AREA UNITE is an outdoor film festival held at a private campground adjacent to Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort in Otari Village, Nagano Prefecture. A giant 300-inch screen is set up in the forest, and the event centers around screening special movies by top ski and snowboard riders and creators from Japan and abroad. It's an event that can be enjoyed with all five senses, with talk shows, live music and DJs, food and drinks, shops, and more
A pre-event called "VOL.0" was held in 2023, and the first official event, called "VOL.1," took place over four days last year. The first event attracted around 700 people over three days, and the following year it attracted around 1,200 people over four days, steadily increasing the number of fans
The theme for this year's "VOL.2" is "Together, one in unity," and the event will be held over one day with a condensed content. Furthermore, the theme is "gratitude for nature" and "respect for diversity," and the event aims to bring together people who love snowy mountains and nature in Hakuba Valley, where the leaves turn red in autumn, to share culture through video, music, and dialogue, and to create a place for real interaction that transcends genres and generations
▼Scenes from the first event
The overall design for the event is being handled by Nina , an artist based in Otari Village who is also active in the HAKUBA area . She commented on the design as follows:
"The image of various people, things, thoughts and souls coming together in a big vortex, drawing a circle, is expressed using various shapes and colors. Daytime spaces, nighttime spaces, people active on the front stage, people supporting behind the scenes, happy and powerful times, calm and relaxed times, yin and yang all blend together, accepting each other and creating one wonderful space. That's the kind of "AREA UNITE" we tried to express."
Nina (Ryuichi Nishina)
Born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, currently living in Otari Village. Worked as a web designer and director in Tokyo for 15 years, honing his design, planning and composition skills, and in his later years began creating illustrations and mural art
He moved to Otari Village in 2018 and began working on woodworking for store interiors, signs, and interior design. He uses his wide range of design skills to meet a variety of needs and distributes his art works from Hakuba and Otari Village to all parts of the country
･Movies by:
Heart films, mdm production, MIGHTY JAMMING, YoneFilm, Sketchy Sanca., Shizo-Mov, WAKU WAKU, Yuta Kobayash, Masaki Kitae, Yasuhito Wakebe, Lowed Service, Minimal Cinema, BURTON x RED BULL, THE NORTH FACE
• Talk by: Sayaka Kato, Reimi Kusunoki & Yui Ono. Check the official website for details on the films being screened, performing artists, vendors, and more . A special one-day event that will add color to the autumn in Hakuba. Skiers, snowboarders, and non-skiers alike can all enjoy this day together at AREA UNITE!
▶Event Overview
AREA UNITE 2025
Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
Venue:Matoka Otani & Cortina Auto Campground (Forest Area)
Address: 12857 Chikuni Otsu, Otani Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture
Admission Fee: 4000 yen on the day / 3000 yen in advance (until 10/17)
*Includes camping fee and parking fee
*Free for those under 18
schedule
Gate Open: 12:00 PM
Part 1: 2:30 PM onwards (Talk show and other content)
Part 2: 5:00 PM onwards (Film screening)
Part 3: 11:00 PM onwards (After-party - planned)
▶Access
Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort Parking Lot (5 minutes' walk to the venue)
▶Campsite users and people with disabilities
Turn left at the sign and go straight. After checking in at the entrance, please follow the instructions of the staff
▶People other than those listed above
Park at the front of the parking lot and follow the signs to the entrance
Information
AREA UNITE 2025 Executive Committee
Official website:https://www.areaunite.jp/
Official social media:Instagram
Email: info.areaunite@gmail.com