Short Shorts FILM FESTIVAL EXPO 2005 Short Shots Film Festival LoungeEXPO 2005 AICHI JAPAN
NEWS
Thank you for coming to our festivalI
Thank you for all of your support. Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005 closed on September 27th. We screened a different selection of films each day and we also had a Main Festival on September 10th, which were both flourishing events.
4th Round Program kicks off
The award-winning films were announced at the Main Festival on September 10th. Three award-winning films and two invited films, RE: CYCLE and missing pages, will screen in the 4th round from September 10th to 24th at 9pm every night. Enjoy the short films!!
Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005 MAIN EVENT
Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005 came to a roaring conclusion on Saturday, September 10th with its main festival presentation at the EXPO DOME.  More of an awards ceremony than a festival, the event lasted over three and a half hours and featured numerous celebrity guests, speeches, a musical performance and of course great short films from the Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005!

Amazingly, audience members lined up for hours to get seats in the EXPO DOME for this great event.  A group of five women actually arrived on Friday evening and camped out all night to be the first to get tickets!  As the audience filled the dome, video clips flashed on the massive screens with messages from Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005s celebrity endorsements including Shaquille ONeal, Jun Kaname, Gekidan Hitori, Alicia Silverstone, Chage, Deepak Chopra, Colin Powell, Jet Li and of course Short Shorts own Tetsuya Bessho.

With a brief introduction by our two emcees, one speaking English and the other Japanese, Tetsuya Bessho was brought out the stage to an extremely enthusiastic crowd.  Bessho san gave a gracious and energetic introduction to the festivals main event and went on to define and describe short films to our audience.  But the best way to understand what makes a great short film is to watch one!  With that Bessho introduced a classic short film from the archives of Short Shorts titled Pillowfight.  The film enjoyed a fantastic screening with great laughs and giggles from the audience.

Japanese director Hiroyuki Nakano was brought to the stage next.  The acclaimed director of numerous music videos, commercials and films (Samurai Fiction) was asked to create a short film specifically for Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005s Main Event where it made its premiere.  Mr. Nakano introduced the commissioned work briefly and then presented RE: Cycle.

RE: Cycle is an extremely gentle and poetic film about the life of a vintage and well designed glass.  The film is quite remarkable in its simplicity and can be enjoyed by a wide range of audience members from young children to grandparents.  After the screening Mr. Nakano talked about his inspiration for the film and how good design encourages recycling of objects.  He also encouraged Japanese filmmakers to produce short films.  He urged them to practice by making films and not worry about the qualitykeep making films and honing your craft until you are ready to exhibit your best work.

Next up we screened another classic short film from Short Shorts titled Glee.  The physical comedy/song and dance is a beautiful and energetic film and the audience seemed to enjoy it very much.

Finally the moment our visiting filmmaker was waiting forAWARDS!  But before we dished out any accolades, all of jurors took the stage to be introduced and to present some brief comments to the audience.  All of the jurors were unanimous in their gratitude to the organizers of Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005 and EXPO as a whole.  They also expressed their admiration for the short films screened and this unique opportunity.  Jury members included Jon Bloom from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, Francis Gavelle of the Cannes Film Festival in France, Yoko Narahashi acclaimed casting director for films such as The Last Samurai and Memoirs of a Geisha, Yasuki Hamano a university professor of film and entertainment business and marketing and Hiroshi Yanai of the PIAA Film Festival. 

Mr. Yanai proudly presented the award for Best International Short Film to Knut Petter Ryan for his short film Hodett Mit (My Head).  Traveling all the way from Norway , KP Ryan graciously accepted the award in person for his innovative experimental film which he not only directed but also starred in.  He gave a fantastic speech to the Expo Dome audience in Norwegian.  Thankfully he translated it himself stating THANK YOU repeatedly before going on to praise Japan and its people for the immense hospitality, excitement and beauty.  He then explained how his film is really a message that our appearance on the outside is merely a reflection of what we hold on the inside, which made his film expand into something grander than just an exciting experiment with stop motion filmmaking and fancy hair styles.

The award for Best Japanese Short was presented by Ms. Narahashi next for the animated film Orange and Blue.  Unfortunately the director, Mari Inukai was unable to attend the ceremony but her sister, Rei Suzuki, was present on her behalf.  She presented a brief statement from Mari stating that the film is about love and inspired by her deep love and affection for her child.  Everyone is extremely pleased that to recognize this emotional and stunning animated short film.

Another classic short film from was screened next.  Puppies For Sale starring Jack Lemmon with music by Elmer Bernstein played a Short Shorts Film Festival in 1999 and has won numerous awards.  The simple and enduring film moved the audience at the Expo Dome.  Hopefully no one cried too much though.

A talk event followed the film screening.  Japanese actress and singer Ayumi Ishida was brought on stage for a brief discussion on her craft and filmmaking.  She loves acting because it allows her to slip into character and experience many different lives!

