June 11, 2006

After the Award Ceremony, over 60 filmmakers and festival volunteers and staff enjoyed okonomiyaki and all they could drink at hip and cozy Sakura-Tei in Harajuku. Okonomiyaki are savory pancakes that you cook yourself on a griddle in the middle of the table. Korean film star Yoo Jitae also joined the party and had a blast.

Since the Award Ceremony had lasted longer than expected, partygoers had about an hour and a half to guzzle beer and chu-hai (refreshing cocktail of shochu liquor and juice) and gorge themselves on the okonomiyaki, which are made from a base of flour, grated yam, egg, and shredded cabbage. Sakura-Tei was practically vibrating with the energy and festive mood of the party.

The 8th annual Short Shorts Film Festival is over!! Staff and volunteers dismantled the Short Shorts theatre in the Laforet museum this evening after the last screening.

After so many months of preparation, blood, sweat and tears, in a few moments virtually every trace of SSFF 2006 vanished!

Meanwhile, the votes for the Audience Award winners in all three categories (International, Asia International, and National) are being counted and the winners of each 400,000 Yen prize will be announced on the website soon.

Thanks to everyone who came to this year’s screenings! We hope you enjoyed the show, and we look forward to seeing you next year at SSFF #9!! In the meantime, keep up with festival news on our website. Submissions for SSFF & Asia 2007 will open in August. We want to see your films!

Grand Prix winner Heng Tang was emotional and eloquent in accepting his award. He thanked Short Shorts for supporting Asian filmmakers and encouraged the audience to keep independent filmmaking alive.

Short Shorts co-founder Tetsuya Bessho congratulated the filmmakers, thanked the audience, and closed the ceremony with a gift “from me to you” in celebration of the World Cup: a special presentation of Short Shorts alumnus Leanna Creel’s moving soccer film, “Offside.”

See you next year!!!

THE LAST CHIP

Heng Tang　
（21:00/Drama/Hong Kong ・　Vietnam・　Australia/2005）

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

Hidetoshi Oneda
（15:00/Fantasy/Japan・USA/2005）

La Belle Dame Sans Merci

Hidetoshi Oneda
（15:00/Fantasy/Japan・USA/2005）

Resonance of Tears

Atsuhiko Watanabe
（11:00/Drama・Experimental/Japan ・ France/2004）

THE LAST CHIP

Heng Tang　
（21:00/Drama/Hong Kong ・　Vietnam・　Australia/2005）

Village Football

Sainath Choudhury　
（1:25/Fiction/India/2004）

Before Dawn

Balint Kenyeres　
（12:40/Drama/Hungary/2005）

Before Dawn

Balint Kenyeres　
（12:40/Drama/Hungary/2005）

Hayelet Bodeda（The Substitute）

Talya Lavie　
（19:00/Drama/Israel/2005）

The Mechanicals

Leon Ford　　　
（8:20/Drama/Australia/2005）

Nearly 2,000 guests attended the Award Ceremony for the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2006 this afternoon, and $60,000 in cash prizes was presented to winning filmmakers!

Filmmakers, jury members, celebrities, sponsors, and other special guests braved the rain to celebrate the eighth annual Short Shorts festival. The festival was honored again to hold the Award Ceremony at the Meiji Jingu Jingu Kaikan, the huge and beautiful auditorium on the Meiji Shrine grounds which is reserved for only the most special events.

The ceremony kicked off with a nostalgic look back at the weeks’ events: filmmakers arriving at Narita, the blessing at the Meiji Shrine, screenings begin, Q&A with filmmakers and audiences, Asian and National filmmakers’ meeting with the Tokyo Governor, the Japan premiere of THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, Korean film star Yoo Jitae’s visit, and Sweepers. It was an action-packed festival!

In a video message,Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara congratulated the filmmakers and the festival on another successful year. 2006 marks the third year that the Tokyo Government has generously supported Short Shorts Asia.

Next, a representative of the Australian Embassy spoke about Australia and Japan’s “Year of Exchange” and the ever-growing success of the Australian film industry.

We then recognized the support and important work of Team Minus 6%, a non-profit organization that is working to help Japan reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. Their important message is that in even small ways, everyone can contribute to preserving our planet and the creatures that share it with us.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING director Jason Reitman and producer Daniel Dubiecki took the stage to talk about their transition from short to feature filmmaking. The pair attended the festival in 2001 with their wildly successful film “In God We Trust,” and returned this year to premiere their critically acclaimed and star-studded feature. Jason’s advice to the filmmakers in the audience was to remain faithful to their hearts and not to let the business of filmmaking detour them from their true visions.

The audience enjoyed the screening of “Tokyo Tenshi,” the short film that Toshiro Sonoda directed with the Super Dry Award Scholarship he won at last year’s festival. Sonoda used intense action and special effects to tell a sensitive story about the human heart.

Dressed in the sharply tailored tuxedo he had made specifically for his participation at the Cannes Film Festival this year, acclaimed director Hiroyuki Nakano presented a clip from his award-winning short “Iron.” This beautiful film about a man compelled to iron anything that is white was recognized with the Young Critics Award at Cannes International Critics Week.

In what was perhaps the highlight of the first half of the ceremony, comedian Gori “Garage Sale” accepted the Short Shorts Spotlight Award, which honors big names in the entertainment industry who are contributing to the world of short film. Gori’s film noir spoof “Dick Boggie” had audiences rolling with laughter at the festival this week. Thrilled to be recognized by the festival, Gori exclaimed on stage, “I’m so nervous. I wish you could see my asshole!” The hosts convinced him that this ceremony was not an appropriate place for him to drop his pants, and he complied. Gori hopes to make a sequel to his first short film, and we can’t wait to see it!

Before the intermission, the festival’s prestigious jury members were introduced. Short Shorts organizers gathered an impressively talented jury this year, including fashion icon and former pop band Pizzicato Five vocalist Maki Nomiya and acclaimed actor Tatsuya Fuji (IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES).

Guests took a break in the lobby for refreshments before the ceremony continued with the presentation of awards. The mood became tense and exciting as the lights dimmed for the real purpose of the evening. And the winners are . . .