oyuki Japan
• Rhythm Japan
• Yama Plus
• Iwanai Resort
• K2 Japan
• Alpenglow Lodge
• NAC

Deep powder isn’t the only thing Niseko is known for!

A quirky custom-built Japanese “kei truck” has captured the attention of the voting public to win this year’s ¥80,000 Niseko Shootout ProAM Public Vote.

Kei truck’s are mini pick up trucks that are cheap to register and run, and are seen everywhere in rural Japan – Niseko included.

This particular kei truck is called Sabi-chan and was customised by the rider in the photo, Kiwi Henry Johnson.

The photographer was Tomek Ustupski from Poland.

Niseko Shootout Founder Winse Heyward said it obviously resonated with the voting audience.

“So many locals own a kei truck or van because they’re cheap and have character, and this one is like the poster child for Niseko,” said Winse.

“The patchwork of coloured timber panels popped with the lighting, and the ridge on the roof created a classic Niseko urban feature for Henry to transition on.

“Very cool, very Niseko and a very worthy winner of this year’s Niseko Shootout ProAM!”

Judges Vote Winner

Niseko is also famous for its powder pillows – or mushrooms as they’re called locally.

Pro-pro team made up of local photographer Aaron Jamieson and visiting pro skier Dennis Ranalter took out the Judges Vote with a spectacular bluebird pillow-line shot.

It snowed almost every day between December 1 through the contest period ending January 9, meaning there were plenty of mushrooms ripe for harvest for the ProAM.

This particular line is a favourite spot for travelling ski and snowboard media, however, getting a good photo is much trickier than getting a good video.

The judges all know this fact well and recognised the difficulty in capturing such a pristine bluebird powder shot, awarding Aaron and Dennis the win.

This year’s judges were Taro Tamai, Tsutomu Nakata, Yoichi Watanabe, Neil Hartmann, Torah Bright, Eric Pollard, Matt Hampton and Winse Heyward.

Don Julio Tequila & Rhythm Provide the Party

More than 150 fans flocked to ski rental hub Rhythm Base on Friday night (January 20) for the awards party.

With tequila brand Don Julio 1942 sponsoring the party, it was a fittingly boisterous celebration for a classic Niseko Shootout ProAM.

Check out the photos captured during the Award Ceremony and the Award Video below!

In a deal that will see two like-minded brands collectively become a leading global group operating in the snow, outdoor and experiences market, Rhythm Japan* has officially joined evo.

The North American based business [evo] will become the parent company, owning 100% of the Japanese business, with the existing Rhythm Japan shareholders becoming part-owners of evo, acquiring a sum of shares as part of the deal.

Providing a gateway to the APAC market, evo is excited to welcome Rhythm Japan to the family and brings with it, deep roots and a breadth of experience in the mountain-based equipment rental space, which will be a major asset as evo looks to continue to elevate and expand its own rental offerings in North America.

Founder & CEO, Matthew Hampton, together with co-Founder Mick Klima, launched Rhythm Japan in 2005 with a goal to increase accessibility to gear required to ride the area’s unique snow conditions. The group now has 7 store locations in Niseko, Hakuba, and Furano in Japan and has grown its offering significantly while staying true to its roots through community involvement.

Rhythm Japan will continue to operate under the same name and management teams to ensure a seamless transition for consumers, and Hampton will continue to lead Rhythm Japan, joining the evo enterprise leadership team as Managing Director, APAC Region.

“When we started Rhythm Japan in 2005, a core value was, and still is, to be limitless. This partnership with evo is testament to that,” said Hampton. “I see many similarities between the businesses including a focus on community and a commitment to making lives better through epic experiences. Each business has strengths that will complement each other and make our shared future better.

Echoing Hampton’s sentiment, Bryce Phillips, Founder and CEO of evo comments:
“The first time I set foot in a Rhythm location, I felt something different, something special. Years later, I met Matt and some of the Rhythm team and we quickly became close friends. I had a strong inclination that we’d end up working together given our shared foundation when it comes to core values, culture and commitment to making communities stronger. evo and Rhythm are kindred spirits, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to join forces with the Rhythm family.”

In addition to expanding services and markets, the partnership creates a halo effect for the high-quality brands carried at both Rhythm and evo, offering vendors a truly global, omnichannel retail partner, committed to elevating products and brands.

To learn more about both brands and to stay up to date with future news, check out www.rhythmjapan.com and www.evo.com.