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June 13, 2002

Filmmakers, still jet-lagged from their long flights into Tokyo the day before, made their way to Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine) where they participated in the blessing ceremony of this year's Short Shorts Film Festival. During the ceremony, which took place in the Kaguraden section of the shrine (the Hall of Shinto Music and Dance), filmmakers struggled to sit 'seiza' style (kneeling), while priests offered prayers for the success of the festival. The ceremony was followed by a walk through the famous iris garden of the shrine, where some 8700 irises of 300 different types are in full bloom.

The Short Shorts Film Festival committee and staff officially welcomed the visiting filmmakers by hosting a lunch at Gonpachi, a traditional Japanese-style restaurant located in the heart of Nishi Azabu. Gonpachi, although well-known for years in Tokyo, has gained renewed fame after U.S. President Bush's recent 'casual' dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi during a state visit. After festival co-founders Tetsuya Bessho, Keiko Takahashi and Douglas Williams toasted filmmakers with a warm welcome, they sat down to some of the best cuisine in town.

By early evening, filmmakers were once again on the run, this time back to the Meiji Shrine to attend the festival's annual opening gala party where an estimated 600 guests attended the event. Lucy Kent acted as Master of Ceremonies for the evening, introducing several short films screening in this year's festival, as well as the Committee for Short Shorts and visiting filmmakers. At the end of the evening, Doug Williams and Keiko Takahashi announced this year's two winners of the festival's Grand Prize - the first time in the festival's history in which there has been a tie for the prize - Leanna Creel, director of 'Offside,' and Liliana Sulzbach, director of "The Invention of Childhood." The two directors each won 250,000 yen and film from Kodak.

Filmmakers pose for a photo at Meiji Jingu shrine after the festival blessing.

An overhead view of the main floor at the famous Gonpachi restaurant where filmmakers enjoyed their welcome to Japan lunch.

some fo the hundreds of guests attending the Short Shorts opening party at the Meiji Jingu pavilion.

Festival Co-founder Keiko Takahashi hands director Leanna Creel her prize.