SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL & ASIA 2009

Last year in 2008, Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF) marked its 10th anniversary and we celebrated the landmark occasion with all the participants. This year, the 11th year, is an important year for us as we move on to the next successful ten years. Short films are considered the “first step” for young aspiring filmmakers. SSFF will be making a fresh new start this year taking the “first step” toward its 20th birthday with a strong spirit ready to accept any challenge.
This year, we have established a new category in addition to the official competitions from which the winner is nominated for the Academy Awards® and the “STOP! Global Warming Competition” which was introduced last year. The new category, which has been named “Music Shorts Competition”, will explore the relationship between music and films. Music videos are evolving quickly, becoming more and more cinematic. We will take a close look at music films, which are sure to influence the future blueprint of short films.
We have also launched a new award, the “FRED Best Actor and Actress award”, for the actors and actresses who convey the creativity and beauty of short films through their performances. Actors are an important element of filmmaking, as is the music. The actors are the ones who actually build on the viewpoint of the visual artist, taking ideas from the script and transforming it into something solid, giving it life and feelings. On the other short film is an arena where the actors can experiment with various methods of expression as they can in no other media.
We have a great lineup of films again this year. Please enjoy them, and at the same time, see how the music enhances the films, and also how the performances of the actors and actresses influence the quality of the films.
SSFF, while embracing the footsteps of the last ten years, will begin our journey to the next ten years. Our companion festival, the “Short Shorts Film Festival Asia,” organized by the city of Tokyo, is being held simultaneously. We hope that through the two festivals, you will come to experience the infinite possibilities of short films.