Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2012

In the midst of attempting suicide, Richie gets a call from his estranged sister asking him to look after his niece. Richie cancels his plans, and spends the evening with her. But she has preconceived notions of who Richie is and he must overcome these.

Shawn Christensen

My sincere thanks to all of the festival organizers and staff at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia for inviting us into your wonderful city, and putting on a festival of the highest quality. I am humbled and privileged that the audiences chose Curfew as their favorite in the International Competition. So many of the films we saw this year at Short Shorts, were hugely imaginative, inspiring and of the highest quality, and we were surprised to have been chosen for this honor. On a side note, the projection of all the films we saw at Laforet Harajuku and Omotesando Hills, was perhaps the best screening quality we have seen at any festival thus far, and the attention to the short films and their filmmakers at the Short Shorts festival was fantastic. We thank you so much for this award, and especially to all of the fans who took the time to place their votes in the ballot for us. We hope to return again.

A boy is reluctant to go home as his mother, who has gone to Japan to make a living, is not there. By chance, he meets a Korean-Chinese woman who left her child behind in China to come to Korea to make money, much like his own mother.

Yeon-kyung Jung

I had studied film making in Japan, so Japan is really a special place for me like another home. Thanks for inviting me in the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, I had the good opportunity to revisit the town and apartment I had lived, and the school I had studied.
Fortunately, they still remained the same as I remember. Visiting the places and meeting my old friends who really welcomed me, I felt as if I were back to 8 years before with the time machine! It would be an unforgettable week in my life. And also, because this film <Mom Came Over The Sea> was inspired by a Korean-Chinese woman I met in Japan when I had a part time job, it is deeply related to the Japan. In those meaning, I was really happy that the audience in Japan enjoyed this film and presented the audience award. It means many things to me. Especially, the SSFF gave the best actor award to Wonjin Ham who was only 9 years old when filming, and I cannot know how I can express my joy and thanks. I think coming back again with a better new film would be the only way to repay your favor. I really thank the juries and staffs of the SSFF, and most of all the audience!

After fifteen years abroad, a son returns to his childhood home in Tokyo, where he finds his mother's lifeless body. Lost in a landscape of memories, he is approached by his mother, who he spends the day with one last time.

Atsuko Hirayanagi

Two weeks after the ceremony, I still can’t believe it. In reflection, I’m simply left with a deep sense of gratitude for all the support I received on Mo Ikkai, from the cast and crew, to the generous people of Kamiya-cho, Tokyo, to my classmates and faculty at Tisch Asia, to Ms. Meileen Choo from the Cathay Organization, who believed in me when I applied to film school without any experience in filmmaking, and to my family. The lingering idea I’ve been sitting on for 8 years would not have turned into Mo Ikkai if it weren’t for all of them.
It is a privilege to even be at Short Shorts, let alone win any award. My sincerest gratitude to Short Shorts Film Festival, Asia, the festival director Mr. Tetsuya Bessho and his team, the Jury, and the audience, who have left me dumbstruck.
What I love most about filmmaking is the fact that you can’t make a film alone. Each small piece of the film builds on the next, with the ultimate collaboration reaching the audience. Thank you very much to Short Shorts for giving the Mo Ikkai team the opportunity to connect with the audience and interact with other great filmmakers from around the world.
I would simply be very happy if I can continue to encounter great talent and collaborators through filmmaking.
I hope I can share future films at the festival again, and wish the Short Shorts Film Festival, Asia continuous success! Thank you thank you thank you!

Wei recycles for others and feeds stray dogs. His love for the land also drives him to recycle broken glass in artistic yet useful ways. Conveying his philosophy of cherishing the earth and championing resource redistribution, this documentary shows Wei is the best kind of never retired laborer.

Cheng-Yang Wang

Mr. Wei humbly rejected our filming at the beginning because for him, recycling is merely a daily routine, like drinking water. He did not consider it as a proper subject for a documentary. But this is what we told him: As easy and simple recycling may appear to us, it is this exact reason why so often it is neglected. Perhaps with the film, more people would be willing to take up the habit. Every day, we follow the life of an ordinary citizen who has an extraordinary life attitude. He is a man who takes actions to live up to his vision. He has shown us that everyone can protect our environment anytime and anywhere, “Just do it!” It is a tremendous encouragement for both Mr. Wei and our crew to be given this great honor. We are very grateful to the guidance from producer Peggy Chiao, the support from the Taipei Department of Labor, and the assistance from Kaohsiung Film Festival. Thanks to you that our film Cherish can touch the heart of more audience and make a difference.

It’s fireworks night and nineteen year old Ayumi has been dumped. She’s alone in a big city with no dreams. As she thinks "Enough already…", the crying Ayumi hears the nostalgic tune of the Awa dance flute…and her feet take her to Tokushima. But what is it she was waiting for?

Misako Unakami

Thank you very much for awarding me the Audience Award. It is my greatest honor that the audience chose my film over such a great selection of films. I produced the film six years ago, and after those years passed by, when I watched it again, the main idea of this film deeply soaked into myself; “You need to be yourself, not to be someone else that you aren’t.” I don’t think that my film has a huge impact on the society, but if the audience can have a happy feeling and an emotional moment after watching it, that would be my pleasure after all.
At last but not least, I’d like to thank the HUMANTRUST Co., Ltd for providing me such an wonderful opportunity to create this film, and also the cast and crew for making this project possible.

Shooting Location：Tokushima