Archive 2016

Official Photographer : Leslie Kee

Renowned photographer Leslie Kee participated in the festival as an official photographer. Inspired by the "Cinema Carnival" theme, he photographed Tetsuya Bessho and LiLiCo, whilst also welcoming numerous celebrities to his special photo booth set up at the Award Ceremony.

Official Theme Song : SONG / 「World is Yours」

PKCZ® feat. Crystal Kay, MIGHTY CROWN （MASTA SIMON & SAMI-T) offered our first ever officical festival theme song, 'World is Yours.

 

Opening Ceremony

This year’s official lineup was introduced at the Opening Ceremony, with a selection of awards and projects announced. Numerous celebrities participating in the various projects or as part of the jury were in attendance at this impressive start to the festival.

Special Mention Award "THE AUDITION"

Selected by the Committee for Short Shorts, this award is given to the creator or artist of a short film that inspires a broad audience and receives widespread, global attention.
Martin Scorsese｜USA｜16:14｜Comdey｜2015
Directed by Martin Scorsese, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Robert De Niro

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Competitions

International Competition

This year’s lineup included many films addressing themes of family and identity. 35 films from 19 different countries were carefully selected from the 4,314 submissions received. A total of 13 films by female directors (including works co-directed with male filmmakers) were chosen for the competition ‒ our highest figure to date.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/#program01

Asia International Competition

This year’s lineup highlighted films offering powerful depictions of the unique characteristics of countries and regions throughout Asia. Out of the 807 films received, 19 works from 11 countries were screened. This included films from countries rarely screened in Japan, such as Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/#program02

Japan Competition

A wide variety of films, ranging from 5-minute dramas to 25-minute animations, were introduced in this competition. The lineup included a total of 17 works, selected from 334 submissions.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/#program02

Save the Earth! Competition

This competition introduced 8 short films that approach environmental issues from various angles. A wide range of genres such as comedy, animation and mockumentary were included in the lineup.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/#program03

CG Animation Competition

The latest CG animation shorts by leading CG animators around the world were gathered. A total of 15 short films were screened, each displaying unique regional, cultural, and individual perspectives.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/#program05

Music Shorts and Music Video Competitions

Brand new for 2016, the Music Video Competition introduced 12 official music videos, from artists in Japan and 6 countries overseas, such as Belgium, India and Taiwan.Music Shorts Competition introduced 5 short films that demonstrated the unique chemistry between music and original creativity in filmmaking.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/#program04

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Special Programs

Asiana International Short Film Festival Program from Korea

With "national actor" Sung-ki Ahn serving as Festival Director, Asiana International Short Film Festival, one of the largest festivals of its kind in South Korea, is celebrating its 14th edition this year. We proudly present a special selection of their shorts.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/korea/

Kaohsiung Film Festival Program from Taiwan

In our 6th collaboration with Kaohsiung Film Festival, held annually in Taiwan’s second largest city, we delivered an attractive array of short films showcasing Taiwan’s new wave.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/taiwan/

Academy Awards® Program

As an Academy Awards® accredited short film fastival, we proudly introduce the “Academy Awards® Program" , which includes this year’s winning live action short. It was unique opportunity for the audience to see the very best of the world of world of short film.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/academy/

Focus on Belgium

Special short film program celebrating 150 years of Friendship between Belgium and Japan. We introduced a classic short film by Jaco Van Dormael, who is known as the brilliant mind behind titles such as "Toto the Hero", "The Eighth Day" and "Mr. Nobody".
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/belgium/

French Film Festival 2016 -Short Film Selection

We screened “Short Film Selection" from French Film Festival 2016. The lineup consistd of various short films, ranging from animation to human drama, directed by upcoming French filmmakers.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/france/

Children Program

A program suitable for children 6 years and under that features short films. Centering on non-dialogue shorts, this was a program for both adults and children that offered a talking point for its audience members.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/children

War and the Power To Live Program supported by Red Cross

Globalism is advancing on all fronts and our world is becoming borderless, but there are many people facing widespread struggles. This program introduces the lives and circumstances of various people and helps us to think about “Power to Live."
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/wp-1/

Special Program from Cannes

Cannes Film Festival draws much attention both domestically and abroad. Even within the film industry, the market established alongside the festival is considered a key place for the creation of new business opportunities. We introduced a lineup of gems from this festival.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/cannes

Andaz Tokyo PROGRAM

Celebrating the 2nd anniversary of Andaz Tokyo, SSFF & ASIA collaborated with the hotel once again this year to present a selection of short films only screening at this venue. In fitting with the Andaz brand’s philosophy of "personal style" and concept "Indigenous" , we have crafted two programs. One addresses "Personality" and feature unique films gathered from around the world, and the other introduces the Tokyo locale and Japanese culture to international travelers.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/personal/
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/japan
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/salon

