Competition & Awards

George Lucas Award (Grand Prix)

The George Lucas Award (Grand Prix) will be selected from out of the Live-action Competition (International, Asia International, Japan), Non-Fiction and Animation categories.

Live-action Competition

A live-action competition consisting of three categories: International, Asia International, and Japan.

International
Best Short Award

A live-action Competition program that screens short films from every corner of the world, with the exception of Asia and Japan.
The winning film will be eligible for an Academy Awards® nomination in one of the short film categories the following year.

Prize: 600,000 yen

Asia International
Best Short Award

A live-action Competition program of international short films that presents works from throughout Asia, with the exception of Japan.
The winning film will be eligible for an Academy Awards® nomination in one of the short film categories the following year.

Prize: 600,000 yen

Japan
Best Short Award

A live-action Competition that presents short films from Japan.
The winning film will be eligible for an Academy Awards® nomination in one of the short film categories the following year.

Prize: 600,000 yen

Governor of Tokyo Award

This award will be given to the films awarded Best Short in both the Live-action competition Asia International and Japan.

Audience Award

Audience members will vote to give the award to one winner from the each of the Live-action competition category – International, Asia International and Japan.

Best Actor Award

Winners will be selected from each of the Live-action Competition (International, Asia International & Japan Competition).

Other Competitions

Competitions and Projects with various themes.

Non-Fiction Competition

In 2018, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of SSFF & ASIA, we established the brand new “Non-fiction Competition.”Being an Academy Awards® accredited short film festival has allowed us to present this competition, which will let the audience experience the power of visual images.

Best Short Award

This is an award given to the best film selected from the nominees.
The winning film will be eligible for an Academy Awards® nomination in one of the short film categories the following year.

Prize: 600,000 yen

Animation Competition

We look for a wide range of animated short films! The Best Short Award Winner will be eligible for nomination at the annual Academy Awards® the following year.

Best Short Award

This award will be given to the best film in the Animation Competition chosen by the 3 jury memebers, together with Digital Hollywood Co.,Ltd. and the Committee for Short Shorts.

Prize: 600,000 yen

Cinematic Tokyo Competition

Established in 2017, the Cinematic Tokyo Competition introduces short films that take “Tokyo” as their subject. It shows the many attractions that Tokyo has to offer.　

Best Short Award

This award will be given to the best film in the Cinematic Tokyo Competition.
The Governor of Tokyo Award is also given to this film.

Prize: 1,000,000 yen

U-25 project

Established in 2019. In order to support young Japanese or Japan-based filmmakers, we called for short films of less than 5 minutes, produced by directors under 25 years old.

Best Short Award

This award will be given to the best film in the U-25 Project.

Prize: 100,000 yen

Book Shorts Award

Literary Award that links with short films. A project for the public to submit short stories and screenplays written based on fairy tales, legends, folk tales, and novels.

Best Award

Best Award　Awarded to one work among all the entries.　The winner will be awarded 500,000 JPY as well as an opportunity for the work to be adopted into a short film.

Prize: 500,000 yen and an opportunity for the work to be adopted into a short film

BRANDED SHORTS

This is a category for movies that are produced with the goal of communicating with customers, and promoting the brands of companies and organizations, otherwise known as branded movies.

International Competition
Branded Shorts of the Year

Award given to the best BRANDED short film from outside Japan chosen based on eight criteria: essentiality, ability to change perceptions, shareability, strength of message, viewership retention, originality, timeliness, and memory retention.

National Competition
Branded Shorts of the Year

Award given to the best Japanese BRANDED short film chosen based on eight criteria: essentiality, ability to change perceptions, shareability, strength of message, viewership retention, originality, timeliness, and memory retention.

HR Competition
HR Best Short Award

Award given to the most engaged short film based on the criteria of Purpose, Corporate Appeal and Culture, Message, Sustained Viewing, Originality, and Memory Retention chosen from branding perspectives that lead to recruitment.

Visual Tourism Award, Japan Tourism Agency Commisioner’s Award

Among tourism promotional films, movies, and videos produced in all 47 prefectures in Japan, the Visual Tourism Award, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner of Tourism Award will be given to the most creative, promotional, and topical work, based on the perspective of tourism promotion.

Other Awards

HOPPY HAPPY AWARD

The “Be HAPPY with HOPPY Award” will be chosen from among the nominated short films by Japanese directors that best embodies Hoppy beverage’s theme of being “HAPPY with HOPPY.” The winning works will be screened at “HOPPY HAPPY THEATER” which will open in June.

Prize: 500,000 yen

Supplementary Prize: In addition, the director will be given the opportunity to direct a short film produced by Hoppy Beverage and SSFF & ASIA.

CyberAgent Vertical Award

An award presented to works or projects that have demonstrated “high impact and expressive power” in vertical short film content within Japan in recent years.

Prize: 500,000 yen

Additional Prize: A special experience tour of the Kiwami AI Odaiba Studio and the right to produce a work using the studio.

TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY AWARD

An award presented to individuals who have garnered significant attention in Japanese society through short films and have contributed to the promotion of short film culture.

Best Thrill Award supported by CRG

・Innovative Fear
・Addictive Fear
・Uncanny Fear
A work that possesses a unique worldview, an addictive quality that captivates the audience, and the most spine-chilling, uncanny sense of fear.
This award, presented by the creator agency CRG, honors the most emotionally impactful work among the nominees in the Horror & Suspense category, evaluated from these three perspectives.

Prize: 500,000 yen

Shibuya Diversity Award

This award will be given to a work chosen from a selection of films that picture diversity and inclusion, which are part of the educational activities to spread the fundamental plan of Shibuya City.

Save the Earth!
Minister’s Award,
the Ministry of the Environment

This award is given to the work with the strongest message on environmental issues out of all the works selected for this year’s festival.
SSFF & ASIA is participating in the “Deco-Katsu Supporters,” a national movement to promote the creation of a new, enriched lifestyle that contributes to decarbonization, supporting and encouraging its practice through public-private collaboration.

J-WAVE
SOUND OF CINEMA AWARD

Selected by a jury of J-WAVE listeners, this award is given to the short film in which the “sound” in the film – such as the score, songs, voices, and instruments etc., are uniquely and effectively used.

Prize: 500,000 yen

Global Spotlight Award

Selected by the Committee for Short Shorts, this award is given to the creator or artist of a short film that inspires a broad audience and receives widespread, global attention.

Most Viewed Award

Award for the most viewed film online at the Festival from the competition films screened online from June 4.

Special Contribution AWARD

Awarded to a work that makes a significant contribution to culture, industry, and local communities through short films, helping to shape the future landscape.

Japan Spotlight AWARD

Awarded to a work or individual that has garnered significant public attention, sharing the appeal of short films with the world, and contributed to the promotion of short film culture.