SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL & ASIA 2015

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2015

What is Short Film?

Short Film can be defined as anything from a film as short as one second, to a longer more varied length work. For Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia’s Official Competitions, the running time must be kept within 25 minutes, but for the official Academy Awards in can be up to 45 minutes in length, whereas for Cannes Film Festival the film must be within 15 minutes.

For any first time viewers, we shall explain how short films are shown at the festival. One program is approximately 110 minutes in length. With each film varying in length, and the longest films we screen being a maximum to 25 minutes in length, multiple films constitute a single program. In other words, in one program you have the chance to see anywhere between 4 and 13 different films. If the films tend to have a longer running time you may only see 4 works, whilst the programs compiled of works with a shorter running time will include a larger number of films – so you can choose which program to watch depending on your taste! Please be sure to come and enjoy these films that are screened back-to-back.

SSFF & ASIA 2015

This year Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), a qualifying film festival for the annual Academy Awards® and one of Asia’s largest international short film festivals, will be held in Tokyo (5 venues) and Yokohama (1 venue) from 4 June (Thu) through 14 June (Sun). Nearly 5,000 films from over 100 countries and regions around the world were in the running, with the cream of the crop -- some 200 titles -- being selected to screen at the festival.

This year marks the first year that the festival will kick off on Short Film Day (4 June). We will be continuing to hold free admission screenings such as those that were widely praised last year, with exception of a few paid admission events. We hope that in doing this even more people can come and take pleasure in short film!

SSFF & ASIA 2015 theme

Message from the Governor of Tokyo

Thank you very much for coming to the Short Shorts Film Festival Asia 2015.

This year marks the 12th time for this film festival to be held. Its recognition has been growing with each year, and the event is evolving into a major film festival that turns out a number of young and talented film creators. I am very grateful for the support you have all shown as this is entirely due to the enthusiasm of short film fans and the dedicated efforts of those involved with the project who help young creators.
It is my sincere hope that this festival will continue to give people hopes and dreams and serve as the gateway to success for the next generation of film creators.
Tokyo will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020, and we plan to use this opportunity to make Tokyo the world’s best city. To achieve this goal, various initiatives are underway for tourism promotion as well. Tokyo is a city that fuses tradition and innovation, offering a range of fascinating attractions. I hope that all of you will not only savor the charms of short film but will also enjoy Tokyo to the fullest.
In closing, I would like to express my deep respect and gratitude to all who dedicated their efforts to make this event possible. My best wishes for the success and further prosperity of this festival.

Yoichi Masuzoe
Governor of Tokyo

Message from the President of Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia
Tetsuya Bessho

The season for us to come together under “The future map of video – Short Film” has arrived! It’s time for Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2015!

Short Shorts Film Festival is now 17 years old!
Short Shorts Film Festival Asia is now 12 years old!

These two sister festivals will be hosted alongside each other and held over the same period once again this year.

We have gathered “video crystals” from around the world that depict images in light – this is short film. Within these crystals lie the fragments of stories that filmmakers have conceived. When a moment of a life is crystalized, it retains an eternal sensibility that can reverted back to. The layering of these moments creates a sense of eternity and universality… This is cinema!

Cinematic Moment

Cinematic moments exist within our own lives, where the instances of individual events resonate deeply with the movement of the heart. Filmmakers locate these individual moments, scoop them up, distill them, allow them to breathe, let them rest and give them a chance to age. The moment that sparkles as it is projected on the screen is alive, with vacuum packed beauty and truth that transcends space and time. Both cinema and life take us on a magical voyage where we enjoy riding in a vessel over seas of time. Neither of these journeys can be fulfilled by duration alone, but by the way that each moment shines – – the value of these instances may or may not be in the fact of whether they really existed.

As the representative of these two festivals, I would like to offer my profound gratitude to all those patrons who have provided help, assistance and support to both events, and to all the volunteers who have made these festivals possible.
Please go on a trip to discover your own important moment, and enjoy many more cinematic moments, at this year’s festival.

Tetsuya Bessho
President of Short Shorts Film Festival
Director of the Committee for Short Shorts Film Festival Asia

Message from Festival　Ambassador LiLiCo

Message from George Lucas

Official Reporters

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2015’s two official reporters have been confirmed! They are ABTVnetwork and Kumamiki, two popular YouTubers affiliated with UUUM. These two will be uploading video content about events etc. to YouTube throughout the festival period.

The charms of this international short film festival gathering film industry professionals from around the world will be shared with a broad audience through the reportage of these two YouTubers. They will capture the attraction of short film – a unique, condensed form of entertainment – and spread the word about events taking place in the culturally diverse Harajuku and Omotesando.

Festival History

What is Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA)?