The fascinatingly sweet and cute CGI short film Early Bloomer was screened next.  The film played at Short Shorts Film Festival 2004 and has consistently delighted audience members with its happy swimming tadpoles and a simple story about life and change.

Finally the big award for the night was presented by juror Francs Gavelle and Ms. Ishida.  The God by Konstantin Broznit of Russia swept the festival with its flashy CGI animation and humorous poignancy.  Sadly Mr. Broznit was unable to attend the ceremony but a representative from the Russian Consulate accepted the award in his behalf and read a brief statement from the director who was honored to have a screening in Japan and be a part of this international coming together.  The audience was delighted and roared with laughter when the film screened.  Seeing it presented on such a large format was quite stunning and the films finally left everyone in a contemplative mood.

Juror Yasuki Hamano  returned to the stage for some final comments.  After congratulating the filmmakers and festival organizers he stated his delight with being a member of the jury.  All of the films he screened impressed him and he was thrilled to see the innovative techniques used in each piece and how the shorts all shed some cultural insights about the directors home countries.

Juror Jon Bloom also returned to the stage to present his final comments.  He made a rather serious but enlightening statement about the reality of short films today.  On the good side, short films present creativity and innovation at its highest.  On the bad side, the economic outlets for short films and their lack of financing creates an immense struggle for artists.  Mr. Bloom noted that nations poorer than Japan are able to create financing and assistance for short filmmaking and encourage Japan to follow in suit.  With a little financial assistance filmmakers will be able to create more and better work to share with the world as cultural ambassadors of Japan .

To conclude the award ceremony at the Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005 Main Festival, Tetsuya Bessho took the stage one final time to thank everyone and to express his heartfelt gratitude.

A twenty minute intermission was next to be followed by a special short film screening.  The Japanese musician Chage, of the mega group Chage and Asuka, is also a visual artist and collaborated in the making of his own short film.

missing pages can only be described as an experimental film and it may have frightened some audience members, but one this is sure:? this mlange of visuals, sound and light was quite a stimulating work of art!? And what better way to follow a high energy and concept short film than with a high energy concert!? Chage and his band rocked the house with a fantastic set of music that lasted a good 45 minutes and had the entire Expo Dome on its feet!? With that we concluded the Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005 Main Event!

Few festivals have awards ceremonies quite like this.  With such a variety of talent from actors, musicians, industry experts, directors, a plethora of fascinating short films from all over the world, all to be followed by a rock concert, Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005 Main Festival was an outstanding event!  But is there any other way to conclude a great festival?  Its always best to go out with a bang, especially when LIFE IS SHORT!


