Greeting from the Festival Founder
Film is not about length! An infinite cinematic universe can unfold in even a
few minutes of visual storytelling!
This is what the short films I encountered in the USA taught me.
Short film is the origin of film, which was born in the 19th century and blossomed throughout the 20th century. Established by the American inventor Edison and the French inventors known as The Lumière Brothers, cinema has evolved as an industry dramatically over the last 100 years to become what is now our current film culture. For those of us living in the 21st century, we enjoy cinema as entertainment, as well as a window onto ways of life around the globe, belief, culture, lifestyle and fantasy!
We, the human race, are “narrative animals.” Images in light reflect our past, present and future… That is cinema! It has turned our stories about ideals and experiences into visual language, and into film. The 20th century has ended, and with it the information revolution has led to the creation of a new media window – “Internet” or “Cyber Space” – which has affected revolutionary change upon each of our lives and the way that culture exists. We have now reached an age where our stories, floating in the internet ether, breathe as short film. The sphere of “short film” and “the now” is under the spotlight – but this is not solely cinematic, for it is also colored by companies working in the realm visual contents.
Origin of film! Short film! Formative designs of young filmmakers! Short film! Gems reflecting the future map of film! Short film! Visual supplements that give color and vitality to daily life! Short film! Snack-size movies and dessert movies to be enjoyed with ease each day! Short film! Visual vehicles that support a variety of information and lifestyles! Short film! ！
Believing in the “power of film,” we hold a “festival of film,” face up to the value of film, polish it, design the look of 21st century cinema, and create visual contents with the ability to move you!
Festival Founder
Tetsuya Bessho