This Japan born, Academy Awards® accredited festival is one of the largest film festivals in Asia. The festival was started by actor Tetsuya Bessho, a native of Japan and SAG member, as he wanted to introduce Japanese audiences to short films, which were a format that many people in Japan were unfamiliar with. The first festival was held in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo in 1999, and 6 short films made by George Lucas, known best for the “Star Wars” franchise, when he was a student were screened. Since then we have received an annual letter of support from the director.

In 2001 the festival became known officially as Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF), and in 2004 was accredited as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards ®. This means that the winner of the festival Grand Prix is eligible to be nominated in one of the short film categories of the Academy Awards ® the following year, offering a bridge between Japan and the Oscars so that young talents may realize their dreams.

Furthermore, Short Shorts Film Festival Asia (SSFF ASIA) was established with support from Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2004, to introduce new Asian video culture and nurture young filmmaking talents from the region. To this day, the two festivals are held together as Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. Aside from the 3 Official Competitions, there are categories and programs compiled around “music,” “environment” and “CG animation” related shorts.

The short film specialist theater Brillia Short Shorts Theater was established in the Minatomirai area of Yokohama in 2008. Also acting as one of the festival venues, the theater has welcomed over 280,000 audience members to date. Whilst the festival expands its activities in Japan in order to spread the word of short film, it will also continue to support young creators and provide a springboard into the world of film.

Short Shorts Film Festival 2015

Organizer: Committee for Short Shorts / Co-Organizer：Harajuku Omotesando Keyakikai / Patronage (Koen): Ministry of the Environment　Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry   Japan Tourism Agency   Agency for Cultural Affairs   Shibuya City   Jingumae Town Community / Embassy Patronage(Koen): American Embassy   Embassy of Israel, Tokyo Italian Cultural Institute of Tokyo   Embassy of the Republic of Estonia   Australian Embassy Tokyo   Austrian Embassy   Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands   Embassy of Canada   Embassy of Switzerland in Japan   Embassy of Sweden   Embajada de España   Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia   The Royal Danish Embassy   Goethe-Institut Tokyo   Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo   Embassy of Hungary   Embassy of Brazil   Ambassade de France au Japon / Institut français du Japon   British Council　Embassy of Belgium   Polish Cultural and Information Center in Tokyo   Embassy of Portugal   Camões, I.P.   Embassy of Mexico in Japan   Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania / Sponsors:UULA   Nestlé Amuse   LEXUS   Digital Hollywood Co., Ltd.   ANA   SEIKO   Holdings Corporation   TOKYO FILM CENTER SCHOOL OF ARTS   Antenna   OAKLEY, Inc   its communications Inc.    SHiDAX CORPORATION   Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy / Media Partners: J-WAVE, Inc.   CONDÉ NAST JAPAN   TOKYO HEADLINE / Media Supporters:cinemacafe.net UUUM / Co-Organizer of Southeast Asia Program: The Japan Foundation Asia Center / Venue Support: Brillia Short Shorts Theater   iTSCOM STUDIO & HALL   Futakotamagawa rise Andaz Tokyo / Festival Supporter:MORI Building / Focus on UK Special Support: The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation / War and the Power To Live Program Special Support : International Committee of the Red Cross（ ICRC）/ Official Wear: agnès b./ Special Support：Lucasfilm Ltd./ Supporting Film Festival: Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival   Saguenay International Short Film Festival   Festival du Film Français au Japon

Short Shorts Film Festival Asia 2015

Organizer: Committee for Short Shorts Film Festival Asia / Co-Organizer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government / Patronage (Koen)：Ministry of Economy,   Trade and Industry Japan   Tourism Agency   Agency for Cultural Affairs Harajuku Omotesando Keyakikai ／ Embassy Patronage (Koen) : Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran   Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia   Korean Cultural Center, Korean Embassy in Japan   Embassy of the Republic of Singapore   Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste / Sponsors:UULA   Nestlé Amuse   LEXUS   Digital Hollywood Co., Ltd.   ANA   SEIKO Holdings Corporation   TOKYO FILM CENTER SCHOOL OF ARTS   Antenna   OAKLEY, Inc   its communications Inc. SHiDAX CORPORATION   Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy / Media Partners: J-WAVE, Inc.   CONDÉ NAST JAPAN TOKYO HEADLINE / Media Supporters: cinemacafe.net UUUM / Venue Support: Brillia Short Shorts Theater   iTSCOM STUDIO & HALL Futakotamagawa rise   Andaz Tokyo / Festival Supporter: MORI Building / Official Wear: agnès b. / Special Support: Lucasfilm Ltd. / Supporting Film Festivals: Asiana International Short Film Festival   Kaohsiung Film Festival / Project Support: Ibaraki Short Film Award

National Tour Yokohama

Organizer: Committee for Short Shorts   Committee for Short Shorts Film Festival Asia / Award Project Support: Yokohama FutureCity Initiative / Support: Brillia Short Shorts Theater

National Tour Supporters

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