Entrance

Audiences

MC: Ms. Carol Hisasue and Mr. Satoshi Matsuda

EXPO DOME

Dir. Hiroyuki Nakano

Jurors

Every Juror

Mr. Gavelle

Ms. Narahashi


Mr. Hamano


Mr. Bloom

Mr. Yanai

Ms. Sakamoto

Mr. Miyamoto

gMy Headh Dir. K. P. Ryan

Substitute for the Director of Blue and Orange

Ms. Ayumi Ishida

Announcement of Grand Prix

Substitute for the Director of The God

Mentioned the general comment

Chagefs Live

September 9, 2005
Talk Event with Tetsuya Bessho and Kazuyuki Izutsu

The EXPO PLAZA was all abuzz for the second night in a row as Tetsuya Bessho, with feature film director Kazuyuki Izutsu, took the stage for another talk event on the world of short films. 
A light rain began to fall as the talk got underway.  While some of the guests scampered for cover and called it a night, a large number stayed on to enjoy the talk and the short films.
The rain provided a great starting topic for Izutsu who launched into an anecdote from one of his films.  His cast and crew were assembled and all had been fed and were ready to shoot when a heavy rain began and ruined everything.  Nature is hard to predict and not always agreeable--the shoot was canceled for the day!
When asked about his involvement with short films, Izutsu said he got his start in filmmaking with a short he directed in high school.  It was 20 minutes long and with no resources he had to sneak into locations and use a friend as an actor.  The film was shot on an old Single 8mm camera that was gstolenh from a friendfs father.  One reel of 8mm is about 3minutes long and costs around 1300 yen.  Since he didnft want to spend much money on film, nearly every take had to be used in the final cut!
Next, Bessho and Izutsu agreed that becoming an actor or director in Japan is a difficult and cryptic task.  As there are few outlets for students pursuing directing in Japan , finding a path is very tough.  Izutsu went on to state that directors need the opportunity to screen their films.  It is critical for all directors to screen their films with an audience.
The two also agreed that, contrary to popular belief, you donft need to have much money to make a film.  Just five thousand yen ($50 US) is enough.  Izutsu made his first short film for 5,000 yen in high school.  He went on to give an example of a Belgian director who took on every job on his own film to save money.  The auteur worked as his own producer, dp, actor, editor, etc.  
Following this example, the Belgian short film gVINCENTh was screened next.
After the short, Izutsu went on to ponder the definition of short film.  He said the shortest films must be commercials as they are less than a minute in length and give a big message to audiences such as gSave the world, Stop AIDS, etc. g  Izutsu concluded that brining a message to your audience is an important aspect of filmmaking.
Izutsu also told a story about a short film he saw on local television many years ago.  In the film, a group of people were wading in the factory-polluted waters of Nagoya Bay pulling up handfuls of sludge from the bottom.  After five or ten minutes, at the end of the film, the camera pulled out to an aerial shot revealing that the words gShit Dumph were cut out of the sludge from the bottom of the sea!  Yet another example of the fragile balance between man and nature.
The ever popular German short film gDangleh screened next.  The film was very well received by tonightfs audience.
Tetsuya commented on gDangleh and itfs easy to follow, non-dialogue storytelling.  Izutsu agreed this was nice and said the film has to be non dialogue?if someone tried to write dialogue about what happens it would make no sense.  It is all visual.  We have to feel something from the visual.  Movies can tell something to people, things we cannot always say by words or writing, but through the visual.  This is why Izutsu keeps making films.
Izutsu then invited the audience to work as extras on his next feature film. 
Shortly after these comments, Tetsuya wrapped up the talk event with the promise of more excitement to come on Saturday with Chagefs live performance and our grand Awards Ceremony at EXPO DOME!


SSFF EXPO 2005 Producer Tetsuya Bessho

Cinema Talk with Dir. Izutsu

Talking about Short Film

During Screening

Audiences

Thursday, September 8th Talk Event with Tetsuya Bessho and Rag Fair

The EXPO PLAZA was packed with over 5,000 people sprawled out on the lawn and standing room only for folks gathered on the perimeter.  The massive Panasonic screen illuminated the summer night as millions of bugs, birds and even some bats fluttered around great example of the presence of mother nature at EXPO2005.
The six-piece, a cappella J-Pop group Rag Fair took the stage for a sound check.  This lengthy procedure didnft put a damper on the night, in fact it fired the audience up and got them ready for the big event.
After the microphones were checked the sound made perfect, Tetsuya Bessho, producer of the Short Shorts Film Festival, took the stage for a talk event on short films.  With a brief description on this genre of filmmaking he reminded the audience that nearly all of the great film directors in history started out making short films.  With that, Tetsuya introduced Dangle, an award winning short that screened at Short Shorts Film Festival 2004.  This German film is a great example of a modern, silent short film and always impresses and pleases audiences!
Rag Fair joined Tetsuya on stage next to discuss films.  Unfortunately the talk diverted away from short films and seemed to stick to Rag Fairs production of music videos and their own home movie short film, parts of@which were screened at EXPO PLAZA.  The piece features finger puppets (actually, line drawings painted on the real index fingers of the guys in the band) singing and dancing.  This little film was a good example that ANYONE can make a short film!  All you need is a story and motivation.  Tetsuya used the opportunity to highlight the fact that Short Shorts has screened films made for less than $25 ( US )!
Rag Fair performed a concert for just over an hour that really pumped the audience up.    It seems that many Rag Fair fans planned their trip to EXPO just for this event!
Tetsuya returned to the stage to thank the audience for coming and to remind everyone about Short Shorts 2005 EXPOs big event on Saturday at EXPO DOME.  A program of short films followed this concluding the night at EXPO 2005.  There is nothing like screening films out in the grand theatre of Mother Nature!


Cinema Talk with RAG FAIR

Talking about Short Film

Audiences

Dangle

RAG FAIR's Concert

at Back Stage after the Event
Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005 Opens!!
Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005 opened at the EXPO arena in Aichi Prefecture on April 26. For the first round of screenings we present 37 of the best shorts from past editions of our festival, including the winner of the 1999 Short Shorts Award, "Puppies For Sale," and the Academy Award - nominated animated short "More." The 30-minute screenings begin at 21:02 every night.
Please refer to Program Highlights for details on the programs.
Come and join us at the EXPO arena for the Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005!!
2773 SUBMISSIONS FROM 89 COUNTRIES WERE RECEIVED FOR SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL EXPO 2005!!
Thank you to everyone who submitted their work for the Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005. We are thrilled to announce that we've received more submissions than ever before.
We're currently in the process of programming. We will announce the selected films on the official website and we will notify all filmmakers of our decisions via email.
The awards ceremony will be held at the EXPO Dome on September 10, 2005!
Our prestigious jury and guests will be invited to the ceremony where we will announce and screen award winning films.

Thanks again to all the filmmakers who submitted their work to the Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005.


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