SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL & ASIA 2008

NEW!! STOP! Global Warming Competition. Over 300 films submitted from around the world!

Prevention of global warming requires not only actions of the moment but continuous effort. We, as a film festival, wanted to contribute to this worthy cause and began planning a project that would be continued over a long period of time in which everyone involved - filmmakers and audiences alike - could participate. Upon careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that since we are a film festival, the project should be one that makes the best of the fundamental concept of films and that they “convey strong messages through the visual elements of cinematic images". With this in mind, we created the “STOP! Global Warming Competition" as an official award category this year.

In this competition, which is organized in collaboration with “Team-6%" (a national energy-saving campaign), we will show short films on the theme of “global warming" submitted from around the world. J-WAVE, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is a strong supporter of this competition, and agreeing with its objective, has established the J-WAVE Award especially for this category. Jury members chosen from among J-WAVE listeners will select the recipient of the Award, who will be presented with a cash award of 500,000 yen.

The Establishment of the STOP! Global Warming Competition

This year, as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our film festival, we have created a fourth competition, the “STOP! Global Warming Competition" which is a competition of international films on the theme of global warming.

Ever since its establishment, the Film Festival has been cleaning the neighborhoods of Harajuku and Omotesando for the duration of the festival with a project called Sweepers. Through this effort, we came to know Team minus 6% of the Ministry of Environment. We immediately decided to participate in this national campaign and to call for global warming awareness, advertising the campaign through the festival's public relations events.

Prevention of global warming requires not only actions of the moment but continuous effort. We, as a film festival, wanted to contribute to this worthy cause and began planning a project that would be continued over a long period of time in which everyone involved - filmmakers and audiences alike - could participate. Upon careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that since we are a film festival, the project should be one that makes the best of the fundamental concept of films and that they “convey strong messages through the visual elements of cinematic images". With this in mind, we created the “STOP! Global Warming Competition" as an official award category this year.

Today, in the age of such diversified media, short film is regarded as a highly promising form of visual media that can be distributed digitally through media networks, the internet, or cell phones. Short film is at the same time, a vehicle for universal communication and a means of creative expression narrating a story or a thought in a short, limited time frame and is attracting attention as a medium that matches the lifestyle of modern men as well as a form of visual media that everyone in the world can enjoy. Using these special characteristics to our advantage, we will strive in our efforts to communicate to the people of this generation and the next the importance of fighting one of the world's most crucial problems - “Global Warming".

“STOP! Global Warming Competition" began accepting submissions on August 1, 2007 at the same time as the other three competitions. Over 300 films on the theme of “global warming" were entered from different parts of the world.

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia established the “STOP! Global Warming Competition" with the belief that it will prove to be very meaningful. The project will, through film culture, effectively raise public awareness about a problem common to countries all over the world and encourage active exchange of ideas worldwide. We feel certain that appealing to people in and outside Japan through this much talked about international film festival for their cooperation in stopping global warming is an important act for the future of our natural environment.