Fashion Shorts Program

In recent years, fashion companies have produced short films as a tool to promte their brand. Since 2014, SSFF & ASIA has paid attention these unique collaborations between fashion brands and "short film." and screened a special program focusing on fashion shorts.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/fashion

"7 Letters"

Celebrating Singapore’s 50th year, "7 Letters" represents seven heartfelt 'love letters' to Singapore, capturing each of the directors’ personal and poignant connection with the place they call home. The seven stories tell of our heartland and its people through tales of lost love, identity, inter-generational familial bonds and tensions, unlikely neighbors, and even references to traditional folklore.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/singapore

Southeast Asia Program

We had screenings of short films produced in Southeast Asia, and hold an international symposium with Southeast Asian film industry delegates. These programs are co-organized by The Japan Foundation Asia Center, an organization devoted to promoting and endorsing cross-cultural experiences between Japan and other Asian countries. This year, five short films from Vietnam, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia were featured. At the symposium, Southeast Asian film industry delegates discussed how they produce shorts, nurture the next generat ion of filmmakers and promote short films. The topics also covered the current position of short films in the industry at large, as well as the future of filmmaking in the Southeast Asian film industry.
http://www.shortshorts.org/southeast_asia/index-en.php

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Events

SHORT FILM THEATER & SPECIAL TALK SHOW @INTERSECT BY LEXUS – TOKYO　

During the festival, LEXUS SHORT FILM THEATER showcased short films specially selected by Tetsuya Bessho at INTERSECT BY LEXUS ‒TOKYO. A special talk show was also given by Tetsuya Bessho and MAGGY.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/lexus-short-films-special-events-2016/

Community Development through Entertainment

SSFF & ASIA collaborated with KADOKAWA, publisher of the popular "Walker" tourism magazine series, to present the Community Development through Entertainment project. With guest lecturers for each of the event's central themes "creator," "music," and "KADOKAWA's 40th anniversary," we explored the power of art and moving images
http://www.shortshorts.org/2015/en/program/ev_ubukata.php

Short Film by Takeru of SuG Screening Event

Takeru, the vocalist of the rock band SuG, attended the premiere of his short film “WE CRY OUT HELLYEAH," based on an original short story by the singer. He discussed his thoughts on the film and details about the behind the scenes production.
Short Film by Takeru of SuG Screening Event

I'm LESLIE KEE – we are the world.

The premiere event of fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto’s short film “PHANTOM"was followed by a discussion with its director, photographer Leslie Kee. who has previously been awarded by ASVOFF, one of the best fashion film festivals in the world. We slso welcomed special guests, such as actors and one of the actress from the film and singer Jin Akanishi, who provided the film’s soundtrack.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/en/program/im-leslie-kee-we-are-the-world/

The Impact of Virtual Reality on the Film Industry

From “The Matrix" to “Tron," numerous films have taken on the challenge of virtual reality over the years. 2016 is said to be the year of virtual reality, with films fully engaging in the immersive technology, as well as real-life virtual reality audio devices making their market debut. We invited the foremost leaders in this field to discuss what kind of innovation virtual reality will bring to the film industry.
The Impact of Virtual Reality on the Film Industry

Creative Seminar on Drones -Drones and the Future of the Creative Media Landscape-

The arrival of drones marks a major evolutionary moment in the creative media industry. Filmmakers now potentially have access to film locations otherwise impossible to reach, the flexibility to shoot at unlimited angles, and so much more. DJI is the world’s leading drone manufacturer, and their developments are actively shaping the future of the creative media landscape. In this seminar, we explored the best ways to utilize drone technology, accompanied by an extraordinary demonstration that highlighted the kind of creativity enabled thus far.
Creative Seminar on Drones

Screening of "MOOM" and Talk Session by Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi

Animation Director Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi’s directorial debut “Dam Keeper”, co-directed by Robert Kondo, impressively received a nomination for Best Animated Short Film in the 87th Academy Awards®.While at Pixar Animation Studio, he worked as a Lighting Art Director for “Toy Story 3.” After his time there, he co-founded his animation studio, TONKO HOUSE. In this session, he discussed his experience at Pixar, the future of TONKO HOUSE and his new animation “MOOM.
Screening of "MOOM" and Talk Session by Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi

Master Class by Naomi Kawase

Naomi Kawase is an internationally recognized Japanese director and headed the Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury at Cannes Film Festival this year. Why did she decide to pursue filmmaking, and how did her films come to be recognized on an international scale? How has she nurtured her craft and talent over the years? This event looked at Kawase's incredible career and explored her films, ranging from those made when she was a student to those produced most recently.

