June 07, 2006

At Short Shorts 2006, the ACADEMY PROGRAM kicked off the fest in Laforet Hall. Several Academy Award nominated films were screened―ranging from 1987 to 2006---and they included the ’06 winner SIX SHOOTERS, a black and bloody Irish comedy. The house was packed as Short Shorts staffers scrambled around to make last minute adjustments to the room that will project over 40 short films in the next couple of days.

Many Short Shorts filmmakers gathered to see the highly touted Academy films and laughed uproariously at the various comedies. The audience, comprised of both Japanese and Americans, responded to all the shorts but none more than OUR TIME IS UP, a comedy about a psychiatrist who is told he has 6 weeks to live and becomes brutally honest with his patients.

After the main program, everyone stuck around for a special screening of Gwyneth Paltrow and her filmmaking partner Mary Wigmore’s DEALBREAKERS, a project initiated by Glamour magazine that supports emerging female talents. The campaign aims to raise awareness of, and support for, women in the director’s chair by producing entertaining films from the women’s point of view. Dealbreakers marks the directorial debut of mega-star Paltrow and Wigmore.

A brief morning rain shower gave way to a brilliant sun-soaked Tokyo day―perfect for a stroll from Harajuku Station to the Meiji Shrine.

International filmmakers posed for photos in front of the barrels of sake on the way to the shrine, cleansed their hands at the main entrance, and tossed 5 yen coins in the alters to ensure their prayers would be answered.
Some even wrote their own votive prayers on small wooden plaques to hang on the pegs where visitors from around the world have left their own words of hope and thanks.

Inside the Shrine, filmmakers were treated to a special Shinto blessing. The ceremony began with a heart-thumping drum. A priest chanted a prayer to bless the Short Shorts Film Festival and wish success for the filmmakers. Priests wearing spring green played traditional music, opening with the Japanese national anthem. A koto (string instrument), flutes, and drum created a soothing atmosphere as four Miko-san (women priests) performed a dance for world peace called Uraiyasu-no-mai In this intricately choreographed dance every movement of their bodies was carefully synchronized. The blessing closed with the same heart-pounding drum and filmmakers were invited to drink a sip of cleansing sake.

It was an experience no one will soon forget! Singaporean filmmaker Ric Aw (Buy Me Love) and his wife Candice found it to be quite spiritual. “At certain moments, I felt totally at ease,” said Ric. Candice agreed. “At times I felt like I wasn’t even there, especially while the priest was chanting.” Per Hanefjord (En god dag) from Sweden described it as “a goose bump experience,” and was particularly impressed by how intensely Japanese it seemed―the sounds, the colors, the movement. Special guest Miguel Ortega (Director of SSFF Mexico) was also excited to experience such traditional Japanese culture, which he had not expected to find in a city as high tech and modern as Tokyo.

Blessed and cleansed, the filmmakers made their way under blue skies and green trees back to the main gate and down Omotesando to the festival venues at Laforet and Astro Hall. Let the screenings begin!