Super Short Short Seminar

Masatomo Tamaru-disciple’s disciple of sci-fi writer Shinichi Hoshi and leading figure in the next generation of short filmmakers - joined us to host a lecture on the merits of writing short shorts, with a focus on writing for alternative fiction. We have also screened “Umisyu,” a film written by Masatomo Tamaru and starring Naoki Matayoshi, as well was screened, as was the film "Hana", based on the 1st Book Shorts Award Winner.
Super Short Short Seminar

Takumi Saitoh on the Future of Short Films

Takumi Saitoh is active as both an actor and a director, and he has collaborated with world-renowned director Naomi Kawase on various occasions. For this event we screened his short film works and held a discussion about his films, career and creative inspiration.
Takumi Saitoh on the Future of Short Films

Actors Workshop

In addition to presenting a program of short films, we hosted a special event where we discussed the growth of both actors and creators. The seminar was led by Satoshi Isaka, a director with a focus in nurturing young talent and experienced short film actor Shogen.
Actors Workshop

A Seminar on Creating Hit Travel Videos

What are the qualities that set apart those special videos that have the ability to move and inspire people? We invited a visionary filmmakers to share some key points for producing the best tourism video.
A Seminar on Creating Hit Travel Videos

Visual Tourism Award Screening

From astounding 612 submissions, the most we’ve had yet, we screened the 5th Tourism Award’s films and local mascot characters attended the event.
Visual Tourism Award Screening

Screening and Award Presentaion of ‘Ibaraki Short Film Award’

SSFF & ASIA supported the (Ibaraki Short Film Award) / (Prize: 1,000,000 yen) contest organized by Ibaraki Prefecture by announcing the award winner and screening three nominated films during the festival.
Ibaraki Short Film Award

Closing Ceremony

For the Closing Ceremony, we presented screenings of titles from the Music Video Competition, the Music Shorts Competition, and the Visual Tourism Award. Award winners as well as actors and an actress attended the ceremony.
http://shortshorts.org/2016/other_award/#kanko

The 5th Visual Tourism Award

"The Gift of Memory"
Isao Yukisada | Kumamoto Prefecture | 40:00 | Drama | 2016

AWARD

Invited guests attended the Award Ceremony on June 13th, which was held at the Meiji Jingu. Jurors of the various competitions gathered here to announce the best short films that were chosen from each of the competitions. And the Grand Prix was chosen from among the winners of the main competitions. The Grand Prix winning short film is eligible for nomination at next year’s Academy Awards®.

"Branded Shorts"

Video marketing harnesses the moving image to promote the brand image of companies and to improve brand communication with customers. We expect the market to continue to grow and expand to be 4times the size of the current market by 2020. Movies produced for the purpose of corporate branding are awarded at three major international advertising festivals (Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, The One Show), as well as at prominent advertising festivals such as Adfest and New York ADC. The awards and recognition received at these events provide significant support for corporate branding. Looking to dramatically extend the reach of video content, SSFF & ASIA has launched a new “Branded Shorts” category focusing on this emerging genre in 2016. We screened international & domestic branded movies selected by 4 criteria: Idea, Storytelling, Cinematic, Emotional Appeal., and hosted a video marketing conference as well as other related events.

Branded Shorts Special Recognition Award
Nestlé Japan

Branded Shorts of the Year
International category The Gentleman's Wager II / 11:13 / U.K./ 2015

Branded Shorts of the Year
National category STRANGE CREATURES /1:30 / Japan/ 2014

Video Content Marketing and The Future of Film Culture powered by OPT, Inc.
The collaborative “Branded Movie Lab” research project was announced at “Video Content Marketing and The Future of Film Culture powered by OPT, Inc.”, an event that aimed to expand corporate activities and contribute to the development of moving image culture. Established together with Opt, Inc., a leader in Japanese video content marketing, the new project will investigate how brand value can be increased through video content. Meanwhile the event offered an introduction to the OPT, Inc. company background and their current activities, case studies in video marketing, and the latest techniques available for evaluating creative merit.

The Utilization of Moving Images in Global Marketing powered by NESTLÉ Japan
This conference showcased the differences between video content marketing in Japan and the rest of the world. It provided details on related case studies, tips on how to create successful branded movies and will include a discussion about the future of branded movies as a whole. Kohzoh Takaoka, the President and CEO of Nestlé Japan, were among the guests. Nestlé Japan is a company at the forefront of video content marketing in Japan, and one that has successfully incorporated short films in their branding communication strategy. Representing the world’s largest video content platform, Yuhei Mizuno, YouTube’s Director of Content Partnerships in Japan, was in attendance. Furthermore, Lo Sheng Yang, a collective of Adfest, the largest advertising festival in Asia, and Miyoshi Mogi from MHD Moët Hennesy Diageo K.K, the winner of Branded Shorts of the Year, also participated.

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Jurors